Members of Codiac detachment of the RCMP will soon return to patrolling the streets of Moncton, N.B.
Approximately 141 officers will be phased back into active duty in the coming days after two weeks on personal leave granted in the wake of the shooting rampage that left three of their colleagues dead.
The transition back to work will be gradual, the RCMP says. Officers are required to consult with doctors, nurses and psychologists before they get back to work.
Codiac detachment officers were given time off to grieve the June 4 shooting deaths of three of their RCMP colleagues in Moncton. Constables Fabrice Georges Gevaudan, Dave Joseph Ross and Douglas James Larche were killed after responding to reports of an armed man in a north Moncton neighbourhood. The shootings prompted a massive manhunt and 30-hour lockdown before the suspect was arrested.
After the shootings, Codiac police officers were encouraged to seek psychological counselling during their time off.
As Codiac took time to heal, police from other jurisdictions stepped in to provide day-to-day law enforcement services. Those officers will now return to their home detachments.
Justin Bourque, 24, will appear in court July 3. He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
