Halifax police union warns of mass exodus of officers

The union representing Halifax Regional Police officers is sounding the alarm: they are losing members faster than they can be replaced.

"In the last six months we've had 20 resignations and 10 people retire," said acting union president Darla Perry.

Halifax police have never seen an exodus this big, she said, and it's putting significant pressure on the system.

"Members are burning out, whether it's in dispatch or IES [Integrated Emergency Services], our criminal intelligence division, our patrol," said Perry. 

"They're working a lot of mandatory overtime shifts in dispatch, which becomes problematic when you're expected to be coming in on your days off every time you're off for a period of time."

Officers are leaving for a number of reasons, she said, including pay and a lack of opportunities for training or career movement within the organization.

She said the RCMP are also running a recruitment campaign aimed at other police forces, and it's hard to match what the Mounties are offering. The 20 officers who've left Halifax Regional Police in the last six months all jumped to the RCMP.

Officers on leave

Up to 20 per cent of the force is also off on various kinds of leave, Perry said, which is adding to the workload.

"People feel that they're not supported and they're not recognized and appreciated in the place in which they're working. And we need to work toward that," she said.

Cathie O'Toole, the chief administrative officer for the Halifax Regional Municipality, said she's also concerned. The local labour market "is the worst I have seen it in terms of the difficulty attracting and retaining people," she said. 

"We've also got demographics working against us, as we've got a lot of people who are eligible for retirement and so a lot of organizational knowledge going out the door."

Negative publicity

Perry said when she started in policing 30 years ago, there were thousands of people vying for jobs in her profession — but that's no longer the case.

"We can blame part of it on the pandemic, we can blame part of it on defunding the police, community impression of policing, management, different things," Perry said.

But Halifax police also have an image problem that's unique: seven months ago, they voted overwhelmingly against the leadership of their chief, Dan Kinsella.

At the time, Kinsella issued a statement saying in part that he was working "proactively to address staffing and member wellness issues" and to improve employee morale.

"It is a difficult time to be a police officer right now and our members continue to deliver in the midst of a sentiment that isn't always favourable to those in policing or one that values traditional police work," he wrote.

However, Perry said that officers are still looking for action and they're not seeing it.

"They're not seeing the opportunity to move around within the organization, they're not seeing the opportunities for training, they're not seeing the numbers increase for staffing and red flags were raised a year ago, two years ago, three years ago."

Kinsella responds

On June 30, Kinsella issued a statement where he disputed Perry's report that the Halifax police are losing officers faster than they can replace them. He said that by the end of July, there will actually be more officers working in the Halifax area than at the beginning of 2019.

He said that while "121 members have left the organization due to retirements, resignations and other reasons," since 2019, 137 sworn members have been hired. He said that includes 26 cadets who are graduating next week to become Halifax Regional Police officers.

Kinsella acknowledged, however, that some years the numbers will vary, and the number of officers leaving may be higher than the number added.

He also maintains that training is "ramping up to not only meet but exceed levels" seen prior to he pandemic.

Kinsella said public safety continues to be a top priority, and that police have the capacity to respond to calls as needed.

'No quick fix'

O'Toole said there is no quick fix and she acknowledges that this is a difficult time to be a police officer. O'Toole said she is listening and trying to effect change.

"It takes two parties to tango or dance. And I would [like to] see that both the union and the management have to come to the table and work co-operatively together and I'm going to push both sides."

Both O'Toole and Perry agree that more has to be done to support officers who are on the force now and to attract new ones.

The municipality is looking at options such as running its cadet training annually instead of every second year and waiving the cost to students. More psychological supports are also being put in place within the municipality.

She said the municipality can't compete with the RCMP on some things but can on others, such as the opportunity for officers to put down deeper roots in their community. HRM also has to make sure its compensation package is competitive, she said.

Perry said the threat isn't just from the RCMP — Halifax officers could go to work for smaller municipalities around Nova Scotia where the cost of living may be lower and the salaries are competitive.

Despite the obstacles, Perry remains optimistic.

"I've loved my 30 years of policing career; you have a lot of opportunities to explore different avenues and different opportunities," she said.