Nova ScotiaThe Halifax board of police commissioners has approved the full budget requests from the region’s two police forces, saying calls for new civilian and officer positions are backed up by evidence and “real need.” Province says new municipal costing formula for RCMP officers will be in place by April 2026Haley Ryan · CBC News · Posted: Oct 30, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesA 911 call taker in a Nova Scotia dispatch centre. The Halifax police board is supporting Halifax Regional Police’s request for eight new 911 call takers. They field calls for Halifax police, RCMP, Halifax Fire and health services like ambulances. (Dave Wilson)The Halifax board of police commissioners has approved the full budget requests from the region’s two police forces, saying calls for new civilian and officer positions are backed up by evidence and “real need.”Board members discussed the 2026-27 budget requests from the Halifax Regional Police (HRP) and Halifax RCMP on Wednesday.HRP asked for eight new 911 call takers, which would cost about $392,000 in the upcoming budget as not all would be hired next year. As more are hired, the cost would rise to about $936,000 in four years.The board heard first-hand about the current challenges facing 911 dispatchers with the integrated emergency services unit (IES), including thousands of hours of mandatory overtime hours a year, and supervisors needing to cover the phones instead of their own duties.Supervisor Tracey Mackay said they are seeing a rising level of abuse and swearing from callers, and employees often feel like they can’t help everyone when “phones are ringing off the hooks.”“And when you don’t have enough people out there … answering the phone, and you can’t get up and use the washroom, that’s where the fatigue comes in,” Mackay said.’These are real people that we’re dealing with’The eight new positions would be spread out among day and night watches, adding two more people per 12-hour shift.Despite the staffing challenges, IES is answering 911 calls within 20 seconds 99.9 per cent of the time, according to the HRP budget report, which the board heard is above the industry standard. However, the time taken to answer non-emergency calls has been climbing, hitting more than a minute this year.“People always think it’s all about the money — how about the people?” said Commissioner Yemi Akindoju. “This is a real need and these are real people that we’re dealing with.”HRP’s overall operating budget is about $103.8 million with the new dispatch roles, an increase of more than two per cent from last year’s $101 million. The increase is largely driven by salary costs going up as set out in collective agreements.New RCMP satellite officeHalifax RCMP asked for nine new officers, with six going to staff a new satellite office in Eastern Passage. The Mounties said they do not have a location finalized yet.Commissioner and councillor for the area, Becky Kent, said there has been a rise in local gun activity in recent years, which has been tough on the community. Kent said a new office is needed because the area is set to gain even more people with major development planned, and residents have given her a clear message about the RCMP: “We don’t see them around here enough, and we don’t have access to them.”The other officers include two special investigators for the intimate-partner violence unit, bringing that team to four people, and a new community action response team officer. The RCMP said that unit engages with communities directly, often addressing complicated situations like homelessness or youth crime.The nine officers total about $1.9 million under the RCMP’s current per-officer cost of $216,000. That covers a variety of things including salaries, fuel, uniforms and buildings, but it may change because the province is creating a new formula for municipalities contracting the RCMP.Hayley Crichton, Nova Scotia’s executive director of public safety and security with the Justice Department, told the board that formula should be in place before Halifax’s overall budget passes in April 2026.Hayley Crichton, Nova Scotia’s executive director of public safety and security, speaks to reporters after the release of a review of the province’s policing services on June 25, 2025. (Pat Callaghan/CBC)Board chair Greg O’Malley asked whether the officer cost could jump in the new formula. Crichton said she couldn’t give any details yet, but said the point of the coming policing changes is really about “sustainability of policing” for all communities in Nova Scotia.“So the intent of the province is actually to bear more of the burden of the cost of policing in municipalities,” Crichton said.Opponents say more officers won’t improve safetyAt a board meeting earlier this month, about a dozen Halifax residents urged commissioners to reject both budget increases. Many people said police continue to harm vulnerable residents who are 2SLGBTQ+ and those dealing with mental health issues or homelessness, and said more officers will not increase safety.“Inflation is not an excuse to give them more money when tons of public services have to deal with cuts pretty much every year,” said resident Lou Campbell.Multiple commissioners said Wednesday they thoroughly examined the data and reports from both forces, and believe the new investments are needed. But, a few commissioners said residents raised important points about tracking the impact of police investments.Commissioner Vincent Beswick-Escanlar said he’s interested in looking not only at the new investments police ask for each year, but the overall police budget and “basically prove to ourselves that we are investing in the right places.”The budgets will go to Halifax council for final approval in the new year. MORE TOP STORIES ABOUT THE AUTHORHaley Ryan is the municipal affairs reporter for CBC covering mainland Nova Scotia. Got a story idea? Send an email to haley.ryan@cbc.ca, or reach out on Twitter @hkryan17.
Halifax police board passes budget increases for 911 call takers, Eastern Passage office
