WINNIPEG – NEWS – The City of Winnipeg Police have declared a state of emergency. This is due to the number of WPS officers off work due to COVID-19 related issues.
Under the authority of the Winnipeg Police Service’s collective agreement, WPS Chief Danny Smyth has declared a State of Emergency for the Winnipeg Police Service. The Service currently has 90 Active COVID-19 cases, and 170 personnel have booked off on COVID-19 related leave.
“We have some real challenges ahead. The current COVID-19 situation has significantly impacted our staffing resources. It has become necessary to execute parts of our Business Continuity Plan to ensure essential services – particularly in General Patrol,” said Chief Smyth.
The Executive of the WPS has designated 80 more officers to be assigned to General Patrol commencing on January 10. Additional officers from other units will be redeployed from other areas of the Service to backfill on short notice.
The changes are designed to ensure that General Patrol units remain available to be dispatched to help the citizens of Winnipeg when they call for help. If circumstances dictate and additional pressure is put on staffing levels, the Service will consider redeploying additional personnel or restructuring the shift model currently deployed.