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Niverville council budgets for new RCMP detachment

Feb. 23, 2023, Niverville, Man. – On February 21, Niverville’s town council took up a public meeting discussion on the impact of a major jump in RCMP costs going forward.

For years, council has been all too cognizant that there would be an automatic bump in the cost of RCMP services when the town reached a population of 5,000. This happened after the 2021 census.

This year marks the first time these increased police service fees apply. Niverville’s annual cost for policing has jumped from $200,000 to almost $650,000.

The most recent public meeting provided an opportunity for council to officially enter into an agreement with the federal government for contracted RCMP services at the increased rate.

In turn, three constables and one corporal will be assigned to the Niverville RCMP detachment.

Since the contract’s official start date is April 1, the town will be responsible to pay only 75 percent of the upgraded fees this year.

While CAO Eric King anticipates the completion of the Niverville RCMP building later this year, the four RCMP members to be hired for Niverville will work from the St. Pierre detachment for the time being.

Even so, Mayor Myron Dyck says that these new hires should be primarily focused on providing a greater police presence and crime response to Niverville.

But regardless of where they are stationed, they still have an obligation to the greater area serviced by the St. Pierre detachment.

“They are supposed to be tasked to Niverville,” Dyck says. “The agreement was that, while these members are giving Niverville priority, if there is suddenly a standoff in New Bothwell, they’re sending everyone over there.”

The town will be required to hire only one office administration support person for the new detachment. King says that hiring for this position will likely happen in the upcoming summer.

– The Niverville Citizen