UBCM is currently engaged on a variety of issues that impact RCMP policing and municipal police agencies in B.C.
Current Issues
View recent articles published in The Compass about policing.
Despite former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s March 2025 white paper advocating for the federal government to end its contract policing program and focus on federal policing priorities, Canada continues to send strong signals that it will be seeking to re-negotiate the Police Service Agreements (PSAs). The PSAs expire in less than six years, which is increasing the urgency for the federal government to deliver formal notice and develop a negotiation mandate. Public Safety Canada continues to await Cabinet confirmation of a mandate for re-negotiation.
While it appears that the federal government will seek new PSAs with interested contract partners, the role of local governments, as part of negotiations, remains unclear. The federal government has yet to commit to directly including local governments as part of this process. UBCM, through endorsed resolution 2025-SR, has requested that the federal government directly involve B.C. local governments as part of the process to negotiate new RCMP PSAs; and, that local government priorities be considered as part of this process. This request, along with the need for certainty, has been echoed by other local government associations.
Articles
Update on the Future of RCMP Contract Policing (Jan. 2026)
Canada Releases Summary of Contract Policing Assessment (June 2024)
Assessment of RCMP Contract Policing (July 2023)
Input into RCMP Policing Assessment (Mar. 2023)Documents
Local Governments and the Future of RCMP Contract Policing (Sept. 2026)
A New Policing Vision for Canada: Modernizing the RCMP (Mar. 2025)
Contract Policing Assessment: What We Heard (Government of Canada) (May 2024)Correspondence
Western Canadian Municipal Associations to Prime Minister re Future of RCMP Contract Policing (Sept. 2025)The third round of collective bargaining between the National Police Federation (NPF), the union representing affected RCMP members, and the Treasury Board of Canada (TBS) Secretariat began in May 2025. Earlier this year, parties agreed to proceed to mediation in an attempt to resolve the remaining issues. Mediation began in May 2026, and there is an expectation that the parties will once again proceed to binding arbitration if issues cannot be resolved. Although there is no timetable for the third collective agreement to be finalized, it is unlikely that the bargaining process will be concluded prior to spring 2027 at the earliest.
Local governments have received, in their multi-year financial plans, a planning rate (i.e. non-contractual estimate) from the RCMP to assist in planning for the impacts associated with collective bargaining. However, negotiated salary increases or those imposed through third party arbitration could result in increases below or above the planning rate. If B.C. local governments wish to build contingencies that are higher than those included in their multi-year financial plans into their financial planning processes to mitigate potential fluctuations in negotiated rates or the possibility of arbitration, they are encouraged to do so.
UBCM's President has written to the federal government twice (see correspondence below), requesting a meeting with the Treasury Board of Canada Chief Negotiator, to discuss the third round of collective bargaining and B.C. local government priorities and concerns. The federal government has not provided a formal response to either letter, although it has indicated, via email, that discussions are only to take place at the national Contract Management Committee table and under the direction of Public Safety Canada.Correspondence
UBCM to Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat re Collective Bargaining and Engagement (Oct. 2025)
UBCM to Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat re Third Round of Collective Bargaining (Dec. 2024)
UBCM to Mayors, Chairs & CAOs of RCMP-Policed Communities re Opportunity to Discuss Collective Agreement (Apr. 2022)
UBCM to Public Safety Canada & RCMP re Billing & Collection of Retroactive Payments (Mar. 2022)
UBCM to Minister Marco Mendicino re RCMP Collective Agreement (Nov. 2021)
UBCM to Minister Ralph Goodale re RCMP Collective Bargaining (Nov. 2018)
Public Safety Canada to UBCM re Bill C-7 (Jan 2018)
UBCM to Public Safety Canada re Bill C-7 (Oct. 2017)
