Mountie faces heat for comments

RCMP CORPORAL CHIDED FOR CRITICIZING RESPONSE TO MONCTON SHOOTINGS

An RCMP corporal who was friends with three Mounties killed in New Brunswick says he has been rebuked for publicly calling on the force’s top brass to start listening to its officers.

Cpl. Patrick Bouchard said he received a document stating that comments he made Sept. 29 were unacceptable, though he disagrees.

“I really don’t believe I did anything wrong by speaking out about the truth,” Bouchard said in a phone interview. “I challenged the senior brass and their lack of support, and I’m being taken to task.”

Bouchard spoke out last month following a New Brunswick judge’s decision finding the RCMP guilty of failing to provide its members with adequate weapons and training in the 2014 Moncton shootings that killed Constables Fabrice Gevaudan, Dave Ross and Doug Larche and wounded two other officers.

The 15-year veteran, who is stationed at the detachment in Miramichi, N.B. said the decision exposed the divide between RCMP’s top ranks and Mounties on the ground, noting a conspicuous absence of senior managers in the courtroom.

Bouchard said a performance log indicated that due to his comments, which had been televised, he did not meet the “basic competencies” required by his position. The RCMP’s code of conduct requires its members “behave in a manner that is not likely to discredit the Force.”

The 40-year-old corporal said he has not been disciplined for the comments, but he feels further consequences may be in the works.

The Canadian Press could not immediately reach the RCMP to comment on the matter, but the force told the CBC last week that it does not comment on internal issues involving employees.

The RCMP said the force was represented by counsel when the decision was handed down in a Moncton court, and would not comment on whether senior managers intended to show up at the sentencing hearing in November.

“There’s no change in the RCMP. I’m hopeful that there can be change, but senior brass not showing up ... demonstrates to me that the willingness to change might not be there,” said Bouchard.

“It would have helped a lot if you want to start the healing process if someone from senior management could have shown up and showed that our safety, our security, our health, is top priority for them.”