On the heels of a disturbing rural crime spree in which several suspects were seen to be armed with firearms, the provincial government has announced further funding to fight rural and northern crime.
The province announced today they were committing $3.3 million to expand Manitoba’s RCMP Emergency Response Team in rural and northern Manitoba. The ERT will be expanded by nine regular RCMP members to 18 full-time members.
“Our government won’t stand by as crime disrupts rural and northern Manitobans lives,” said Justice Minister Matt Wiebe. “By investing to expand the RCMP Emergency Response Team, police will have the resources they need to keep Manitobans safe, regardless of where you live in our province. I’m pleased to work with the RCMP to get more boots on the ground to tackle these senseless crimes.”
According to the provincial release, these officers will be trained in rural tracking operations, addressing incidents involving armed persons, high-risk searches and arrests, and carrying out serious crime arrest warrants, along with other specialized training.
Over the weekend, three farms in the RM of North Norfolk, west of Portage La Prairie, were the victims of armed break-ins, which RCMP believe involved the same group of suspects. According to RCMP, the thieves stole ATVs, power tools, and a pick-up truck.
