The Manitoba Integrated Missing Persons Response will see some additional funding, after the province committed $3.1-million more to their original investment.

Back in March, $2.1-million was pledged, and now, with a total of $5.2-million, the Manitoba government can dedicate police resources toward an operational plan established by the RCMP and the Winnipeg Police Service.

Manitoba First Nations Police Service Chief Doug Palson says this will help with consistency and communication.

"We're not saying police agencies intentionally operate in silos, but it's sometimes different policies, different staffing levels, different situations," says Palson. "If there's a consistent conduit point for funding the missing person investigations and consistent mechanisms for logging the missing persons in certain categories, it could only help to facilitate investigations."

Recent statistics from the province show there were 2,124 missing adults in Manitoba and 5,390 missing children in 2021. 

Chief Palson notes it's all about community safety and it's something everyone is on board with.

"Us being relatively rural where we service our communities and the First Nation communities, it's important to us," says Palson. "I can think of half-a-dozen to a dozen situations offhand where we work closely with the Winnipeg Police Service, Brandon Police Service, RCMP and other agencies in the province, to help, not only locate the people that may be from our community, but the other way around, too." 

Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen made the announcement Tuesday outside the RCMP detachment in Portage la Prairie.

The dignitaries at the event.Chief Doug Palson (Manitoba First Nations Police Service), Insp. Tim Arsenault (Major Crimes Services, Manitoba RCMP), Chief Danny Smyth (Winnipeg Police Service), Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen, Insp. Paul Peddle (Central Plains RCMP), Portage la Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox, MLA for Portage Ian Wishart