Now even the RCMP think they're entitled to holidays

[Rick]

At the taxpayers expense...

Because lord knows they couldn't hold the workshops here in Canada and keep the money in OUR economy...

Hell no, they're off to that warm sunny winter escape where your tax dollars will be fed into the U.S. economy....

RCMP defend plan to hold all workshops in Phoenix, saying it's cheaper than dividing courses between Arizona and Canada

The RCMP is preparing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to send police officers to Phoenix for three weeks of training to recognize and test drug-impaired drivers.

The Mounties are planning six workshops - each three weeks long - in the sun-soaked Arizona city between April 2012 and March 2013 to train a few hundred RCMP, provincial and municipal police officers from across Canada.

Police say there is a shortage of officers in Canada with expertise in spotting and catching drug-impaired drivers.

And the RCMP, which does training of all Canadian police officers on drug recognition, says Phoenix is a cheaper place to train than a Canadian city and is a good place to find high drivers to practice on.

"Bottom line is it's just cheaper to do it in Arizona than what we can provide it for in Canada," RCMP Insp. Allan Lucier said Thursday in an interview.

The training, which is led by Canadian police officers, involves a two-week, classroom theoretical component followed by a week of field teaching and certification.

The RCMP is calling for bids from hotels that can provide queen-or king-sized beds for around 35 people for each three-week training session. Each of the six sessions would include around 24 officers for training, six certified instructors and four to six additional officers practising to be instructors. A couple of meeting rooms, including one with an on-site bar, are also required for training purposes.

The force estimates the total hotel tab will range between $100,000 and $250,000, according to its request for proposals. Sending more than 200 officers to Phoenix over the six training sessions - with return flights from major Canadian cities ranging from around $550 to $700 - will likely add at least another $100,000 to the total bill.

But RCMP officials say they're saving taxpayers potentially $120,000 by consolidating the training in one city this year.

In past years, the RCMP would fly in and house officers at a hotel in a Canadian city for the two weeks of theoretical teaching, and then fly to Phoenix for the field certification at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

But this year, the RCMP is hoping to save taxpayer cash by flying police officers to one location in Phoenix for all three weeks of training, avoiding separate flights to a Canadian city and then on to Arizona as in past years, he said.

Someone should be testing the guy who approved this waste of tax money for drug impairment

Edited December 30, 2011 by Rick

[NWRS]

At the taxpayers expense...

Because lord knows they couldn't hold the workshops here in Canada and keep the money in OUR economy...

Hell no, they're off to that warm sunny winter escape where your tax dollars will be fed into the U.S. economy....

Someone should be testing the guy who approved this waste of tax money for drug impairment

Well the money is one thing, what I don't understand is why our national police force relies upon a county police force in the states for training.

[Rick]

Well the money is one thing, what I don't understand is why our national police force relies upon a county police force in the states for training.

There's no need to but that never stops this country's right wing from finding more and more ways to toss good money out of our windows to keep their neo-con cousins down south happy.

Sherrif Joe's practically their role model when it comes to how to run law enforcement...

[Scotty]

At the taxpayers expense...

Because lord knows they couldn't hold the workshops here in Canada and keep the money in OUR economy...

Hell no, they're off to that warm sunny winter escape where your tax dollars will be fed into the U.S. economy....

Someone should be testing the guy who approved this waste of tax money for drug impairment

Are you saying it's a waste of money to train police officers in DUI recognition?

I'm presuming your real objection is that they're doing it in Phoenix rather than Winnipeg. But that objection is only valid if you can show it would not, as the RCMP claim, be cheaper to do it in Phoenix than in some Canadian centre, and you haven't made any effort to do that.

[Rick]

Are you saying it's a waste of money to train police officers in DUI recognition?

I'm presuming your real objection is that they're doing it in Phoenix rather than Winnipeg. But that objection is only valid if you can show it would not, as the RCMP claim, be cheaper to do it in Phoenix than in some Canadian centre, and you haven't made any effort to do that.

There's no doubt it would be cheaper to hold it here.

And put the money back into the CANADIAN economy helping out working Canadians....

I'm not at all against DUI recognition training and in fact would like to see more of it done here.

[WWWTT]

Are you saying it's a waste of money to train police officers in DUI recognition?

