Jim Bronskill, Ottawa (Canadian Press) – An independent “workplace assessment” of the fractious RCMP has found that the tepid pace of reform inside the national police force frustrated some Mounties.
“On a range of reform issues, much has been accomplished, although much remains to be done,” former spy chief Reid Morden says in a summary of the assessment process, obtained by The Canadian Press.
Tensions mounted in the upper echelons of the Mounties over the summer, with senior members accusing RCMP Commissioner William Elliott of bullying and abusive behaviour.
The Public Safety Department hired Morden, a past director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, to interview disgruntled RCMP members at Ottawa headquarters for a report on improving relations.
In his Aug. 25 synopsis prepared for Public Safety deputy minister Bill Baker, Morden notes the RCMP had not even successfully publicized changes that had taken place as part of its sweeping transformation efforts.
“Whatever the actual pace of reform/transformation, the accomplishments are not well known beyond such prominent items as the restoration of an allowance for cadets to train at the RCMP Depot.”
Morden says an account of “objectives achieved or changes made” will soon be published. “Unfortunately, it has been over six months in gestation.”
The Canadian Press obtained a copy of Morden’s four-page synopsis under the Access to Information Act.
Morden interviewed two dozen people, including Elliott, the first civilian to lead the force, and several deputy and assistant commissioners, from Aug. 3 to 11. He spoke with the Elliott early in the process and again once other interviews — including those who complained about the commissioner’s actions — were concluded.
“I felt it was only fair that he be given an opportunity to give his side of any one of these examples,” Morden said in an interview.
He also spoke to David Brown, a Toronto lawyer whose 2007 report for the government concluded the RCMP was “horribly broken,” and David McAusland, chair of the RCMP reform implementation council, an outside advisory body.
Morden gave Baker a verbal briefing of his “tentative observations and conclusions” on Aug. 13. “In the interim, my findings and recommendations have not changed,” he writes.
Citing confidentiality, Morden declined to repeat what he told Baker. A Canadian Press request to interview Baker was declined.
In an email, the Public Safety Department said the government “will continue to reform and strengthen our national police force, and remains committed to ensuring that the RCMP continues to be a strong, accountable organization.”
CBC recently reported that Elliott told staff in an email there will be changes “to our senior management team” after Morden found an unhealthy level of tension and concern about the progress of reforms.
Indeed, there have been rumours of an impending shakeup at Mounties headquarters. Some who complained about Elliott are watching carefully to see what happens.
In the letter, Morden says there is a “tremendous well of respect for the RCMP” among Canadians.
“It is not a stretch to say that, if that goodwill has wavered as a result of the problems encountered by the Force over the past five-plus years, it is accompanied by the wholehearted wish to see the Force right itself and perform to the high standards that are central to its traditions.
“This is no less true in the leadership and management of the Force than it is for the constable on the front line,” Morden adds.
“Thus the basic integrity of the RCMP, including its leadership and management, must be the centrepiece in considering what actions should be taken to resolve the current rifts within the management of the Force.”
Not listed among the interviewees is former assistant commissioner Mike McDonell, who left the force to join the Ontario Provincial Police.
McDonell complained in a July 21 letter to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews that the desire of rank-and-file members for change within the beleaguered RCMP was thwarted by “inertia” under Elliott.
Morden did talk to the recently retired Bill Sweeney, who worked closely with Elliott at headquarters and has since spoken critically of the commissioner’s style.
Rod Knecht recently took over Sweeney’s post as senior deputy commissioner, serving as Elliott’s right-hand man on front-line policing issues.
In a July 28 note to members in Alberta, where he was then commanding officer, Knecht said the force’s senior executive was committed to the best interests of the force. “Despite media reports to the contrary, they will continue to work together towards the goal of positive change in the RCMP while the (Morden) review is underway.”
Agreed Calvin. I think you have referred us to this site before, and my favorite line remains: “In an era when many believed blacks could not endure cold, possessed ankles too weak to effectively skate, and lacked the intelligence for organized sport, these men defied the defined myths.” I think that you will find that the average citizen does not really care about the physical attributes nor the color of the skin etc., just how effective and responsive the service is. At least that has been my observation.
D. “It is evident that the RCMP will hit a new low in the near future with their hiring quotas…the demise of the force is no longer a unknown light at the end of the tunnel, it is now a fast approaching train.” I think that is a little premature, as it assumes that the hires will all be substandard. Pretty discriminatory to suggest that. I gathered from your previous comments that you think the Force is already there. As I have opined previously, the setting of the “benchmarks”will not affect the actual hires because the public may not apply and be hired in that percentage. Then what do you do? Cancel any troop of cadets because they do not have the correct percentage make up? Hire only troops of parts of the percentages? I don’t think so.
Interesting link there JohhnyG., but he says: “I believe in true equality and the most important criteria for hiring any employee is that they are the best person for the job. If all qualifications of two applicants are equal then I don’t mind preference being given to a minority group.” And how true have those percentages worked out? Not even close. Thus my opinion on the role of the “public” in the equation.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I disagree that D’s statement is discriminatory. He has never said having minorities is bad, what he is saying when you have quota’s, various groups compete amongst themselves. Because white males are the largest pool of applicants with only 40% of the jobs, the ratio of applicant to position is going to be much greater. What happens is that much more suitable and qualified white males (not always, but on average) are going to be turned away than women, natives and minorities that are hired. The exam score required for an interview is partial proof of this.
