RCMP Watch

Lorie O’Halloran (The Labradorian) - Although there’s been a lot of negative media about RCMP conduct, a representative of the Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP (CPC) says a newly created pilot project was not created for that reason.

Brooke McNabb, vice chair of CPC said the RCMP, as an institution, has come under a lot of public scrutiny, some of it deserved and some of it not, no organization is perfect, but public expectations today are different than 20 years ago when the commission was formed.

“People do want to know and have confidence that there is civilian oversight of the RCMP.”

Mr. McNabb said there have been some high profile issues that have generated some negative publicity about the RCMP, but at the local detachment level there is a high level of confidence in the members and support along with recognition of the important role they serve in the community.

On May 7 a meeting hosted by and held at the Labrador Friendship Centre allowed interested parties such as the CPC, Legal Aid, Corrections Canada, the National Parole Board, Department of Justice, RCMP and others, to discuss the aim of the project and how to get information out to the public.

The CPC is an independent federal agency established to receive and review complaints about the conduct of RCMP members. Its mission is to ensure public trust in policing through accountability.

CPC was formed in 1988 and acts as a third part, not an advocate for either the complainant or the RCMP, to ensure on a timely basis that complaints are examined fairly and impartially and that unbiased findings and recommendations are made, aimed at identifying, correcting and preventing problems in policing.

Mr. McNabb said part of their objective and mandate is to explain to the public that there is a civilian department that oversees the RCMP and if people have issues with the RCMP, they can go for an independent assessment.

“That’s pretty fundamental in a democratic society, that we have something like that. It’s a way of maintaining public confidence and trust in the police,” he said.

Mr. McNabb said the program gives CPC an opportunity to really understand community needs much better, which helps it do its job better, particularly providing information to the aboriginal communities.

He said that’s why the pilot project is working in conjunction with the LFC, because it is a community based non-political centre.

“This is our effort to do a much better job of connecting and serving the aboriginal communities,” he said.
Mr. McNabb said for the average person what they need to know is, if you have an interaction with an RCMP member and you think how they dealt with you was inappropriate, you have a right to have the commission investigate it.

“You can call the 1-800 number or go to the detachment to lodge your complaint,” he said.

Mr. McNabb said once an issue is raised, the commission responds immediately with an investigation, which could take between six months to a year, and a final decision/report is submitted to the complainant indicating the results of the investigation.

He said anonymous and third party complaints can be filed, but at some point the person involved would need to be contacted for additional details, but RCMP wouldn’t necessarily know whom the initial complaint came from.

Mr. McNabb said all that is required of the complainant is a phone call, with some specific details of the incident from their point of view; there is no court involved it’s not that type of process.

“It’s an informal investigation.”

Melanie Rushworth, outreach manager for CPC, said complaints can also be filed online through their website.

The website address is www.cpc-cpp.gc.ca and the toll free telephone number is 1-800-665-6878.
The brochure will be available online in approximately 12 different languages including Inuttitut. So language will not be a barrier for people wanting to file complaints, Ms. Rushworth said.

Mr. McNabb said the pilot program is unique in the sense that it’s the first time the commission has worked in partnership with an aboriginal organization to do this type of outreach.

He said the program is not all about complaints; it’s about building relationships between the commission, the aboriginal communities and the RCMP.

“We trying to deal with issues and deal with them constructively,” McNabb said.

Stan Oliver, executive director of LFC said there are 118 centres across the country; six have been selected for the pilot project and HV-GB was one.

Mr. Oliver said the project is to raise awareness, to let residents know the commission exists and help build on the existing relationships currently established with the RCMP.

Mr. Oliver said the project would have tremendous benefits for the residents of HV-GB because if they have a complaint or concern they will know how to address it and who to go to.