Stronger Together: Supporting Prince Edward Island’s RCMP for Safer Communities.
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Learn the Facts About Policing in Prince Edward Island
Over 140 RCMP Members are proud to provide policing services to communities across Prince Edward Island.
Our Members provide policing services to nearly 95% of the Island’s communities and 65% of the population, while also providing federal policing, and specialized services to all residents.
Our Members serve in 6 detachments across the Island and First Nations Communities of Abegweit and Lennox Island.
Together they answer well over 20,000 calls for service per year, a ~30% increase, since 2019.
RCMP Members provide several specialized services to municipalities all across PEI, no matter the size.
Provincial Traffic Services, Digital Forensics Services, Joint Forces Operations, Crisis Negotiation, Major Crimes, Underwater Recovery Teams, Police Dog Services, National Sex Offender Registry, and many more.
Joint Forces Operations is a partnership between PEI RCMP in Prince District along with the municipal agencies of Summerside Police Services and Kensington Police Services.
Through innovative and collaborative programs, strong partnerships with communities and stakeholders, and committed employees, satisfaction levels with police services have been rated the best in the country.
This is a tribute to the dedication and commitment of the more than 200 Regular Members, civilian members and public service employees of “L” Division who strive to ensure a safe and secure environment for residents, and visitors alike.
However, to modernize its public safety system, PEI must invest in its RCMP officers, ensuring that our Members are equipped to address the evolving challenges of crime, technology, and community needs in a rapidly changing province. This will enable a more responsive, efficient, and proactive approach that will enhance public safety for residents and foster trust within communities.
The RCMP is the primary service provider for most residents (57%).
The RCMP is identified as the primary police service by nearly six in ten, indicating its large role in community policing. This is followed by the Charlottetown Police Service, which is responsible for policing for three in ten residents.
Recommendations
A Safer Tomorrow: Adapting to PEI’s Evolving Needs
Over the last five years (2019-2024), the population in Prince Edward Island has grown by almost 15%, while the national increase remains below 10%. With a fast-growing population and lack of any new investment in the Prince Edward Island RCMP, or public safety in general, every officer is asked to do more with less, as they work tirelessly to meet the public demands of their fellow resident Islanders. The province needs to invest in additional police resources to meet population growth and demands.
Compared to the Canadian average, PEI has the lowest ratio of police officers per residents of the country, at 133 police officers per 100,000 people, while the national average is 178. Over the last 10 years the ratio has dropped 17.5%, highlighting the need to modernize the policing landscape by reversing and improving this trend.
Recommendation
Allocate $4 million over three years to hire 20 additional RCMP Members. This investment will strengthen public safety, ensure adequate policing coverage, and align the province’s policing resources with national levels.
Expertise Meets Dedication: The RCMP’s Role in PEI
According to RCMP data, in 2023 alone, the PEI RCMP responded to 1,169 mental health calls and 636 well-being checks. Furthermore, mental health related calls have increased by more than 110% between 2016 and 2023, while well-being checks have increased by close to 300% between 2016 to 2023.
While the province’s Mobile Mental Health Units (MMHUs) have been operational since 2021, they continue to have significant challenges regarding their integration with police, sustainable funding, and meeting demand. This includes major concerns with the communication and limited response capabilities of the MMHU – which have limited operational hours – and MMHUs in the province simply are unable to meet the demand. We applaud these efforts to better address mental health challenges and to divert police resources away from being the primarily responder to these calls, but the current MMHU model is not working efficiently to meet the needs of Islanders – as illustrated in the 2024 Ombudsperson report.
Recommendation
Invest $500,000 for the establishment of two new MMHUs in RCMP policed regions. This would also include the hiring of one new RCMP Member, to provide safety support as needed.
Seamless Connections: How PEI’s RCMP and Public Safety Teams Ensure Reliable Communication
The RCMP and other public safety personnel in PEI rely heavily on secure, interoperable communications networks to maintain public safety. These networks must leverage current and emerging technologies to provide continuous, reliable, real-time access to critical information.
Despite more than a decade of discussion among federal, provincial, and territorial governments, Canada still lacks a nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN), falling behind countries like the United States, Australia, and South Korea.
As natural disasters and emergencies increase in frequency and severity, effective communication and coordination across all levels of government, first responders, and public safety agencies are critical.
Recommendation
Work with all levels of government to implement a nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network by leveraging existing mobile network infrastructure through a multi-operator collaboration model through the joint initial allocation of $1 billion to kickstart the PSBN and assess infrastructure and future investment needs