Calgary Herald – When the RCMP dispatched disgraced Alberta Staff-Sgt. Don Ray to B.C., it was reminiscent of how the Catholic Church dealt with some of its priests. After a “disturbing pattern” of sexual misconduct, in which Ray exposed himself, had sex with subordinates, and kept a liquor cabinet in his crime lab, the RCMP demoted him to sergeant, docked him 10 days’ pay and shipped him to places unknown in B.C. The Catholic Church similarly had a habit of quietly shipping naughty priests to other dioceses.
The RCMP and the Harper government appear to have finally gotten the message that wrist slaps are no longer acceptable. Last week, new legislation was introduced that will allow the RCMP commissioner to dismiss members for “non-disciplinary” reasons. It would also improve transparency in the handling of members suspected of committing serious crimes, officials said.
The proposed reforms, announced by Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, are overdue. Paulson, on the job six months, has acknowledged that the disciplinary process has been ineffective. The punishment handed down to the force’s “rotten apples” sometimes just “does not cut it,” Paulson said. Among the problems is a grievance process that can take up to five years to resolve a case. Toews agrees, saying: “Canadians’ confidence in the RCMP has been tested over the past few years and this legislation will ensure the RCMP is fully accountable for its actions and is open and transparent in its service to Canadians.”
Finally, a commissioner who gets it, and a politician who is willing to do something about it. The RCMP has been plagued by allegations of sexual and verbal harassment, which has led to a class-action lawsuit by some female members over a larger “culture” within the national force.
The failure to deal with sexual harassment is one issue facing the RCMP. From excessive use of force at the 1997 APEC Summit to the killing of Darren Varley in a Pincher Creek cell in 1999 and the Tasering of Robert Dziekanski in 2007, serious incidents have harmed the public’s confidence in the RCMP.
In 2007, the government-appointed Task Force on Governance and Cultural Change in the RCMP made 49 recommendations relating to organizational structure, oversight, accountability, leadership, workload, employee wellness, and governance and management.
Paulson has been a refreshing change. “You can’t just go down to Costco and buy a new culture,” he said in a CBC interview. “You have to concentrate on doing your core duties and then the culture flows from that.”
The force is not completely broken. Among Canadians who have had direct contact with the RCMP, more than 80 per cent were satisfied with the service, according to one survey. The new disciplinary changes will help continue to restore the confidence that is needed.
It’s not about me, more so the Force and the young members who have to carry the torch forward. Without independent oversight, the systems in our HR are corrupt (check the definition) and allows leaders and those who should be accountable to their job description duties. Lead, follow or get out of the way.
The allegations of sexual harassment will bring the force to it knees. Legislation will not have enough of a effect to save countless members who will face problem because of this lawsuit.
I will admit that “Corrupt” is a pretty strong word to use. There are a lot of problems that make it seem that the outfit often leans in that direction.
Now lets take for example the issue of discipline. In the Canadian Forces it was widely taught that the higher up on the chain you went, the tougher the punishment was going to be because more was expected of them in the higher ranks. This included the Brass- or atleast anyone below the rank of Admiral or General. But, in the RCMP it works the opposite of that. There the lower on the totem pole you are, the more harshly you can expect to be treated.
Now if the member screws up and wrongs the organization and steals some pocket change, their name is all over the papers and TV screens. But, when it is the force that does the member wrong, and ruins their life and their health Paulson has the nerve to say the organization should be spared this same public disclosure. Here is when you realize that members welfare is worth even less than pocket change to management. Kind of gives a feeling of a disposability to people if you ask me.
Now I want to touch on how the hiring process seems favor recruits that are not going to pay attention to much let alone question authority, above those who have the skills to do a good job on the street. Lemmings and Drones is what they are after. Depot even goes so far as to employ divide and conquer measures such as the gutless and anonymous “peer assessments/assinations”. Here you learn the value of throwing others under the bus and spreading mistrust amongst the rank and file before they even begin the job. So much for camaraderie! Kind of reminds me of the Hitler youth where they are taught unquestioning loyalty to the hierarchy and learn to defect on their friends and families.
The outfit now has the “Survivor” game show mentality, where people feel they need to CYA and fly under the radar so they don’t become the nail that sticks out and gets hammered. And for those who do get “Hammered” with harassment and workplace Bullying and mobbing, don’t expect any compassion or empathy on that front from management or your peers. Just callousness and judgment- until it becomes their turn…
The outfit also takes advantage of their hardest workers. But when the strains of some of the years of seeing horrific things catches up to them and sick leave needs to be taken, members realize that in the RCMP culture, you have a lot of buddies, but few real friends. All of a sudden members who have had many years of dedicated service feel the betrayal of feeling like garbage. This also goes out to those who have even suffered physical injuries on the job. I know of one such individual that was harassed and hounded into retirement
The DSSR system is a joke and on different occasions I have seen the Rep’s having coffee with the white shirts. I know of cases where the extent of the Rep’s representation of the member was advising the CO that if “you are going to fire him, you have to do it properly”.
The promotional process is another cruel joke. Not too much needs to be said there. Perhaps this has something to do with the culture devolving into everyone feeling they have to be a “Yes Man” , a brown noser, and a backstabber. Rather than focus on doing a good job, too many would rather pay attention do what others are doing and drag the ones down that do the work and are the most dedicated.
Finally, this is where the wolf dons the sheep’s clothing. And that is management trying to employ this corporate culture where words such as openness, sensitivity and consensus building are spoken of. But, like most everything else, it heads in one direction… And that way is up.
During my time in the force I had involvement with numerous grievances. At the front end with the ADR or Alternate Dispute Resolution process, I found that once third parties that were neutral and chosen by each side got together, resulted more times than not an accommodation satisfying both sides was reached. Some were no brainers such as overtime, expenses, 1004’s, performance evaluations, and the like. Others were more complex and went the full 2 level grievance route. Only a couple went to the federal court as lindapepper outlined. I am afraid that even though the federal court reached a decision, it was not in the grievers favor and they were not satisfied.
I will grant you the process is not a short one nor is it simple and I do feel that it does take too long, but it conforms to the labor laws and statute. In the two cases I mentioned the outcome from the court was not well received by the griever and both then alleged bias on the part of the court.
I think the big thing I learned is that some people are never really satisfied.
Hey, just because it didn’t/doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean that for everybody else over the years. I have had 3 grievances in my time and all were resolved to my satisfaction, even though a couple took longer than I would have liked. I have also witnessed others and they too took longer than I think was necessary but out of them both sides came away satisfied. Sorry your experience is different but just because you didn’t get what you wanted doesn’t mean the whole system is corrupt. After all your final step is Federal Court and if they don’t agree with you are you prepared to call them corrupt as well?
80% are satisfied?
Those surveys should be banned as they are doctored and paid to give preferred results. Is there anything left in this country we can count on as being above reproach.
It seems the upper ranks here in Canada enjoy the perks of the safety nets allocated to them while the lower ranks make up the statistics.
In my view it doesn’t go far enough and little change will come of it. Just a smoke screen.
Brown Report and all that came before it. Marin, DUXBURY (X3). The steps to start are simple , but Bob wants to go looking f orna bargain at Costco. It’s little wonder people laugh at us. WATF with the current system and staus quo. Especially Linda Pepper and her grievance Love to a totally corrupt system. CORRUPT!!!!!, thats for linda pepper, it dont work.