"RCMP union pushes for change to help force attract talent from U.S., other countries"

[The Bread Guy]

RCMP union pushes for change to help force attract talent from U.S., other countries

OTTAWA - The union representing front-line RCMP members wants the force to ease requirements for foreign applicants to help attract experienced police officers from agencies like the U.S. Federal Bureau

www.thecanadianpressnews.ca

Seems to be a follow up from a recommendatoin from this report earlier this summer:

National Police Federation Releases New Report Calling for Renewed Federal Commitment to Strengthen and Modernize the RCMP - NPF-FPN

June 10, 2025 Ottawa, ON – Today, the National Police Federation (NPF) released RCMP Facing the Future: Evolution, Integration, Readiness a forward-looking report that outlines a practical and achievable path forward to strengthen Canada’s national police service while preserving the […]

npf-fpn.com

Full report also attached.

 

[brihard]

Commonwealth? Sure, with a carefully built training program. US? I’d want US cops retrained from scratch before hitting the streets in Canada. Not to say all would pose problems, but there’s too much going on down there for me to trust a lateral process.

For the RCMP- I think most of their federal positions require top secret clearance, and that’s restricted to Canadian citizens now, so that’s a non-starter. Not sure there would be many FBI or NCA or AFP looking to lateral over to Canada to police rural/municipal, but I guess there might be a few? There are plenty of former British cops policing municipal in Canada, no reason RCMP contract policing couldn’t successfully absorb them too without those TS clearance issues.

 

[Eaglelord17]

I am of the opinion that the policing of our citizens should be left to our citizens. Seems wrong to have someone who isn't from here, and hasn't been here long enough to become a citizen or PR put in a position of power over those who are.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Commonwealth? Sure, with a carefully built training program. US? I’d want US cops retrained from scratch before hitting the streets in Canada. Not to say all would pose problems, but there’s too much going on down there for me to trust a lateral process.

For the RCMP- I think most of their federal positions require top secret clearance, and that’s restricted to Canadian citizens now, so that’s a non-starter. Not sure there would be many FBI or NCA or AFP looking to lateral over to Canada to police rural/municipal, but I guess there might be a few? There are plenty of former British cops policing municipal in Canada, no reason RCMP contract policing couldn’t successfully absorb them too without those TS clearance issues.

Yea US Police training varies wildly from excellent to dismal. I suspect applicants from Australia, NZ and UK, may qualify for TS clearance fairly easily.

 

[brihard]

Yea US Police training varies wildly from excellent to dismal. I suspect applicants from Australia, NZ and UK, may qualify for TS clearance fairly easily.

As of this year, you must be a Canadian citizen to get TS.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

While I get that makes life easier for the people doing clearances, if we are trying to recruit people from overseas with the skills we need and TS clearances from nations we already trust, then we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

 

[brihard]

Or just fix the domestic recruiting system inclusive of both RCMP and non-RCMP parts? Even if they hire foreigners police as laterals they’ll still have to go through the same broken system.

 

[lenaitch]

It is within my memory that to become a police officer in Ontario you had to be a Canadian citizen or British subject.

 

[brihard]

It is within my memory that to become a police officer in Ontario you had to be a Canadian citizen or British subject.