Jason Emiry
Northern News Services
Published Monday, July 07, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The RCMP is suffering a shortage of members across Canada, according to Cpl. Kelly Willis of the Yellowknife RCMP detachment.

"We can always use more RCMP. People are transferring in and out of our detachment. I don't know the exact number of members in Yellowknife. The Northern detachments definitely need more members. This will enable the RCMP to become more involved with community work like DARE and other programs," said Willis.

On June 16, 2008, the RCMP began offering a salary to cadets training at the RCMP training centre in Regina. Many recruits listed the lack of salary during training as one of the top three reasons they were not applying to join the RCMP, according to a police force recruiter. An RCMP website said these allowances will be implemented in mid-September.

"We want as many applicants as possible. Recruits will be paid $1,000 every two weeks during their training. This will equal $12,000 after they have finished their six months. If they withdraw from the program, or are not successful, they are not obligated to pay back the money they have received," said Willis.

"There will be an RCMP Career presentation at the Yellowknife RCMP Detachment on July 22 at 6 p.m. We will be holding an RCMP entrance exam on July 17 at 11 a.m. at the RCMP Detachment."