Despite COVID-19 risk, RCMP recruits still doing hand-to-hand combat training at Regina Training Academy
Geoff Leo | CBC News | Posted: March 20, 2020 1:23 AM | Last Updated: March 20, 2020
Partner of depot staffer concerned that training practices are putting families and community at risk
The partner of a staff member at the RCMP Training Academy, located in Regina, is wondering why there's been virtually no change to the training regimen of new recruits in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Every day my partner goes to work at Depot where they're working closely with cadets. And other than some, in my opinion, very small measures to maybe up cleanliness, very little has been done," the complainant said in an interview.
They agreed to speak with CBC on the condition that their identify would be concealed. They're concerned that speaking publicly may affect their partner's employment.
So they're rolling around the gym mats and arresting each other and getting in very close contact. - Partner of RCMP training academy staff member
The biggest concern for the complainant is the hand-to-hand combat training.
"It's called police defensive tactics training which is learning to arrest people and learning to diffuse physical combat. So obviously you can't do that sitting in a desk social distancing from each other. So they're rolling around the gym mats and arresting each other and getting in very close contact," the complainant explained.
That's not the only concern. The cadets live their entire lives close to one another.
"They're still living in a very dorm-like environment. They're eating in the cafeteria," the complainant said. "They also do driving where they're sitting in a car for a couple hours at a time with their fellow cadets and a facilitator in very close quarters."
Every RCMP officer in the country is trained at this facility in Regina.
The partner of the staff member told CBC that just last week a new troop of cadets arrived.
"To then bring a new set of 30-plus people from across the country last week when we all knew that [the COVID-19 pandemic] was kind of coming. Just seems really untimely."
The partner of the staff member says that the cadets themselves are not at great risk because they're young and healthy.
"But that doesn't account for the almost 300 people that don't live at Depot but they leave every day and come into Regina and go back to their families and go to the grocery stores," they pointed out. "For the facilitators and staff and cleaning staff and commissionaires, cafeteria workers, cleaners, caterers, all those people who are bringing it back into Regina you know that's on Saskatchewan health care to manage that."
In an email to CBC sent at 6 p.m (CST) on March 19, the RCMP confirmed that training is continuing for now.
"RCMP Depot Division continues to work closely with provincial and national health agencies to monitor and respond to the situation," the RCMP said in a news release sent to CBC after it asked questions. "All options are under consideration at this time, including the suspension of training. Any decision will be made in consultation with those authorities."
The RCMP pointed out that there are currently no presumptive or confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Depot.
The news release said the organization has taken steps to slow COVID-19.
On Friday March 13, the academy was closed to visitors. And all public events have been cancelled including the RCMP Charity Ball, the YQR VetRun and all tours and visits.
In addition, the RCMP has encouraged all employees who can work from home to do so and it has closed the gym in order to minimize staff contact with the cadets.
The complainant points out that cadets are still working out in the gym and they say this doesn't make sense.
"It just seems that they're not held to the same expectations that other Canadians are being held to."