The RM of Portage la Prairie is concerned over a possible lessening of RCMP presence in our area. That's from Reeve Kam Blight, who explains it's part of the RCMP's transition out of Long Plain First Nation, with the Dakota Ojibway Police Service to assume responsibilities instead.

"That's up to the discretion of the First Nation community of Long Plain to go that direction. We support them on that. Our concern for the RM of Portage la Prairie is we're possibly going to be losing a couple of members from the Central Plains Detachment that were in charge of the rural areas. We're a little concerned with that. We need to get some information, and we're trying to generate some discussion on that."

Blight says they're concerned the move will stretch current RCMP's abilities beyond what's possible.

"We'd rather see an increase in presence rather than a decrease in presence. I'm afraid it will just challenge and tax the detachment that we have here right now with the amount of resources that we have available to them. So, it is definitely a concern for us, and we're trying trying to get a little more information."