News release

Additional Officer Program Accelerated

Justice

Adding more police officers to keep Nova Scotia streets safe is making such a difference, the government will accelerate its additional officer program.

Justice Minister and Attorney General Cecil Clarke made the announcement today, Oct. 16, that 45 new officers, 25 more than originally planned, will be hired during the next year.

Collaborative policing has been effective in Nova Scotia in areas where RCMP and police agencies work together to target street crimes, drugs, and impaired drivers.

"People want to see more police officers on their streets and that's happening," said Mr. Clarke. "We know what's working well, so we are committing the resources to speed up the planning work to prevent crimes of concern to Nova Scotians."

So far, 150 provincially funded extra enforcement officers have been allocated to new programs that are proving successful. The additional officer program is part of the Crime Strategy, Time To Fight Crime Together, and its plan to have 250 new positions in Nova Scotia by 2011.

The positions are being funded in part by the federal government's $11.2-million investment to increase enforcement. Planning for allocation of the positions has started. The positions will be filled beginning April 1, 2009.

Mr. Clarke said the announcement will represent $4.9 million in the next provincial budget for targeted priorities including:

  • new officers dedicated to street-crime units across Nova Scotia to address local crime issues
  • expanding to Northern Nova Scotia the Integrated Impaired Driving Enforcement Unit that has had officers from the RCMP, Bridgewater and Kentville improve road safety in southwest Nova Scotia
  • the province's two largest municipalities receiving the most resources in the latest allocation with four new positions in Halifax to combat the hot spots highlighted by the municipality and three new positions in Cape Breton Regional Municipality for its drug enforcement unit
  • more officers across the province to invest in the safety of First Nations communities