‘An apology heals a lot of people’
Lawyer: Culture stops RCMP from taking blame
Nova Scotians were waiting for it.
Michael Duheme, Canada’s top Mountie, said the force did the best it could with the training, equipment and resources it had.
Then he apologized for the suffering endured by the victim’s families since Canada’s worst mass shooting. That’s where the RCMP acting commissioner’s apology stopped. No apology was offered for the critical mistakes his members made during the tragic events of April 2020 that may have cost lives.
This, despite a scathing report delivered March 30 by the Mass Casualty Commission that called for a radical transformation of the institution.
But there needed to be an apology and an acknowledgment of failure, said Ray Wagner, a longtime personal injury lawyer in Halifax who does not speak for any of the victims’ families.
Why does that matter? “You’ll never change, you’ll never improve your response to critical incidents and how you treat your members unless you accept that what has taken place in the past is wrong.”
On the one hand, admitting fault could lead to more headaches and more lawsuits. But not necessarily. In Nova Scotia, there is legislation, the Apology Act, that says an apology can’t be used against someone in court. Part of the reason for the legislation is that an apology matters to people.
“A lot of people don’t want to sue,” Wagner said.
“An apology heals a lot of people. (It’s important) to be able to say I forgive you for your failures. I know it wasn’t intentional but thank you very much for acknowledging your failures and acknowledging you’re going to do better.”
Perhaps the fact the top levels of the RCMP are loathe to apologize or accept responsibility
for shortcomings is rooted in their culture, Wagner suggested.
“It’s often referred to as a paramilitary force, as opposed to a policing force that deals with interaction and community involvement. It’s a tough guy mentality, that if you can’t tough it out then you’re weak and you’re disposed of.”
The first step toward change is acknowledgment, he said.
“It’s indefensible how the RCMP officers responded to Portapique shooting. But it’s rooted in systemic issues, including with how the national police force treats its members.”
There was no proper critical incident debriefing after the shooting, he said, and that’s not right.
“You bring the officers in, and you debrief (them and) you deal with the emotional circumstances,” he said.
“You look at how the
RCMP as an institution treats its members, it’s a serious problem that needs to be addressed on a system-wide basis.”
There is already a national class-action lawsuit against the RCMP alleging failure to provide a workplace free from bullying, harassment, and intimidation.
After Justin Bourque shot and killed three officers in Moncton in 2014, the RCMP was found guilty under the Canada Labour Code for failing to provide adequate equipment and training to members who responded.
But that is not tied to Portapique.
Because there was no apology, Wagner said he has little faith that the sweeping changes called for in the commission's report will actually materialize.
Two-thirds of the report dealt with policing and the overwhelming theme was one of failure. It contained more than 130 recommendations, about 70 relating directly to the RCMP.