Longer wait times, abandoned calls at RCMP emergency call centres
Evaluation of Mountie 911 service finds chronic staff shortage
RCMP communications centres that receive 911 calls are so short of staff that wait times have doubled – prompting increasing numbers of frustrated callers to hang up.
That’s one of the main findings from an internal evaluation that was triggered in part by the fumbles of the Mountie call centre in Truro, N.S., during the 2020 mass murder, which left 22 Nova Scotians dead at the hands of a gunman.
The report suggests problems have grown even worse since then.
“While staffing levels have decreased, call volumes have remained the same, or increased, at most OCCs [Operational Communications Centres] since 2020,” says the document.
Read the newly released report here:
The number of job vacancies at the centres has doubled since 2017, and more staff are taking sick leave, leaving fewer employees to cope with bigger workloads. A pay bump in 2023 has not alleviated the staff shortages.
In addition, there is “a sense from some OCC managers that calls have become increasingly violent or distressing, which also puts more pressure on operators,” says the document. The “service is deteriorating,” supervisors claimed.
The RCMP operates 17 comms centres, including 15 in provinces and territories where the force provides contract policing – everywhere except Ontario and Quebec. Only those 15 centres receive 911 calls from the public.
Civilian operators on the front lines are instructed to keep callers calm, extract as much information as possible and pass it along quickly to officers. Their job is characterized as “high stress.” A staff survey showed that 72 per cent believe there are not enough operators to handle the typical workload.
The centres, which together receive more than $100 million in funding each year, have about 750 staff positions.
The evaluation found inconsistent data collection and reporting, undermining evidence-based decision making. Telephone systems are hodge-podge. “There are different phone systems in use across the country, and some divisions have limitations due to older/lower quality systems which make it impossible to retrieve data,” the report found.
Training is provided for new employees, but there is no continuing training or any training for mental resilience. Oversight from Ottawa is minimal.
The report found a doubling of average wait times between 2019 and 2023, though not all centres were able to provide useful data. “Data on abandoned calls was more limited, but showed similar trends.”
The Mass Casualty Commission, which investigated the 22 shooting deaths in Nova Scotia, determined that the Truro call centre had failed to pass on key information that 911 callers provided about the killer. In some instances, operators did not log or record information.
Five of the commission’s recommendations in 2023 called for better technology and training. The evaluation findings suggest the RCMP has been slow to act on those recommendations. The Nova Scotia centre has since moved to Dartmouth, N.S.
The evaluation report calls on the RCMP to provide better national oversight, to improve recruiting, and to update training so that it “reflects the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission and other reviews.”
Here’s a briefing note for the Public Safety minister on the evaluation: