Unions representing the frontline mountains hope that Ottawa will dismiss the concept of changing border security liability from the RCMP.
According to the National Police Federation, the RCMP is the only institution fully trained and equipped to handle remote areas between border-related criminal investigations and official intersections.
The union’s statement comes as Canada crosses the border to address White House concerns about immigration and drug southbound flows.
The RCMP is responsible for police between official border crossings, while the Canadian Border Services Agency manages the security of land intersections, airports and ports.
The union representing Border Officers has urged the federal government to expand its duties to enable it to act between ports of entry.
The Customs and Immigration Union says Border Officers are already trained with borders in mind and have a keen understanding of the relevant laws and regulations.
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In a statement Wednesday, the Police Federation said employees of the border agency are not trained or qualified to assume the same duties as RCMP officers.
“RCMP is Canada’s only law enforcement agency, so that professional training, authority and infrastructure effectively police borders between entry ports.”
Sauvé said the federal government must invest in expanding the RCMP federal police program rather than replicating the efforts and diverting resources to other agencies.
The federal government is urging the federal government to reaffirm the role of RCMP’s border security and commit to hiring at least 1,000 additional officers to strengthen national security and enforcement efforts.
They also hope that Ottawa will accelerate recruitment and training for RCMPs, streamline the equipment purchasing process and expand intelligence sharing.
