On March 19, 2020, in the interests of protecting the health and safety of cadets and staff in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the RCMP Academy, Depot Division, suspended all cadet and in-service training.
During the short time period required to mobilize the cadet population for departure from Regina, Depot was able to graduate 4 troops. This allowed us to post 116 new constables to communities across Canada.
The RCMP has consulted extensively with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Saskatchewan Health Authority, the RCMP National Medical Advisor and Depot's own Health Services Officer in order to determine the way forward. These consultations have unanimously supported a graduated approach with an abundance of caution and ongoing reassessments with careful consideration of the evolving local and national COVID-19 situation.
Based on the advice we have received, we are making changes to our training to allow us to resume training for 2 of the 16 troops that had their training interrupted in March.
Cadets will arrive at the Academy in late May, where they will undergo a mandatory 14-day isolation period. Training is to resume on June 12 with significant changes in the training environment to accommodate new safety practices for both cadets and Depot staff. This will include screening measures upon arrival, physical distancing and incorporation of personal protective equipment (PPE) into the regular training environment.
We will phase in more troops gradually and only after ongoing reassessment confirms that Depot has the capacity to sustain all relevant and current protective measures.
Across Canada, we are all adapting to the challenges presented by COVID-19. Be assured that the RCMP remains committed to the training of new regular members to keep our streets and communities safe. We will continue to adapt and move ahead in a manner that prioritizes the health and well-being of cadets and employees, while maximizing the number of new police officers and enabling exceptional service delivery to Canadians.