Update #1 - RCMP response to Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

March 20, 2020
Ottawa, Ontario

Statement

As Canada takes more measures to flatten the curve of COVID-19, the RCMP is doing its part to keep Canadians safe and healthy.

Our priority continues to be the health and safety of our employees and all Canadians.

We are here for you

There has been no change to the RCMP's response to critical and emergency matters. RCMP detachments remain open and your local police officers continue to be present in your community to ensure community safety. Out of respect for social distancing, and in consultation with local authorities and health professionals, we have made the following changes:

  • Some RCMP detachments across Canada are reducing or suspending certain front-counter/in-detachment services.
  • Members of the public are encouraged to check with their local RCMP detachment for more information on services currently available.

These measures are being taken to protect the safety of our employees and the citizens we serve.

We are in this together

We continue to rely on the public to report crime as we need this information to respond to you, stop potential dangers, and advance ongoing investigations.

This week, the RCMP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre ramped up public awareness efforts to protect Canadians from various scams that attempt to take advantage of people's natural anxiety over the COVID-19 outbreak.

We are monitoring the COVID-19 situation and engaging with Government of Canada partners such as the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada and Public Safety to ensure a coordinated response. For the latest updates on the COVID-19 situation, including preventative measures, please visit Canada.ca/coronavirus.

RCMP employees are encouraged to check the RCMP intranet (Infoweb) or to contact their manager for the latest employee information.

Temporary suspension of new troops and training at the RCMP Training Academy

On Thursday, March 19, most training was suspended at Depot Division, the RCMP Training Academy. Four existing troops will complete their training and graduate over the next week. Their training schedules have been modified to permit this. This will enable the RCMP to deploy more than 120 new police officers to front line operations across Canada. All incoming troops have been postponed but will resume once cleared to do so by provincial and national health agencies. Learn more in the March 20, 2020 news release from Depot Division.

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