Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks to the media in Regina on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Moe says a recommendation to phase out the RCMP Depot police training academy in Regina would make it harder to get more boots on the ground. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
REGINA – Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says a recommendation to phase out the RCMP Depot police training academy in Regina would make it harder to get more boots on the ground.
A report into the 2020 shooting rampage in Nova Scotia that left 22 people dead says the Depot training program should be phased out by 2032 for a new model that would see provinces establish three-year policing degrees.
Moe says this change would prevent Mounties from being placed into communities sooner, noting the RCMP is already experiencing staffing shortages.
The Depot in Regina has been training RCMP recruits for 140 years and has strong links to the city.
Opposition NDP leader Carla Beck says the recommendation is deeply concerning, saying the premier should advocate keeping the Depot.
The report also recommends RCMP work with Indigenous communities to determine how the land and facility should be used in the future.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023.
