New BrunswickNew Brunswick’s public safety minister has been asked to investigate the civilian board overseeing the Codiac Regional RCMP. Codiac Regional Policing Authority board chair says he supports call for review by public safety ministerShane Magee · CBC News · Posted: Oct 31, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesCodiac Regional Policing Authority board members Nagesh Jammula, Corinne Godbout and Matt Carter vote against the 2026 budget on Sept. 11. (Shane Magee/CBC)New Brunswick’s public safety minister has been asked to investigate the civilian board overseeing the Codiac Regional RCMP. A news release issued Wednesday says a board member of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority has requested an investigation into “concerns of political and procedural interference” within the policing authority. No details about the allegations have been made public, and it’s not clear which board member submitted the request. Don Moore, the policing authority chair, says he supports the request. Moore told CBC News the board member’s request sent to Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin on Tuesday relates to concerns the person has about board governance, code of conduct and conflict of interest.“It was a whole group of activities that have been happening with the [policing authority] for the last number of months,” Moore said. He said it was “not directly” related to a controversial budget vote last month. Moore said he has been verbally told what the request alleges but has not received a copy. Moore said the minister has yet to respond to the request. Don Moore, chair of the Codiac Regional Policing Authority board, says he supports the request for a review. (Shane Magee/CBC)“We have received information regarding this matter and will follow up directly with those involved,” Gauvin said Thursday in a statement to CBC News. The request comes just over a month after a Riverview councillor who has been on the board almost a decade was unable to vote on its $66-million budget for 2026.The budget calls for Riverview, Dieppe and Moncton to spend $9.5 million more and add 15 more Mounties. It passed in a 5-4 vote on Sept. 11. Dieppe and Moncton councillors on the board voted against the budget. Councils in the three communities passed motions earlier this year saying they won’t approve significant budget or staffing increases until certain crime data is gathered and provided. That data is only expected to be collected in 2026.The Riverview councillor’s inability to vote led to a series of questions for the policing authority board chair at a town council budget meeting earlier this month.“The decisions or votes during that meeting, in my opinion, are null and void because we didn’t have our representative at that meeting,” Riverview Deputy Mayor Jeremy Thorne said during the Oct. 15 meeting.“There’s been enough cloak and dagger shenanigans here. I believe we need to do an external review on the [policing authority] and contact the minister of local governance, Aaron Kennedy, to do a review.”Riverview Mayor Andrew LeBlanc told CBC News that Thorne’s suggestion would be considered by council.The town has for years asked the policing authority for data to justify budget requests, but several councillors expressed frustration that it hasn’t been provided.The policing authority’s request for 15 officers came after the Codiac Regional RCMP superintendent in July sent a letter to the municipalities saying it would only seek four more officers in 2026. WATCH | ‘Enough cloak and dagger shenanigans,’ councillor says:Riverview seeks apology over $66M Codiac RCMP budget voteRiverview says a vote on a $66.5-million police budget last month is invalid, and an apology is owed to a town councillor who couldn’t cast a vote. Moore also faced questions when he presented the policing budget to Dieppe council Oct. 20.Coun. Corinne Godbout, who represents Dieppe on the policing authority, asked Moore about the board holding budget debates in private meetings, the lack of language interpretation during private meetings, the lack of data to justify budget decisions, and other procedures.Godbout responded to Moore’s answers several times by saying, “Let’s agree to disagree.”Dieppe Mayor Yvon Lapierre said during the meeting that the budget request was “very disappointing.” Municipalities to review requestCBC asked Moncton, Dieppe and Riverview officials for comment on the request for the minister to review the organization. A Moncton spokesperson sent a statement attributed to the three mayors. “Out of respect for the process, the tri-community will not be offering detailed comment at this time, but we welcome any process that strengthens transparency for taxpayers and supports proper governance in policing services,” the three mayors said. “Our councils will review the information and consider any implications for our municipalities.”Moore is expected to present the policing budget to Moncton council on Monday.ABOUT THE AUTHORShane Magee is a Moncton-based reporter for CBC News.
Investigation of policing board sought over alleged interference