UBCM to BC Senators re Bill C-7 (Oct. 2017)
Treasury Board of Canada to UBCM re Bill C-7 (Sept. 2017)
UBCM to Ministers Goodale & Brison re Concerns with Bill C-7 (Apr. 2017)
Articles
Local Governments Advised to Prepare for RCMP Settlement (Feb. 2026)
Salary Increases for RCMP Commissioned Officers (Sept. 2024)
Second RCMP Collective Agreement Ratified (Sept. 2024)
Arbitrator's Decision Sets RCMP Pay (Apr. 2024)
Canada and RCMP Union Proceeding to Arbitration (Mar. 2024)
RCMP Retroactive Costs for Small Communities (Aug. 2023)
Collective Bargaining for Second RCMP Collective Agreement (June 2023)
Extension Granted for RCMP Retroactive Cost Payment (Apr. 2023)
Local Governments to Pay RCMP Retroactive Costs (Apr. 2023)
Update on RCMP Collective Agreement (Mar. 2023)
Update on RCMP Retroactive Costs (Aug. 2022)
Collective Agreement Concerns Conveyed (May. 2022)
Salary Increases for RCMP Commissioned Officers (Apr. 2022)
Public Safety Canada, RCMP to Discuss Collective Agreement (Apr. 2022)
FAQ on RCMP Retroactive Costs (Apr. 2022)
Update on RCMP Collective Agreement (Feb. 2022)
UBCM Seeks Federal Action on Policing Costs (Nov. 2021)
RCMP Members Ratify Collective Agreement (Aug. 2021)
RCMP Union Agrees to Tentative Deal (June 2021)
Anticipating RCMP Unionization Costs (Jan. 2021)
RCMP Unionization Update (June 2020)
RCMP Elect Bargaining Agent (July 2019)
Documents
Public Safety Canada - Second RCMP Collective Agreement (July 2024)
Public Safety Canada - RCMP Collective Agreement FAQ (Apr. 2022)Street disorder and repeat/prolific offenders are long-standing community safety issues, impacting residents, businesses and local government services. UBCM's members have sought a variety of provincial and federal responses to address these issues, ranging from stricter enforcement measures to non-police responses (e.g., addressing root causes and factors such as healthcare, addictions, and housing).
As part of work on the Police Act review, and in response to the final report of the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act, UBCM has sought for the Province to create and fund a continuum of response to mental health, addictions and other complex social issues that includes increased coordination across police, health, mental health and social services sectors. This corresponds with a recommendation made by the Special Committee in 2022.
In 2025, UBCM hosted a Convention session regarding the rise of street disorder in B.C. communities, and its impact on local governments. The session included four local elected leaders, representing four regions (Vancouver, Dawson Creek, Nanaimo and Nelson), as well as speakers representing the Province, Crown Counsel Association, business community and service providers.
UBCM has also advocated for bail reform amendments to the Criminal Code. Notably, a 2023 letter signed by UBCM advocates for the federal government to address the ‘principle of restraint,’ which requires consideration towards releasing the accused at the earliest opportunity and on the least onerous conditions. In October 2025, the federal government introduced the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, which includes more than 80 changes to the Criminal Code’s bail and sentencing framework. This Act received royal assent on June 16, 2026.Articles
Province Indicates Decline in Repeat Offender Interactions (Jan. 2026)
UBCM Analysis of Canada's Bail Reform Legislation (Nov. 2025)
Repeat Offending Report Requires New Funding (Oct. 2022)Correspondence
Federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General to UBCM re Bail and Sentencing Reform Act (June 2026)
Western Canadian Municipal Associations to Prime Minister re Public Safety (Sept. 2025)
Western Canadian Municipal Associations to Ministers of Justice and Public Safety re Bail Reform (March 2023)In June 2020, the Prime Minister and RCMP Commissioner offered their support to equipping officers with body worn cameras (BWC), with the intent to increase transparency, accountability and trust in police. While the federal government originally committed $238.5 million towards funding this initiative for the first three years following implementation, it eventually revised its position and only offered funding until April 2024 regardless of when implementation occurred. As a result, B.C. local governments were required to assume full financial responsibility for BWC at the applicable cost-share rate upon implementation in their communities.
