The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
As Manitoba reportedly faces "a near-critical shortage" of RCMP officers, Mayor Dennis Ballard has yet to see an impact on protective services in Flin Flon. While informed of a shortage, Mayor Ballard said a recent media report painted a much more dire picture of the situation compared to what he has been told. "I've been told of a shortage, but no one has said, 'Therefore, you won't get (an officer), or can't get one,'" he said. The mayor's comment comes after a spokesman was quoted in the Winnipeg Free Press last week as saying the RCMP's D-Division Ð which includes Flin Flon Ð is facing "a near-critical shortage" of officers. Commanding Officer Darrell Madill added that "Provincial RCMP investigators in many circumstances carry a Criminal Code caseload often in excess of four times the national average." While no detachments will close, Madill told reporters that some Manitoba Mounties are being moved to busier detachments or summoned to investigate certain crime trends. As Manitoba seeks more officers, so too is the RCMP in general. In recent months, the Mounties have put an added emphasis on recruitment.
