Riverview residents ask for bigger RCMP presence in town

Samuel Acker has had two break-ins at his house in Riverview — costing him money, electronics and even his mother's wedding ring.

With the town's growing population, there's a growing need for more officers to patrol the community, he said.

At a town-hall meeting Thursday night, Acker raised his concerns to the RCMP, requesting more street patrols and follow-up calls in the community of more than 21,000 people that sits across the Petitcodiac River from Moncton 

"I think they need to have a couple of people that — all their job is — is to follow-up with people on things ... we have seniors getting older, they're getting more scared of the community and if no one's talking with them, no one's communicating with them, they're all going to move away."

Acker was one of about 100 residents who gathered to raise safety concerns and have a Q&A with the police.

The most common concern raised was that there aren't enough officers and the RCMP is often busy answering calls in Moncton or Dieppe. Residents said they need officers who will remain in Riverview to attend calls.

"There's not enough policing presence in Riverview, I don't think we are seeing them enough in the suburbs," Acker said.  

He said the police are visible on the town's main streets but he would like to see more patrolling in his residential neighbourhood.

"I think people are going to the suburbs off the main streets stealing, breaking-in, doing all the crime."

Acker said his family has installed several cameras and an alarm system on their property, which gives them a sense of security.

Other residents attending the meeting spoke about speeding vehicles, loud mufflers, drug dealing, slashed tires and vehicle thefts.

RCMP Supt. Benoit Jolette, who was at the meeting requested by town council, said statistics comparing criminal activity in 2023 to the first nine months of 2024 don't show much of an increase in Riverview, but there still are three months to go in the year.

However, growth in population in the entire Greater-Moncton Area has increased the number of calls to police overall, he said. 

And when the RCMP had a similar community consultation in Moncton in 2022, residents echoed similar concerns about crime.

"What we have seen is the issues that first started occurring on a much rapid pace in Moncton have spilled over into Dieppe and Riverview," Jolette said.   

Jolette pointed out that Riverview is part of one of the fastest-growing regions in Canada, which has meant "75 per cent more calls for service in the last eight to 10 years," in Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe.

"That's astronomical — going from 30,000 calls for service per year, to nearly 45,000," he said.

The Moncton region was ranked second on the list of fastest-growing metro populations in Canada, according to a Statistics Canada report published earlier this year.

The region, which includes Dieppe, Riverview and surrounding areas, had a population of 178,971 as of July 1, 2023 — a 6.1 per cent increase from 2022.

The Town of Riverview had a two per cent population increase, according to that report.

To keep up with this increase in the region, the RCMP has drafted a proposal for an increased budget for 2025, along with a three-year plan for the Codiac region.

The proposed $59-million budget is a 29 per cent increase from 2024, with a target of adding 46 additional police officers over the next three years, including a traffic unit.

It was approved by the Codiac Regional Policing Authority and presented to the Town of Riverview on Thursday.

Jolette said the RCMP has had "non-existent growth" since 2008, which now brings them to a "tipping point."

"Municipal councils and residents need to make serious decisions for the future of safety, security in the Codiac area."

He said the budget will be presented to Moncton and Dieppe councils in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Jolette advised residents to report crime to the RCMP, instead of taking it to social media. He also encouraged residents to continue taking precautions to safeguard their properties.

Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc said the town is waiting on "a workload analysis from the RCMP," to have a better understanding of where the resources are going.

"From a strategic planning perspective, we have some tough decisions to make as a tri-community on what we are going to invest in the growth of the police force," said LeBlanc.