An officer shortage is causing a strain at the Houston RCMP detachment, District of Houston council members heard at their June 17, 2025 meeting.
Although the detachment is to have one sergeant as its commanding officer, two corporals and eight constables, it now has a vacancy rate of approximately 30 per cent, Corporal Nathan Fox relayed in the detachment's January 2025 to June 2025 report.
Officers on long term off duty status, transfers and officers leaving for other pursuits have combined to reduce numbers, he said.
"Unfortunately, this has had an impact on the members as they have been tasked with maintaining all detachment operations with reduced numbers and this naturally leads to fatigue," Fox noted in his report.
Neighbouring detachments have been sending officers to help out and the detachment is expecting to welcome two cadets, the name given to officers just out of the force's training depot in Regina.
Fox did say the force sent to two recruiters to Houston to take part in the community's First Responders Day on June 6 and stressed that the national police force offers a fulfilling career.
"We don't ask a lot, just ask you to be responsible and you get to do some pretty cool things," he told council.
The Houston RCMP detachment is not alone in dealing with a shortage as others along Hwy 16 also have to deal with fewer officers than required. And it is not unusual for detachments to report vacancy rates in the 20 to 25 per cent range.
Despite the shortage, Fox said the detachment continues with its services, including sending an officer out with a Houston Health Centre nurse to connect people with mental health, addiction and health care services as needed.
"Despite past successes, these are always fragile and ever changing relationships with those clients so the Houston detachment continues to work with the team and those clients that require assistance," Fox affirmed.
The corporal also singled out the detachment's victim services section, indicating that it received 53 formal referrals from January to June.
"I've been in the RCMP for 21 years and I've worked in six different detachments. Our victim services here in Houston is by far the best one I've ever worked with," Fox told council.
That recognition extended to senior RCMP managers who, upon visiting the detachment, took notes on what victim services units at other detachments could do to mirror some of the local successes.
When councillor Tom Stringfellow asked Fox what could be done to assist the victim services unit, Fox said increasing the scheduled work hours for coordinator Paul Batley would be a start as he could then spend more time in the community.
The move would help "the residents and the visitors to Houston to have access to these services," Fox said.
