Provincial release:
The Province is investing in stronger, more consistent critical incident response to make sure that, no matter where they live, Nova Scotians are protected by police who are prepared for the most serious and complex incidents.
Critical incident response may be required during situations such as armed or barricaded person, hostage incidents, or other events involving an immediate and significant risk to the public or responding officers. Depending on the situation, the response may include specialized skills and equipment such as critical incident command, tactical response, explosive disposal, crisis negotiation, vehicles, communications technology and police dogs.
The Province will fund the RCMP to provide these services to eight municipal policing agencies with a population of less than 15,000 people. The municipalities receiving these additional services are Amherst, Annapolis Royal, Bridgewater, Kentville, New Glasgow, Stellarton, Truro and Westville. The services are available immediately.
“Nova Scotians deserve safe communities and police services to be ready to respond to the most serious and high-risk incidents, no matter where they live,” said Scott Armstrong, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “That’s why we’re making sure those services are formally in place provincewide. It’s an important public safety measure that strengthens readiness to respond when dangerous situations arise. It also builds on our broader work to modernize policing in Nova Scotia.”
Along with the new police billing model, this change helps deliver on the Province’s commitment to make sure appropriate policing staff levels are in place across the province as recommended in the Nova Scotia Comprehensive Policing Review. It also responds directly to the Mass Casualty Commission recommendation to ensure specialized policing services are adequate, effective and efficiently organized to meet provincial demand.
“This investment is a significant step forward for public safety in Nova Scotia. We are thankful that communities our size do not often face situations that require specialized critical incident resources. However, it is essential that these capabilities are available when high-risk situations occur, working with our officers to resolve serious incidents. This is a practical and collaborative approach that strengthens policing across the province.”
— David MacNeil, Truro Chief of Police
Quick Facts:
– the Province will invest more than $1 million per year for this critical incident response service, starting in 2027-28
– RCMP members will be added to emergency response teams, police dog services and explosive disposal services
– the Province will continue to work with the RCMP to finalize staffing, training, equipment and regional deployment plans
Additional Resources:
News release – Province Commits to Public Safety Improvements Following Policing Review: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/06/25/province-commits-public-safety-improvements-following-policing-review
News release – Improving Public Safety with New Police Billing Model for Municipalities: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2026/07/29/improving-public-safety-new-police-billing-model-municipalities
Shaping the Future: Policing in Nova Scotia: https://novascotia.ca/just/Publications/docs/policing-review-shaping-future-2025-06-en.pdf
