Search Struggles Show Why Canada’s Military & RCMP Need A Big Boost In Funding

The struggle of the military and RCMP to handle the search for two murder suspects shows that those tasked with keeping Canadians safe are totally underfunded. That must change.

Many Canadians are understandably growing upset that the combined efforts of the Royal Canadian Air Force and RCMP, murder suspects Bryer Schemegelsky and Kam McLeod are still at large.

Some have pointed out that, even at the highest level of manpower, there was a relatively small number of officers involved in the search.

Additionally, the military contribution was just one plane, until a second was added later on.

Further, at one point the RCMP was even using private, civilian pilots and air craft to help with the search.

According to CTV, “Police sources tell CTV News use of these civilian planes and helicopters raises concerns about these pilots’ safety. While these civilian pilots are sometimes hired for search-and-rescue missions due to their skill and local knowledge, they are inexperienced when it comes to handling a potentially dangerous situation.

“The police pilots are trained in a different way, to take evasive actions if someone’s shooting at them and of course those pilots are very trained to observe things on the ground average pilot might not see because they’re not used to looking for people, especially armed people,” said Chris Lewis, a former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner and CTV News’ safety and security analyst.”

What this shows is – as I’ve long been saying – the Canadian military is vastly underfunded.

Considering the immense amount of airspace in Canada, the Air Force should be able to provide more than one or two planes.

And considering the immense territory the RCMP is expected to operate in, the fact that a relatively small amount of officers is considered ‘an all-out effort,’ makes it clear that the RCMP doesn’t have the resources to effectively do their job in Canada’s northern areas.

This is part of a larger problem in the North, as multiple federal governments have failed to invest in the capabilities needed for our country to truly exercise influence and control over all of our national territory.

That’s why both the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces (particularly the Canadian Air Force), need to receive a big boost in funding. The RCMP needs more officers, more planes, more helicopters, and more vehicles that can operate in rugged conditions. The Armed Forces also need more planes of all kinds, particularly fighter jets, but also planes that can be used in surveillance.

Remember, if the military and RCMP have so much trouble surveilling the North, how would we expect our country to be defended if there was ever an incursion into our North by a foreign power?

Some have criticized the RCMP and the Air Force for the fact that the suspects are still on the run, and while that is certainly something that must be allowed in a free society, the deeper issue appears to be the fact that our country has not allocated the necessary resources to project power over our entire territory.

It’s time for that to change.

The RCMP and military should get a huge boost in funding, as soon as possible. That’s what must be done to keep Canadians safe.

Spencer Fernando

Photo – YouTube