FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2025
St. John’s, NL – Today, Premier John Hogan, KC, leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador, joined by Liberal Candidate for St. John’s West, Keith White, announced new measures to reduce crime and improve public safety across the Province.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians take pride in living in a safe, welcoming place, but like all provinces, we face growing challenges with crime and drug issues that affect both urban and rural areas. These concerns strain emergency services, courts, and community resources. Tackling them requires both strong law enforcement and proactive measures such as investments in mental health, addiction services, youth programs, and poverty reduction.
A re-elected Liberal Government is committing to hiring 90 new RNC officers by 2030 to reach and maintain the Canadian police to population ratio. To achieve this, we will immediately increase the subsidization of police training costs, granting each new Royal Newfoundland Constabulary recruit a $20,000 bursary toward the completion of a Police Science (Cadet) Certificate at the Atlantic Police Academy in PEI. This grant will be contingent upon a three-year return to service agreement. We will also work with the Atlantic Police Institute to increase its capacity to train recruits to work in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This increased policing presence adds to the 17 new officer graduates hired this month, and 20 more currently in training, and 16 more to begin in January, for whom positions have all been secured.
Our government recognizes the critical role the RCMP plays, particularly in rural and remote parts of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Our government will re-negotiate the contract policing agreement with the RCMP to ensure that they deploy 30 additional officers and conduct more frequent patrols to better address crime in rural and remote regions of the Province. We will also implement the RCMP Auxiliary program for rural detachments across this Province, as it has been successfully done in other provinces.
A Liberal government will provide additional funding to municipalities to hire and train additional municipal enforcement officers, and further empower them to enforce by-laws and deter criminal behaviour.
Further, we will increase training opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador to remove barriers associated with out-of-province education for public safety professionals, including sheriffs, correctional officers, and municipal enforcement. This would include developing partnerships with the Atlantic Police Academy, College of the North Atlantic, and other entities to deliver this and other specialized police training (such as mental health, drug enforcement, and special constables certification).
Our government has already built a strong foundation for this plan. Budget 2025 included over $50 million for new initiatives including five new RCMP officers in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and 10 new RNC officers for the Northeast Avalon, and last month we announced the creation of the new RNC Special Constables program, which will increase the RNC’s presence on the streets while freeing up front-line officers for core policing functions.
We will also support the efforts of these new police officers by equipment and system improvements. We expand the use of location monitoring equipment for individuals out on bail or with release conditions to enforce court conditions and deter repeat offences. We will also increase equipment for RNC officers to assist in patrols and drug enforcement, including supporting Body Worn Cameras for RNC officers.
A re-elected Liberal Government will also introduce new, modernized Public Safety Legislation. This will bring a framework for policing that emphasizes accountability, transparency, and community well-being. We will also introduce a Civil Forfeiture Act, similar to other provinces, to allow Police to seize property suspected of being connected to crime.
A re-elected Liberal government will also create a joint RNC/RCMP Crime Reduction Unit solely to conduct targeted compliance checks across the Province for individuals under court conditions.
We will also create a provincial Victims of Crime Support Unit, and expand the Intimate Partner Violence Team to further help victims process trauma, access mental health support, understand their rights and navigate the justice system. This will include dedicated supports for victims attempting to obtain peace bonds.
With real momentum, energy and leadership, the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is embracing our province’s tremendous opportunities to deliver a stronger future for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
Media Contact:
Ben Murphy
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador
Tel: 709-740-3156
E-mail: [email protected]