The president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities says the rising cost of RCMP services is changing the conversation around policing.
Amanda McDougall, who is also mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality, says many town councils that contract policing to the RCMP are concerned about how they will pay for it.
The province recently passed down more than $20 million in increased policing costs to municipalities that use the RCMP, leading to an average rise of 11 per cent per jurisdiction for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
McDougall says her municipality, which doesn’t have a policing contract with the RCMP, is being asked for advice by other towns about creating their own police forces.
She says she believes the increased interest indicates that some municipalities are considering alternatives to the RCMP.
According to the province, there are currently five municipalities that have endorsed formal reviews of their policing model. They include the Municipality of the County of Colchester, Halifax Regional Municipality, the Town of Wolfville, Eskasoni and the Municipality of Cumberland.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2022.