Halifax councillors have approved budgets for both the municipal police and RCMP, which include new positions for 911 call takers and intimate partner violence response.

On Friday, the city’s budget committee passed the 2026-27 budgets for both Halifax Regional Police (HRP) and Halifax RCMP.

The HRP’s $103 million budget is up about $2 million from last year, with most of the increase coming from collective agreement changes and wage increases.

It also included eight new positions for civilian 911 calltakers, who handle calls from the public and dispatch them to HRP, RCMP, and Halifax Fire.

HRP Chief Don MacLean said the emergency communication team is understaffed and burned out, and relies on mandatory overtime.

“The additions of these bodies will help alleviate that concern. Won’t eliminate it, but it will help alleviate it,” MacLean said.

Multiple councilors asked how HRP is tackling impaired and aggressive driving, as road safety is one of the issues they get the most calls and concerns about from residents.

“There just seems to be a bit of lawlessness occurring on our streets these days,” said Deputy Mayor Patty Cuttell.

There has been a drop in tickets issued for traffic violations over the past decade, but MacLean said he hopes to see that trend reversing as enforcement improves.

To carry that out, MacLean said the force is seeing progress in filling vacant positions, and the 38-person cadet class graduating this summer will make a real difference.

Supt. Greg Robertson of the Halifax Regional Police said during the meeting that the 10-person traffic unit is now fully staffed. He said officers focus on problem spots where there have been multiple public complaints or collisions, and he has seen the numbers of tickets trending upwards.

“They’re just not getting into police cars and driving around the city, it’s targeted enforcement,” Robertson said.

Robertson said they are also working to bring the force’s entire 15-person motorcycle unit back on the road to enforce traffic violations.

The Halifax RCMP’s $44.9 million budget is up about $4.8 million over last year.

The increase largely comes from wage increases, and the remaining $1.8 million costs from 14 Mounties approved last year for various positions, including new offices in the Beechville-Lakeside-Timberlea area and Fall River.

Two new investigators will also be added to the Mountie’s intimate partner violence (IPV) unit, bringing the team to four people.

Coun. Becky Kent said the roles are vital given the epidemic in Nova Scotia. The officers will offer specialized support to victims and will make more connections with non-profits and shelters in the field.

Kent said it is important to shine a light on these crimes which are significantly underreported, and often only grab public attention when they result in a death.

“I’m talking about it because it needs to be talked about. I wanted people to hear it, because they need to hear it,” Kent said.

Earlier this week, four people spoke passionately against any increases to the police budgets, an opposition also raised at the Halifax police board this fall.

They said they believe police continue to harm vulnerable residents who are 2SLGBTQ+ or dealing with mental health issues or homelessness, and do not actually improve community safety.

“Public members are complaining about frivolous spending — police budget is frivolous spending,” Öykü Su Gürler said during the committee’s public participation on Wednesday.

“It’s always rubber stamped … when we are just fighting to have better transit.”

Multiple business groups and store managers spoke in favour of the police budgets, to make sure both forces have enough resources to help tackle what they say is increasing retail crime and violence.

Kent has said she will bring a request from the Halifax RCMP for six new officers to set up an office in Eastern Passage later in the budget process.

That and other investments, or cuts, will be decided before the overall municipal budget is passed in late March.

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