RETROSPECTIVE |
| RCMP contract police work includes directing traffic and so on in cities like Prince George BC |
Commissioner William Elliot of the RCMP, who took the top job in the summer of 2007 (and became the first civilian appointed to the high post) made a major public appearance at the year’s end, Dec 14 07, to deliver a report on the national police service's governance structure and the need to address cultural changes within Canada's national corps of police officers.
The public announcements by Commissioner Elliot, included, "The path we have laid out is not for the faint of heart. Stockwell Day," Minister of Public Safety overseeing the RCMP, "said he will review the call for a two-year timeline to deliver changes identified by the head of the report, David Brown,” about this critical (and recently criticized) national police service.
Expectation will be running high from the Task Force on Governance and Cultural Change in the RCMP. As the government noted on the internet, “On July 16, 2007, the Honourable Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety, announced the creation of a new five-member Task Force.”
The public will now watch those in power to see if they respond to the call for creation of a new separate entity, new board of management, and new oversight from outside.
David Brown, talking to Don Newman on CBC-TV Politics, said, "There is confusion at the top as to who is responsible," for running the police service. Together Brown and Newman discussed how changes might come about to essentially create a new RCMP, and, Brown implied, financial management of the RCMP seems to be the major management boondoggle.
He supplied Newman’s CBC-TV audience with an interesting tidbit, wherein the actual employer of RCMP personnel from top to bottom is the Treasury Board. What makes this so interesting is that the CIA in the United States is also paid by the Treasury Department of the national/federal structure.
The way Brown described it, the Treasury Board not the RCMP Commissioner signs everybody’s paycheque, therefore the purported head doesn't entirely control his organization because the payer of his 'employees' is somebody else, and thus, the RCMP needs separate employer status similar to Canada Revenue Agency or CSIS, Brown said.
The problems of the sort implied by the current ‘comptroller connectivity’ imply the RCMP has been rooted as a vast intelligence structure operating under the federal treasury. The RCMP even had powers beyond those of the similarly structured CIA, until recently that is, because only with changes through the US Patriot Act and other means can the CIA now operate within the US.
In fact, said Brown, the RCMP as an independent organization presently does not exist, "They don't have the management in place or capacity to run it with the stewardship and (competency) required." The current structure cannot handle the new responsibility of owning their turf.
Brown said chief among the changes required, "The board of management would be like a board of directors, and composed of independent citizens of stature who have demonstrated ability in a variety of skills from various provinces, a group of expert citizens not connected with RCMP, not connected with government," providing the police service, suddenly, with "Board of management accountability to parliament with reporting responsibility."
The report was produced by a task force struck on the same day as the new RCMP commissioner took office in July, and Brown and his group visited town halls and detachments, "The task force received support and commitment and constructive approaches were made, and the force and its management and people could not have been more helpful."
He stressed the fact the force is something of a dysfunctional element that needs healing. Its membership is aware of the concerns and wants to expedite difficult changes, noted the task force chairman.
The task force met with provincial and municipal partners (Ontario and Quebec Provincial Police, and city police forces), "High quality men and women gave their input across Canada."
The report and recommendations are part of an important document and perhaps an important turning point. Senior leadership of the force is changing. This and other significant issues are under study. They have, “no other option," but, "the RCMP must change."
He added, "Significant, relevant, and meaningful," changes are required, "because of the report's contents, the changes will address management accountability, internal discipline, workplace disclosure."
Brown also served notice that renewal is going to mean new policies and new human resource practices. "Administrative, financial and human resource practices that do not support employees will be ended. Public trust needs to be improved."
The task force worked with the strong support of the public because police and communities obviously work together to form safe communities and neighbourhoods.
The goal for the changes, Brown stated, must be to modernize the workplace into supportive and nurturing environment where employees have the best possible work environment.
"Changes are necessary to meet that goal. These are difficult and challenging times for the RCMP in Canada and around the world. The force is composed of proud people, proud of our organisation, and proud of what we do. Everyone is aware of an urgent need to change.”
The observations made in the task force report highlight significant weaknesses, but noticed a police force filled with highly committed, highly professional, people who deal with difficult situations every day.
Commissioner Elliot said, "It is up to me and the leadership of the RCMP to lead the way. The status quo is not an option." Any efforts applied to change will, "Stay true to the values of the force."
It was, in fact, "Jul 16 07 when the largest change took place," at his appointment to the top position in the structure, which was then followed by significant changes to the command structure in several positions, including North West and Alberta Commissioner, chief financial officer, chief human resources officer, "and meeting to look at the structure of headquarters, including the role of deputies and 'regionalization.'”
In fact the commissioner alluded to a concentrated effort to reform the corps in the Lower Mainland. "A multi-year renewal process begins with some things immediately but it is not going to happen overnight. We know we have an aging workforce, but also that we are making changes which will accelerate other changes. We are graduating more new officers this year than in recent history."
As a point of fact the youth of the corps impresses the commissioner, "In many regions they work with 4 years’ service or less."
Change, will it come? "Most of the members know there is no other option that we need a fundamental change and the report and the leaders, the party leaders in parliament, are looking for change." The commissioner said, "The force needs better oversight and continuous review of shortcomings in the present system."
The subject returned to the trust of Canadians and the importance of this when Paul Palango told David Gray on CBC-TV Newsworld, "There were few surprises in the report, and the most important is disconnecting the force from the political process."
Palango is in favour of the outside board of oversight, and he takes things a step further, "Contract policing has to end for the RCMP. Policing communities outside Ontario and Quebec is wasting resources that should be devoted to national sovereignty and national security."
Palango said, "Ten thousand of the 16,000 member force is doing contract policing. It is the tail wagging the dog for the national police service."
Palango raised the question, "Why is there subsidized policing? This diffusion of resources and underfunding has become endemic to the present system and is out of step with our times," said Palango. He added, the Lower Mainland has problems with its RCMP, "and Alberta is a rich place. Why do they need a subsidized police force?"
Originally published Dec 28, 2007 Updated
