Statement by the Minister of Public Safety in response to the 2026 Auditor General's Audit of Recruiting for the RCMP

OTTAWA, ON, March 23, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, issued the following statement:

"I welcome the report from the Auditor General of Canada regarding hiring within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The report provides a thorough assessment for the period from 2023 to September 2025 of the challenges facing the RCMP's recruitment system and highlights the need for improvements to ensure the organization can attract and process candidates efficiently to meet its operational requirements.

The RCMP accepts all the findings and recommendations of the Auditor General. These recommendations provide a clear path forward to modernize recruitment processes and will be incorporated in the RCMP's plan to hire the people it needs to serve communities across Canada.

Addressing recruitment challenges has been identified as a top organizational priority and is a key pillar of the RCMP's Strategic Plan for 2024–2027. The RCMP has already begun taking steps to address many of the issues raised in the report. This includes work underway to modernize screening and application processing systems to reduce wait times for applicants and improve the overall recruitment experience. In addition, enhanced workforce planning initiatives are being implemented to better align recruitment efforts with long term organizational needs and ensure the RCMP can sustain a healthy, well prepared workforce.

Among these ongoing efforts, the RCMP is also strengthening its focus on outreach to ensure recruitment reflects the diversity of Canada. This includes enhanced engagement with Indigenous communities, tailored support for applicants, and working with Indigenous partners to review recruitment practices and adapt as required to ensure they are fair, culturally informed, and effective.

The work ahead is significant however I am confident in the RCMP's planning to accelerate this transformation. Our government committed to recruit 1,000 new RCMP personnel and provide law enforcement partners with better resources. I am committed to supporting this work which will result in a stronger, more modern RCMP, and one that reflects the many diverse communities that the RCMP serves."

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Contacts: Simon Lafortune, Deputy Director of Communications and Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Public Safety, [email protected]; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, 613-991-0657, [email protected]