Approximately 3,700 BWC will be rolled out in B.C. and 10,000-15,000 across Canada as part of the implementation phase, which is expected to be complete in 2027 at the latest.
In 2025, the RCMP began piloting the use of artificial intelligence in B.C. to help address workload challenges and improve efficiency. This began through piloting Axon Draft One, which can help officers transcribe and generate police reports. A second pilot project, Axon AI Assistant, is in progress, having been used by officers in B.C. to translate interactions during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. The program allows officers to have bi-directional conversations with individuals in 50 different languages, recording these interactions. While neither of these pilot projects currently include a cost to local governments, if they are implemented on a permanent basis, there will be a financial impact.
Articles
Phased Implementation of RCMP Body Worn Cameras (Dec. 2024)
RCMP Body Worn Cameras Nearing Implementation (Apr. 2024)
Update on Body Worn Cameras (Dec. 2023)
Update on Federal Decision on BWC Costs (Aug. 2023)Correspondence
UBCM to Minister Marco Mendicino re Implementation of Body Worn Cameras (Dec. 2021)The Police Act provides the framework for the delivery of police services in B.C., including responsibilities assigned to the Province and local governments. In 2020, the Province announced its intention to review this legislation, subsequently creating the all-party Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act (SCRPA). The SCRPA's final report was released in April 2022, and included 11 recommendations to modernize policing and public safety in B.C.
Following the release of the SCRPA final report, the Province developed a three phase review process. The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General also established the Local Government Policing Modernization Roundtable (LGPMR), a mechanism for local governments to provide input throughout the Police Act and public safety review. It also functioned as a forum for local government priorities and concerns to be raised as part of broader work to research policing issues, explore options and advise on courses of action. The LGPMR was co-chaired by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General (PSSG) and UBCM.
In April 2024, as part of phase one of this process, the Province introduced the Police Amendment Act, which addressed provincial priorities. This was followed by a second phase of work, which while intending to examine priorities held by a variety of stakeholders, did not produce any meaningful outcomes.
The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General has recently informed UBCM of its intention to narrow the scope of this work and focus on targeted amendments and changes, beginning with the development of a new class of safety officers. Key local government issues and concerns (e.g., equitable funding, the continuum of response to complex social issues, etc.) are no longer under consideration. The Roundtable has since been terminated, notably due to this new direction being inconsistent with the LGPMR's Terms of Reference.
Articles
Police Act Review: Phase Two Concluded (Sept. 2025)
Appointments Open for Policing Modernization Roundtable (May 2024)
Province Introduces Police Act Amendments (Apr. 2024)
Appointments to Policing Modernization Roundtable (Mar. 2023)
UBCM Submission on Public Safety Reform (Sept. 2022)
Legislative Committee Delivers Policing Recommendations (May 2022)
Appointments to Policing Modernization Roundtable (Nov. 2021)
Police Act Special Committee Seeks Input (Mar. 2021)
UBCM Police Act Submission (Feb. 2021)Documents
Preliminary Local Government Input into Public Safety Modernization (Aug. 2022)
Effectively Examining BC's Police Act (UBCM Submission) (Jan. 2021)
UBCM Presentation to SCRPA (Jan. 2021)
Correspondence
UBCM to Minister Nina Krieger re PPSM Initiative (Dec. 2025)
UBCM to SCRPA re Follow-Up Questions (Mar. 2021)
Minister Mike Farnworth to UBCM re Police Act Review (June 2020)
UBCM to Minister Mike Farnworth re Police Act Review (June 2020)
Additional Policing Resources
- Local Government RCMP Contract Management Committee Webpage
- Local Government Policing Communications Portal
(includes presentations and videos from the Policing 101 and MPUA Agreements webinars) - UBCM Policing Factsheet (updated 2022)