OTTAWA - The staffing shortage among RCMP operators and dispatchers is now a full-blown crisis, says CUPE 104, the union representing operators and dispatchers, with 55.9 per cent of positions vacant in Saskatchewan.
In a letter sent to the Minister of Public Safety and the President of the Treasury Board, the president of CUPE 104, Kathleen Hippern, called for urgent and decisive action before tragedy strikes.
“This is no longer just a staffing challenge; it is a full-blown public safety failure. Canadians in crisis are waiting longer for help, officers are left without essential support, and national security is being compromised because of RCMP leadership negligence and Treasury Board’s refusal to act,” says Hippern.
The latest National Operational Communications Centres (OCC) Resource Statistics show a nationwide vacancy rate of 42.8 per cent in RCMP Dispatch (Telecommunications Operator) positions, says the union.
The union maintains that this crippling understaffing has severe consequences:
- Police responses from 911 calls are delayed because there aren’t enough dispatchers to answer and coordinate responses.
- Officers are waiting longer for critical information from their dispatchers because OCCs cannot keep up with emergency dispatching demands.
- Current staff are being overworked, leading to burnout, resignations, and even more vacancies.
Despite these alarming numbers, says the union, the RCMP Commissioner refuses to comply with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission’s (CRCC) recommendation to provide them OCC staffing statistics every six months.
“This refusal raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability. Without this data, oversight bodies and the public cannot grasp the full extent of the crisis or push for necessary reforms,” says the union. “Unless the situation is urgently addressed, the union believes that a full parliamentary investigation should be launched into RCMP mismanagement of its human resources.”
