The RCMP is following public health advice by providing front-line employees with non-medical masks. Front-line police officers can use these masks while on duty in situations where personal protective equipment (PPE) is not required but where physical distancing may be difficult or unpredictable.
RCMP Commanding Officers will determine their requirements based on the direction of their local health authority and will distribute masks accordingly.
Wearing non-medical masks as a courtesy to your fellow community members is becoming more common. In an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19, the RCMP is taking these additional steps so that public can feel comfortable in engaging with police officers in their community.
Some people may be uncomfortable with a police officer approaching them with a mask on and we want to make sure that the people in the communities we serve know they can ask to see police identification, if it is safe to do so.
For this reason, RCMP officers will be carrying one, or all, of the following with them:
- RCMP badge
- RCMP photo identification
- RCMP name tag on their uniform
- RCMP business cards with detachment phone numbers to verify their identity
You may also call the local non-emergency RCMP police phone number to confirm the officer's identity and if you do not have access to that number you may call 911.
In most situations, the RCMP officer you are interacting with will be able to provide you with identification or information to verify that they are an RCMP officer.
