Nova Scotia and the federal government have reached a final agreement to renew the province's RCMP policing contract for another 20 years.

Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews issued a statement saying the agreement gives Nova Scotia increased input into controlling costs and standards.

In October, negotiations between Ottawa and some provinces hit a snag when the federal government said it might withdraw RCMP officers from several provinces and territories in 2014 if a new contract was not reached by the end of November.

At the time, Alberta and Saskatchewan had broken ranks with the other provinces that use the RCMP, signing contracts with Ottawa before the others had finished their negotiations.

On Friday, Nova Scotia Justice Minister Ross Landry issued a statement saying the province's new agreement with Ottawa gives the province more control over costs, staffing levels and building detachments.

The RCMP have 37 detachments and more than 1,500 employees in Nova Scotia.