Sunday, January 11, 2009

Underpaid Mounties contemplate an exodus




The morale of serving members of the RCMP in British Columbia is reported to be heading towards a new low, as the Federal Government apparently has reneged on wage increases set for those that police the cities and towns of the province.

CTVBC has posted on their website a story that outlines how the Federal government has put a cap on pay raises of 1.5 percent, down from the original 3 per cent raise announced last summer.

The move, part of a wider rollback across the public service, has led to concerns over the ability of the RCMP to do the many jobs expected of them.

It has also led to a number of complaints to be filed by members of the force and concerns that a good number of those serving with the RCMP may soon take their careers over to municipal police forces, many of which offer significantly more money for policing than the RCMP.

Perhaps the most disconcerting disparity for the RCMP members is the prospect that members of the Vancouver Transit Police, will receive a full ten thousand dollars more as a first year constable than those who sign up with the Mounties.

A Vancouver Transit officer will make 56,440 dollars a year, while a first year RCMP constable receives 46,000 per year.

Considering the work load and situations faced by RCMP officers in outlying areas, the prospect of trading cars for skytrain rides is probably rather tempting.

The rising disparity in salaries is probably not going to provide much relief for British Columbia communities currently short staffed, even if there were members available to serve, they might be looking for greener pastures in a very short period of time.

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