Nova Scotia implementing 6 ‘foundational’ changes to policing

Following a comprehensive review of policing in Nova Scotia, the province said it will introduce six “foundational” changes to improve public safety.

Deloitte was selected to carry out the report. What followed in 2024 was picking an advisory committee, reviewing a survey, several public engagement sessions and an audit team was established.

One of the recommendations includes how policing agencies cover off responsibility in the province, through municipal forces and using the RCMP in its provincial capacity, details from the report show. The government said that an auditing process will determine if those 10 municipal forces meet the new standards established in September 2024.

One of those forces is Halifax Regional Police, which told CityNews in a statement that it is reviewing the impacts of the recommendations.

“We are committed to working with our partner agencies across the province to ensure we are delivering strong and uniform police services,” HRP said. “Working with the Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police Association, we will ensure our response to the recommendations is well coordinated.”

The province will give those municipalities the option to continue funding the agency or move to a provincial policing model using the RCMP, or contracting out certain jobs to the Mounties.

The current agreement with the RCMP to provide provincial services is set to expire in 2032.

Nova Scotia spent about $190 million on provincial policing last year. The price will likely be going up, but staff said there’s no way to know by how much.

Justice Minister Becky Druhan said in the press conference that if municipalities believe the province should only pay for the provincial policing force, it’s why the government built in a choice.

“When we talk about a provincial police model and provincial policing, it is important to understand that it operates on a local level,” she said.

Deloitte recommended a provincial police model in its report, but Druhan said that municipal agencies can provide quality services and could meet the provincial standards. She said that between expanding the RCMP provincial policing model and raising standards for all forces it will ensure consistency across all communities.

The comprehensive review was first announced in September 2023 after recommendations were made in the Mass Casualty Commission, which found widespread failures in how the RCMP responded to the situation.

“As a result of involvement in events, the RCMP has been on the receiving end of recommendations and criticism,” Druhan said. “I can say that that is in part because the RCMP covers so much territory and is responsible for so much of our Nova Scotia policing.”

Several of the issues pulled from engagement included that more visibility was needed in rural communities, more equitable service delivery across the province, civilian oversight, the costs of policing were raised, and consistent access to information.

The changes being implemented are:

• Establishing a single police records system to replace the three that currently exist
• Adding community safety personnel
• Ensuring appropriate policing staff levels across the province
• Establishing community safety boards
• Augmenting provincial police standards
• Introducing a new RCMP billing mechanism for municipalities

“Change is hard, and this represents a significant change in Nova Scotia. This is a pivotal moment for us, and policing is going to look different,” Druhan said. “Policing will be different. Nova Scotians are asking for that, and they deserve that. But we’ll do this together.”