‘There was a lot of inaccuracies’: N.B. RCMP responds to anti-crime coalition presentation

An anti-crime group spoke with Moncton councillors about robberies and vandalism.

Open air drug use, threats to locals and visitors and break-ins and vandalism in downtown Moncton.

Those are the main concerns coming from the anti-crime coalition Enough is Enough.

Formed last fall, Enough is Enough members Patrick Gillespie and Jo-Anne Phillips made a passionate presentation to city council on Monday.

Gillespie is the president of Ashford Properties and said they spent $171,000 on security last year and that didn’t include damages to their buildings.

He doesn’t think there’s enough of a police presence in the downtown core.

“It’s getting worse,” Gillespie said to council Monday night.

Property owner and businesswoman Jo-Anne Phillips doesn’t think there are enough Mounties to address all the crimes taking place either.

“We do not have enough boots on the ground,” said Phillips at council. “The crime has to be addressed. We have to stop making excuses.”

City of Moncton Councillor Bryan Butler said he feels he has a pretty good grasp on the situation because he was a police officer in Moncton for over thirty years.

“We have to start having a look at how many boots are on the street, not how many that are on paper. That’s why I always ask for, how many are fully operational? So how many can really get out on the street and go on a call and respond? That’s very important,” Butler told CTV News on Wednesday.

Codiac Regional RCMP Supt. Ben Jolette said they’ve watched the presentation and they’re in the process of formulating a response.

“There was a lot of inaccuracies, and we just want to set the record straight. Just so residents know exactly what is going on in their community,” said Jolette.

Jolette said they do have enough police officers to answer 911 calls, respond to criminal offences and investigate crimes.

“We do not have enough to do everything residents and elected officials ask and expect of us. To be more specific, we don’t have enough members to patrol on every street 24 hours a day,” said Jolette.

The Enough is Enough coalition have collected over 3,000 signatures on a petition in just a few months.

Gillespie told council there’s been a significant rise in crime over the past few years and that’s why so many people have shown their support and raised concerns.

But Jolette says that’s not necessarily the case.

“The stats don’t change and the facts don’t change. We have a steady amount of property crime and persons crimes for the last three years,” said Jolette. “In 2025 we actually have lower amount of total property crime compared to 2023, so the stats are fairly consistent despite population increases. So if somebody were to ask me if property crime has exploded, I’d disagree because the facts just don’t show that.”

Phillips is calling on council and the province to acknowledge the scale of the crisis publicly and would like to see a task force established on downtown crime.

“Crime must have consequences. Public safety is not negotiable,” said Phillips.

Jolette said he applauds anyone who is part of the coalition because it shows they care about their community.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.