I'm presuming your real objection is that they're doing it in Phoenix rather than Winnipeg. But that objection is only valid if you can show it would not, as the RCMP claim, be cheaper to do it in Phoenix than in some Canadian centre, and you haven't made any effort to do that.

Shouldn't the RCMP be the ones responsible to show that they are in fact saving the tax payers money?

As well too the RCMP is publicly funded.So spending a little extra to keep Canadians employed should be the norm.

WWWTT

[Wilber]

Shouldn't the RCMP be the ones responsible to show that they are in fact saving the tax payers money?

As well too the RCMP is publicly funded.So spending a little extra to keep Canadians employed should be the norm.

WWWTT

If they say it is cheaper they should be able to provide the figures but there may be other valid reasons for doing it there as well, which should also be explained. Doing it in Canada just for the sake of it would be a political decision, not a monetary one. The RCMP has to operate within a budget so its bottom line should come first when they are planning such things. If the politicians want to spend more to do it in Canada, it is up to them to direct the RCMP to do so and make sure any extra funding is available.

[WWWTT]

If they say it is cheaper they should be able to provide the figures but there may be other valid reasons for doing it there as well, which should also be explained. Doing it in Canada just for the sake of it would be a political decision, not a monetary one. The RCMP has to operate within a budget so its bottom line should come first when they are planning such things. If the politicians want to spend more to do it in Canada, it is up to them to direct the RCMP to do so and make sure any extra funding is available.

Actually in Ontario police vehicles must be produced in North America.This is to ensure that Canadian tax payer dollars are helping Canadians keep working.(preferly Canadian manufactured vecles)

In Brampton,the Peel police drive many vehicles built at the local Chysler plant.

I wouldn't be suprised to hear that if the RCMP may be bending some rules here

WWWTT

[Wilber]

Actually in Ontario police vehicles must be produced in North America.This is to ensure that Canadian tax payer dollars are helping Canadians keep working.(preferly Canadian manufactured vecles)

In Brampton,the Peel police drive many vehicles built at the local Chysler plant.

I wouldn't be suprised to hear that if the RCMP may be bending some rules here

WWWTT

I don't think Ontario sets the rules for the RCMP. In fact, BC contracts more RCMP personnel than any other province.

[TwoDucks]

I don't think Ontario sets the rules for the RCMP. In fact, BC contracts more RCMP personnel than any other province.

I don't believe he was implying that Ontario sets the rules for the RCMP.

I find it funny that the RCMP have been sending officers to train in Phoenix, ostensibly under Joe "where's yer papers" Arpaio. No wonder they've been stuck with so many controversies over the past few years.

[kal-el]

I don't believe he was implying that Ontario sets the rules for the RCMP.

I find it funny that the RCMP have been sending officers to train in Phoenix, ostensibly under Joe "where's yer papers" Arpaio. No wonder they've been stuck with so many controversies over the past few years.

I would have rather had the RCMP hold their training in Canada. I am sure they have a budget to keep though I am sure they could of got a group discount/government/ workedout some sort of arrangement on hotels within canada.

If anyone knows a bit about economics I would say that the money that they spend should be in canada since it would circulate within the canadian economy spreading the wealth, part of the trickle down theory.

I dont know if I have to explain the trickle down theory, but it is when lets say 1000 is injected into the economy and then that 1000 is given to the banker who saves 50% then spends 50% which is then given to the electrician who spend all his money on tutoring for chinese lessons, ect. so you see the money has a multiplying effect in the economy

Edited January 7, 2012 by kal-el

[WWWTT]

I don't think Ontario sets the rules for the RCMP. In fact, BC contracts more RCMP personnel than any other province.

Yes I never intendended to imply whom sets the rules for the RCMP.

Its just that in Ontario we do not have much exposure to the RCMP since here we have the OPP and regional/municipal/city police forces.

Shopping Canadian is an act of patriotism!

WWWTT

[fellowtraveller]

And the RCMP, which does training of all Canadian police officers on drug recognition, says Phoenix is a cheaper place to train than a Canadian city and is a good place to find high drivers to practice on.

If they want stoners to practice on, there is no need to go anywhere further south than the Kootenays or Lower Mainland. And they are not buzzed on some crap Mexican ragweed, but on good old ultra high quality locally produced BC bud.

[GostHacked]

Well the money is one thing, what I don't understand is why our national police force relies upon a county police force in the states for training.

You will find that this happens often. It happens between militaries. Canadian troops training in the US and vice versa.