RCMP’s much-needed reserve program grappling with numerous challenges: report

RCMP constables wait to form up for a parade before a Remembrance Day ceremony in Vancouver on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

OTTAWA — Challenges with recruitment, training, resources and overall management are hindering the RCMP’s reserve program, even as reservists are being called on more than ever, says an internal evaluation report.

The newly released report says while the program helps fill RCMP staffing gaps across Canada, the lack of a clear mandate “results in inconsistencies and an inability of the program to meet current organizational needs.”

The program is intended to hire RCMP members and former members of other Canadian police services for three-year terms to fill temporary vacancies.

Based on total hours, reservists filled the equivalent of about 173 full-time positions in 2024, up from about 155 positions in 2020, the November 2025 report says.

Demand for reservists has increased, given the general satisfaction with the program and ongoing vacancies across the force. But as of December 2024, the RCMP was more than 300 reservists below the national reserve cap of 800 imposed by the federal Treasury Board.

“Although there is an opportunity to hire more reservists to respond to organizational needs, there need to be appropriate resources in place dedicated to managing the program,” the report says.

The report found the RCMP’s ability to expand and manage the reserve program was limited by “inconsistent and insufficient” resources across the organization.

All reservists must meet the same medical and fitness standards as regular general duty officers and make sure their mandatory training, such as the annual firearms qualification, is up to date, the report says.

The report says a large number of reservists did not meet training and physical health requirements set out in policy, “which creates risks for the organization and the public.”

Some people interviewed by the evaluators suggested there should be flexibility on medical assessments of reservists to allow some who fall short of expectations to work in non-general duty roles, such as investigations.

The report says training and physical health requirements should align with reservists’ roles and that increased oversight is required “to ensure reservists are ready for duty.”

The report also found gaps related to pay processes, benefits and insurance coverage for reservists.

Limitations in the available death and injury benefits was the biggest source of concern raised by reservists, supervisors and reserve program staff.

“This was especially a concern for those reservists doing general duty work and was identified as being a deterring factor when it came to accepting these type of deployments, especially in the North,” the report says. “As a result, some reservists are hesitant to accept more dangerous deployments where relief is most needed.”

The report makes several recommendations to clarify the mandate of the reserve program, strengthen governance and oversight and ensure reservist pay, benefits, training and health requirements are appropriate.

The report includes a detailed management response that sets out plans and timelines to address the recommendations.

The RCMP says that, among other steps, it will review the tasks performed by reservists to see if a tiered approach to health and training requirements should be adopted based on specific duties.

Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press