MCC Day 66 - Contemporary Community Policing

There was an interesting discussion of a potential new model of policing today at the Mass Casualty Commission. Unfortunately, that discussion was mostly hidden among long, academic discussions that purposefully avoided discussing the events of the April 18-19, 2020. The new kind of policing is meant to take a broader look at community safety and wellness, rather than a narrow focus on such things as arrest rates and police budgets. The fact that the MCC held this discussion is significant in a way, as the recommendations one might pull from the discussions seem to run counter to the current experience of policing Nova Scotians are having with the RCMP. It may be that the MCC is seeking to foster public support for change by hosting this discussion, or it may simply be a way of placating the many participants who were part of today's discussions. The Commissioners expressed appreciation for the quality of the discussion, though did so in their usual rehearsed/formulaic manner, which makes it difficult to judge their sincerity. Tomorrow there is a further discussion on policing, this on the structure of policing in Nova Scotia.