Prime Minister Stephen Harper will announce Friday that the federal government intends to start paying RCMP cadets at the force's training academy in Regina, CBC News has learned. The RCMP is one of the few police services in the country that doesn't pay cadets during their training period of six months. A 2007 report by David Brown, an independent investigator and former head of the Ontario Securities Commission, called for major changes in the force, including payment of cadets. Brown's investigation was set up after allegations that senior Mounties covered up pension and insurance fund irregularities. He gave the RCMP until June 30, 2008, to act on his recommendations.
Earlier reports have also urged that trainee Mounties be paid, but the CBC's Alison Crawford in Ottawa says the Treasury Board has long been reluctant to agree to the move. "There has been a seriously long battle to get this," Crawford said, with the RCMP keen to avoid a staffing crisis as a wave of early and scheduled retirements looms over the federal police force. Competition from other police services in the country and from the Canadian Armed Forces is sapping the RCMP's potential pool of recruits, Crawford said. "This has been recommended over and over again," she said, "and now the government is acting on those recommendations."
About 2,000 young men and women pass through the RCMP cadet training program in Regina each year, according to the force's website. Not only do cadets not get paid during their training period, but the RCMP also recommends that they budget at least $4,500 to cover clothing, textbooks and other course materials. If they successfully complete their training, they can be hired as a full time Mountie at a annual starting salary of slightly less than $45,000, the RCMP website says. That usually increases to more than $70,000 within three years. By contrast, the Toronto police pay their cadets as probationary officers with a starting salary of $45,042 a year. Cadets in the Ontario Provincial Police earn $32,436 annually.
RCMP recruits go through 24 weeks of training in Regina. It's estimated each cadet needs nearly $5,000 to cover expenses. Even though they aren't paid, cadets get free room and board. RCMP cadets pay for all other incidental costs, including the graduation fund, school supplies and items such as shoe polish. Other forces, including the one in Regina, pay recruits as probationary employees.
No comments:
Post a Comment