Whereas RCMP costs are borne by local governments, as well as the provincial and federal governments; And whereas the Municipal Police Services Agreement between BC and Canada includes costs for RCMP training; And whereas local governments have different policing and training needs based on factors such as crime rates and patterns, population size, and cultural, social and economic circumstances; And whereas law enforcement officers have increased needs for specialized training to safely respond to complex and challenging situations in multi-cultural urban and rural environments: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that both the provincial and federal governments increase funding and training specific to the provision of mental health resources such as Health IM app and the development of a comprehensive training model for RCMP members that includes components applicable to a detachments service region andor local government.
Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General British Columbia continues to experience many changes that impact policing with frontline officers dealing with persons suffering from mental health, substance abuse and homelessness. The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General recognizes that a public safety response is only one approach to address some of these challenges is continuing to work with community agencies and other areas of government to build partnerships and implement collaborative solutions. The provision of police training in British Columbia is seen as a partnership between various stakeholders, including RCMP national and the Pacific Region Training Centre, which is responsible for the delivery of advanced training for E Division members. One component of providing policing is to ensure police officers receive training that is funded appropriately and equitably by all parties set out in existing agreements and that officers have the tools and resources necessary to meet the needs of the communities they serve. The Director of Police Services continues to establish provincial policing standards on specific matters, including training in key areas such as Crisis Intervention and De-escalation skills, trauma-informed practice, and fair and impartial policing, among others. Police departments may decide what additional or further learning pathways are required. The intent is to standardize approaches where necessary and leave room for local operationalization as needed. The Ministry is also undertaking efforts to modernize policing and public safety in British Columbia and looks forward to receiving any recommendations from the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act related to standards, funding, training, and education as well as the role of police with respect to complex social issues including mental health and wellness.
RCMP As the world around us is constantly changing, police officers must be able to adapt and respond as required. For this reason, RCMP training materials are updated on a regular basis. Ensuring that we equip our officers with appropriate tools to respond safely and effectively is of the utmost importance. The training of RCMP members follows a comprehensive approach, which provides national consistency and alignment, in support of operational readiness and deployment in various jurisdictions across the country. As per the Police Service Agreements, jurisdictions establish their respective policing priorities and budgets, which include in-service training. In-service training provides police officers with the skills required to support their primary duty of preserving and protecting life. Knowing that the primary objective of any intervention is public safety and that officer safety is essential to public safety, in-service training focusses on the skills required to safely handle the wide range of situations that can occur within a policing landscape. At the national level, the RCMP has updated the Incident Management Intervention Model IMIM annual re-certification training and the IMIM graphic to place more emphasis on communication, crisis intervention, and de-escalation. The IMIM is the framework used by RCMP officers to assess and manage risk in all encounters with the public, whether it is verbal de-escalation or the use of an intervention option: De-escalation is the preferred result of any interaction. The IMIM is introduced in the second week at the RCMP Training Academy Depot and is integrated into all other relevant aspects of training for the remaining 24 weeks. After leaving Depot, annual IMIM re-certification training is mandatory for all regular members. For mental health-related calls, it is important to recognize that police officers are not medical professionals and cannot diagnose individuals. However, it is also important for the police to have an understanding of mental health illnesses, including signs and symptoms of distress. The RCMP is committed to working with jurisdictions that wish to invest in training and other resources, which will aid officers when responding to mental health-related calls.