The City of Thompson has submitted a letter formally requesting a decrease in the number of regular staff members of the local RCMP detachment.

The decrease was requested in order for the City to preemptively cut costs ahead of the closure of the Vale smelter and refinery.

RCMP Staff Sergeant Kevin Lewis says that if the reduction was to occur, the members in question would not be laid off.

“The RCMP would place those members in other detachments. So there would be no loss of employment to any RCMP members, it would just be a reassignment to another detachment.”

Mayor Dennis Fenske says that, while the City would save $280,000 in operational costs annually, the approval of the request doesn’t mean that the reduction will happen.

“It just means that, if and when we see the need to reduce the number of officers due to economic impacts of 2018, then we have the ability to do so. And so we’ll have to wait until then to see what the actual impact is, but this mechanical process allows us to be in position to do that if required.”