The follow statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable John Hogan, QC, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General:

Speaker, police in our province often face difficult and dangerous situations. Today I would like to acknowledge the important work of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Every day the dedicated members of our police agencies show their professionalism and commitment as they work to ensure the safety and security of the people of our province.

Police Week 2022, being recognized from May 15 to 21, has a theme of ‘Connected to our Communities’. Members of our police agencies, both uniformed and civilian, put an emphasis on working with communities and community organizations to best provide support to the people they serve.

We all have a role to play in keeping the people of this province safe and the RNC and the RCMP are examples of how we can work together, with communities, to make Newfoundland and Labrador the best place to live, work and raise a family.

Speaker, as a government, we have put an emphasis on working with police and community partners to ensure we are living and raising our families in one of the safest provinces in Canada. That security and peace of mind is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the members of our police agencies.

While policing is a very rewarding job, it comes with significant risks. The sense of security and quality of life we enjoy is because of the risks they take every day and their devotion and passion for helping others.

Our government continues to support the province’s police agencies and announced in Budget 2022 almost $21 million for a new radio system that will enable emergency responders to communicate in a timely manner with each other.

Speaker, I ask all Honourable members to join me in thanking members of the RNC and the RCMP for their service and the important work they do to protect the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Thank you.