Facts about the RCMP

(Canadian Press) – Some facts about the RCMP, chosen as The Canadian Press Newsmaker of the Year for 2007:

- Founded in 1873 as North-West Mounted Police to bring law and order to territories that later became Saskatchewan and Alberta.

- Current strength: more than 25,000 peace officers, civilian members, public service support staff.

- Duties include provincial policing (except in Quebec and Ontario), in the North and in many aboriginal communities.

- Also enforce drug laws and many other federal statutes across Canada; provide protection for prime minister, foreign diplomats; investigate political corruption at federal level; often take lead role in fighting organized crime.

- Once solely responsible for national security and intelligence, now share that role with Canadian Security Intelligence Service, especially in fighting terrorism.

- Slammed by public inquiry in 2006 for wrongly labelling Ottawa engineer Maher Arar an al-Qaeda operative, thus contributing to his deportation by U.S. and torture in Syria.

- Faced renewed scrutiny at Air India inquiry in 2007 for turf wars with CSIS after 1985 terrorist bombing that took 329 lives.

- Under fire as well in 2007 over autocratic management practices, mishandling of members’ pension fund.

- Awaiting public inquiry in B.C. over death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, who died after being tasered at Vancouver’s airport. The