ManitobaThe Swan River RCMP detachment’s promised investigative unit remains unstaffed amid significant vacancies, leaving some residents saying they’re frustrated by ongoing crime and delayed police response. ‘We have a very proud community … but we need help,’ western Manitoba business owner says after rash of theftsChelsea Kemp · CBC News · Posted: Oct 10, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoIt’s been nearly a year since the province and Manitoba RCMP announced a special unit to target major crimes in the Swan Valley region, but the promised general investigation section has yet to recruit an officer. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)Almost a year after the province and RCMP announced new officers would crack down on drug trafficking and bolster policing in the Swan Valley region of western Manitoba, not a single position has been filled, leaving residents questioning when, or if, the promised support will arrive.The still-empty general investigation section unit is part of a broader staffing shortage at the Swan River RCMP detachment, where only 12 of 22 positions are currently filled, said Staff Sgt. Scott Linklater, the acting commander of the Swan River detachment.Of the 10 vacancies — including three for the investigation unit — five are “soft,” meaning staff are away for health or personal reasons.”We want to ensure that we have enough general duty members to respond to the priority calls,” he said. “Then we will start filling those GIS roles.”With limited resources, the RCMP cannot pull members from elsewhere to fill the new positions, he said, adding three new members are joining the Swan River detachment in November.In November 2024, the province announced $265,000 to pay for three new police officers in an effort to tackle crime and drug trafficking in the Swan Valley region of western Manitoba.RCMP Staff Sgt. Scott Linklater says the police force has brought in members from other areas to assist when needed in the Swan Valley area, but the detachment has had to prioritize calls based on available staff. (Submitted by Manitoba RCMP)The Town of Swan River, the municipalities of Swan Valley West and Minitonas-Bowsman, and the Rural Municipality of Mountain signed the five-year agreement to establish a general investigation section in Swan River to help local RCMP.Linklater could not confirm how many officers have been hired since the investigation unit pilot program was announced, saying staffing numbers fluctuate and are treated as “a snapshot.”The goal is to have the unit staffed sometime in the new year, he said.To maintain public safety, the RCMP has brought in members from other areas to assist when needed, and the detachment has had to prioritize calls based on available staff, said Linklater.”The members we have are very committed to the safety of the community,” Linklater said, but overtime has become common.Staffing shortages frustrate residentsStaffing challenges extend beyond Swan Valley, Linklater said. Recruitment has become increasingly difficult across Canada, with police services competing for officers. The RCMP’s West District, which includes more than two dozen detachments across southwestern Manitoba, is short about 23 per cent of its staff, he said.”We just need some more members coming in, and we’re working hard to get that done,” said Linklater.Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe says ultimately, the federal government needs to step in to help ease the province’s shortage of RCMP officers.”They need to find bodies. We’re going to make sure that we have the funding. They’re ready for them,” Wiebe said.Jason Sakal, who owns River Valley Powersports in Swan River, says police vacancies are taking a toll on the community. He said he’s seen drug use and trafficking rise, bringing more crime to the area.River Valley Powersports owner Jason Sakal says it’s discouraging to see the local RCMP detachment short-staffed. (Submitted by Jason Sakal)His dealership has been broken into four times, and three snowmobiles were stolen, in a rash of thefts over the last couple of years.”It just seemed like I was helpless,” said Sakal. “The RCMP did do everything they could … but at the end of the day, it was the same criminals, you know, getting caught and released.”He worries the policing vacancies have left the currently serving officers stressed, because they’re doing the jobs of two or three people, he said.He wants to see more support from provincial and federal governments.”We have a very proud community … but we need help,” said Sakal. “I feel like we’re not being heard.”Rayna Badowski, who owns Swan School of Dance in Swan River, says she calls police nearly every week to deal with issues outside her studio, but also recognizes officers are stretched thin.Addressing crime in Swan River will take more than hiring new officers, she said, calling for bail reform to deal with repeat offenders.“We need more jail time. They need to be put away, and they’re not,” she said.Badowski worries that recent headlines about Swan River — from an HIV outbreak to discarded needles — will deter officers from working there.”It’s a great place to live,” she said. “But knowing that you’re coming into a job that you’re already short-staffed, that 99 per cent of your job is going to be dealing with drug-related issues — yeah, it would make it hard for someone.”Swan School of Dance owner Rayna Badowski says police shortages are just one of the issues contributing to crime in Swan River. (Chelsea Kemp/CBC)While the community waits for officers, she’s urging residents to document and share what they see to keep pressures on all levels of government.Staff Sgt. Linklater said reported property, shoplifting and violent crimes are below the five-year average in Swan River, but acknowledged under-reporting may be a factor. He encourages residents to keep reporting incidents so police can track trends.”I know everybody’s looking forward to that [new unit] coming in,” Linklater said.”Unfortunately, we have to wait for a few more months before we can fill that unit and have the members out there doing the work.”ABOUT THE AUTHORChelsea Kemp is a multimedia journalist with CBC Manitoba. She is based in CBC’s bureau in Brandon, covering stories focused on rural Manitoba. Share your story ideas, tips and feedback with chelsea.kemp@cbc.ca.
Swan Valley still waiting for promised RCMP investigative unit as vacancies persist
