RCMP head will have toughest job in Ottawa
As the government’s deadline to find a new RCMP commissioner draws near, here are a few thoughts for the candidate selected.
Stick to policing, not politics
Here are a few notable examples of the increasing politicalization:
• In December 2005, at the height of the federal election, the Mounties took the unusual step of announcing thenminister of finance Ralph Goodale, was the subject of a criminal investigation, only to announce his exoneration in 2007.
• During the 2013- 2015 investigations into senators Duffy, Brazeau, Harb and Wallin for supposed misspending, the government dumped their cases on the RCMP in an attempt to make a political problem into a criminal problem. The Mounties should have said no. ( Duffy was eventually acquitted of all 31 charges laid against him. The cases against Harb and Brazeau were then dropped and Wallin was never charged.)
• Since last winter, the RCMP has been investigating the vice- chief of defence staff, Vice- Admiral Mark Norman. The government, upset by the alleged leak of a cabinet confidence relating to a naval contract, co- opted the RCMP into launching what seems to be a fruitless investigation. Literally hundreds of people have access to cabinet confidences. The investigation is a vengeful act of politics that has maligned a good man’s reputation.
Creation a civilian board
David Brown’s 2007 report on the RCMP called for a civilian board to bring the force in line with every other police service in Canada. The commissioner would focus on the operational side of policing, the civilian board on administration. Lousy pay is hurting the force
Even after a 4.8 per cent raise in 2017, first- class constables are paid $ 9,000 less than those with the Vancouver police. The minister claims members are better off than virtually all police services because of the benefits and pensions, however, he hasn’t provided any credible information to support his claim.
Understaffing is a pox
According to the Brown report and the position paper Towards a Red Serge Revival, the RCMP is lacking between 4,000 and 7,000 regular members. Last year, there were 1,300 funded positions the Mounties could not fill and nearly 1,000 positions vacant due to long- term sick leave, parental leave or training.
New recruits, whose average age is 28, are paid below minimum wage ($ 500 a week) during their 26 weeks of basic training. They have student loans, families and mortgages to manage. Who wants to start a career by going into debt?
Also, the history of sexual harassment, abuse and bullying has made the RCMP unattractive to prospective candidates.
The burnout caused by understaffing means many are leaving the RCMP to join other police services with better pay and working conditions. This leaves the force with no swing capacity to deal with pressing threats or shifting priorities. Following the terrorist attack on Parliament Hill in 2014, Commissioner Bob Paulson was forced to move 500 members from organized crime to counter- terrorism. As a result, 300 investigations have been put on hold.
The RCMP is a mess, and the next commissioner will have to take on the task of fixing it. Regular members are attempting to unionize, and that may provide some help addressing their grievances. But it could be years until the union is established.
Before accepting the position, a prospective commissioner will need assurance from the prime minister that political support will be there. Otherwise, we’re looking at more of the same.
— Sen. Colin Kenny is former chair of the Senate Committee on National Security and Defence.