Year after announcement of RCMP unit to crack down on serious crime, Swan Valley continues to wait

A new RCMP unit tasked with investigating serious and complex crimes in western Manitoba is still not up and running — nearly a year after it was announced — amid a national staff shortage.

Officials hoped the three-officer general investigation section for the Swan River Valley would be set up by early 2025, when funding and details were announced by the Manitoba government, the RCMP and four local municipalities in November 2024.

“In a word, it’s disappointing,” Swan Valley West Reeve Bill Gade said of the delay. “It’s tough because we have to explain to residents (why the unit is not yet operational).”

The unit will be based in the RCMP detachment in Swan River, about 380 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, once it is staffed.

An officer who has been selected for the general investigation section is currently on leave, said Manitoba RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Mélanie Roussel.

She said the detachment is in the process of selecting two other members for the unit.

“It does take time to staff, as some members will have to transfer from other detachments and this is not able to occur until they are replaced,” Roussel wrote in an email to the Free Press.

Swan River’s detachment has 22 positions, including the three general investigation section positions. Of those, 12 are filled, with three more officers expected to join in November, Roussel said.

Swan River Mayor Lance Jacobson said he doesn’t place blame for the situation. The RCMP is trying to fill positions, and the funding is there, he said.

“Placing people and finding recruits has been a challenge for the RCMP for several years,” Jacobson said.

He said there is a mixture of “hard” vacancies (unfilled positions) and “soft” vacancies (in which members are on some form of leave) within the detachment.

The Manitoba government promised nearly $265,000 for the unit, which is a pilot program in partnership with the Town of Swan River and the municipalities of Swan Valley West, Minitonas-Bowsman and Mountain.

The four municipalities will also provide funding as part of a five-year deal, Gade said.

He said municipal officials were originally told the unit would be operational by June.

Gade said he’s heard from residents who are disappointed the general investigation section isn’t in place yet, and also from some who don’t think it will make a significant difference in some of the region’s problems, including drug trafficking.

“I hope we can prove them wrong,” he said.

The first priority, he said, is to “slow down” drug dealing in the region. If that happens, Gade said he hopes it will help to reduce property crimes that are fuelled by drug addiction, and be a catalyst for addicts to seek treatment.

The situation involving the unit was among the matters discussed at an Oct. 1 town hall in Swan River. Gade said some residents told the meeting they’ve stopped reporting property crimes, such as theft, because they’ve repeatedly been victimized and they do not think the offenders will face consequences, if charged.

Amid the staff shortage, Roussel said the Swan River detachment is assisted by integrated units, including one that focuses on apprehending violent offenders, when an in-depth investigation is required or high-risk arrests need to be made.

Each district in Manitoba has a crime reduction enforcement support team that can be called upon, when needed, Roussel said.

RCMP data show Swan River is below the five-year average for reports of property crime, violent crime and shoplifting, she said.

“The safety and security of all residents remain a top priority for the detachment and always encourage residents to report all crimes, small or large,” Roussel wrote.

When the general investigation section was announced last year, Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said it would alleviate some of the strain on Swan River’s detachment, and proactively address public safety concerns.

“Ultimately, the federal government needs to recognize that here in Manitoba we have a shortage of RCMP officers, and that’s across northern Manitoba, rural Manitoba and all parts of this province,” Wiebe told reporters at the legislature Thursday.

“The federal government needs to step up. They need to find bodies. We’re going to make sure we have the funding there ready for them.”

At the time of the announcement, Progressive Conservative justice critic Wayne Balcaen, a former Brandon police chief, pointed to staff shortages within the RCMP and other police services in Canada.

“I was up front in saying announcing this without having the staffing in place is nothing more than a political stunt, and that’s exactly what it was,” Balcaen, the MLA for Brandon West, said Friday.

“We’re (almost) a year past that announcement and the positions aren’t filled. They’re not there, and when they do fill them, they are going to come from rank-and-file officers throughout Manitoba or across the nation, and it’s going to remove those front-line officers.”

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca