New Funding Will Expand the Emergency Response Team Which Specializes in Violent Crime Including Firearm Incidents, Hostage Situations and High-Risk Scenarios: Wiebe
Media Release - April 8, 2025
Manitoba Government Invests $3.3 Million in Manitoba's RCMP Emergency Response Team to Fight Rural and Northern Crime
The Manitoba government, in partnership with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is investing $3.3 million to expand Manitoba's RCMP Emergency Response Team in rural and northern Manitoba, Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.
“Our government won’t stand by as crime disrupts rural and northern Manitobans lives,” said Wiebe. “By investing to expand the RCMP Emergency Response Team, police will have the resources they need to keep Manitobans safe, regardless of where you live in our province. I’m pleased to work with the RCMP to get more boots on the ground to tackle these senseless crimes.”
The RCMP Emergency Response Team will now include nine new regular RCMP members, for a total of 18 full-time members. Their skills and training include rural tracking operations, addressing incidents involving armed persons, high-risk searches and arrests, and carrying out serious crime arrest warrants, along with other specialized training.
“The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) welcomes the province’s timely investment to expand the RCMP Emergency Response Team for rural and northern Manitoba,” said Kathy Valentino, president, AMM. “With rising crime and repeat prolific offenders facing little accountability, this support is a critical step toward safer communities and ensuring all Manitobans feel secure – no matter where they live.”
This new funding will expand the team to full time and allow members to be deployed across the province day and night, in all types of locations and weather, noted the minister.
This investment expands on the government’s past actions to address rural crime including increasing the funding for the urban policing grant by 28 per cent, implementing a five-point plan to tackle repeat offenders and bail reform, creating a general investigative unit pilot project in Swan Valley, expanding the electronic monitoring program to rural Manitoba and building a new Centre for Justice in Dauphin, added Wiebe.