Also, like I have said before just look at what is happening with the police in other western countries that are too fixated on quota’s. Just read what is happening in those countries with these links I have posted before
. Do we try and learn from their mistakes now, or sit back, be politically correct and wait until it is too late?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-448298/Politically-correct-police-force-hiring-officers-job.html
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2009/08/police-are-now-the-useless-uniformed-wing-of-new-labour.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1454238/posts
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Don’t think it is premature as the members hired in the last few years are “racking-up” some interesting statistics, most of them negative.
To change to quota of not hiring the best just hiring the quota to a even greater degree means the slippery sloap just took on a new life. Face facts the RCMP gave-up on hiring the best many many years ago and as you check this site the stories are just getting more interesting.
Again it is interesting how some can “try” to justify anything and everything the the RCMP does.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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D;
You have over looked the safety nets afforded to the police officer in doing his job which has very little accountability attached to rise and fall of the upper ranks.
The force instead of looking to fix itself in these messes instead turn all their resources to investigate the victims with the intent of clearing themselves and lay blame for their actions on them and just walk away leaving the victims and their families to prove other wise.
They have shown that they will even go to great expense and fly to another country to make sure the story works out in their favor and if that doesn’t work all they need to do is say it was self defense or lie about the whole matter.
So you see to hire the best is not the first choice but the image is and being always right will always remain a high priority.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I can’t imagine too many white males seeing the force as a serious career choice this time around either.
JG
I would have to respectfully disagree with you on that statement. There will always be politically driven programs involving non-white people being trained and assisting regular RCMP members in communities.
The fact remains as of the writing of this comment that there never has been a REGULAR troop at RCMP Depot where white males did not make up the majority of the troop. That’s OK with me as long as the selection process was based on merit. Since I have been retired since 2006 I may be wrong. You may wish to review the RCMP class photos.
News articles will appear describing the majority of the RCMP becoming non-white. In my opinion this is just fear mongering to deflect from the real issue. The real issue is fixing the RCMP.
Perhaps you assume that white males have a monopoly on knowledge? This is untrue. History does not support such thinking.
“by further removing merit when hiring”
JG
The removing of merit has always been in play. This includes the hiring of white males. My position is that merit should apply to everyone. Do you assume that all white males are hired on merit? I don’t assume that all non-white people are hired on merit.
I don’t concern myself with what race, gender, culture ((French or English) and religion when discussing merit. The INDIVIDUALS are qualified or they are not. You mention race. why?
If the concerns of merit regarding non-white people is such a concern “to you JG”
Please read the below book to show balance:
Craig Smith’s You Had Better Be White By – The Black Ice Project
27 Mar 2008 … Craig Marshall Smith’s book, You Had Better Be White By Six A.M.: The African-Canadian Experience In The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, …
http://www.theblackiceproject.com/…/index.cfm?fuseaction…ID... – Cached – Similar
Calvin Lawrence
CGL Consulting
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I never said white males had a monopoly on knowledge. Not sure where you got that?
Calvin, I am going to dispute your assertion that white males have always been hired in greater numbers than anyone else.
Fifteen years ago MP for Yorktown Sk Gary Breitkreuz wrote a article regarding the hiring numbers of the RCMP and according to the article white males were hired that year were 26%!
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/breitkreuzgpress/equity1.htm
Also Calvin, looking through the year book wouldn’t do any good as I have seen members that are blond hair and blue eyed that have native status. I know of a “white person” that fit this description have a division opened up for them that had been closed because of their special status. But, the first thing out of her mouth to staffing when granted this special request was “I don’t want to go to an Indian reserve”. You play the card, you should have to play the hand you are dealt. So I guess I will agree with the assertion in this article that “visible minorities and aboriginals are also given preference in transfers, placements and assignments to be near family and their own community.”
Calvin, I am not the one who is mentioning race, it is the system that does that every time an application comes across their desk or someone is considered for promotion. I am drawing attention to what has been happening now and in the past.
You know what one of the biggest problems for recruiters was during the last hiring boom? It was that a lot of qualified white males didn’t feel encouraged to apply. They had the perception that you had to me naive, a minority or female to join. This wasn’t created out of a vaccumn, a problem socially constructed by the media, or some conservative conspiracy theory. During the time period of the above posted article, white males were told by recruiters it was a waste of time to even apply. White males with degree’s and policing experience were being turned away in favor of women who had a high school education. As of right now, I have heard stories of educated white males being kicked off the hiring lists to make way for the 60% women, natives and minorities they want to hire. You call my talking about this fear mongering, I call it reality. I call it history that will repeat itself.
Also Calvin, you talk of the media reporting on decimating the population of white males in the force as a kind of red herring instead of dealing with fixing the problems of the force. Well, I want someone to explain to me how this new program is going to make the outfit any better? How is this going to fix the problems?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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How many times have they said something to the public or been told to do something to fix things and done nothing about it.
Actions speaks louder than words.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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“It is not a stretch to say that, if that goodwill has wavered as a result of the problems encountered by the Force over the past five-plus years, it is accompanied by the wholehearted wish to see the Force right itself and perform to the high standards that are central to its traditions.”
Hmmmm, and performing to those high standards that are central to it’s tradition’s is going to to be accomplished by further removing merit when hiring by seeking to decimate white males to 40% and discouraging this demographic from even applying over the next 20 years. The hiring patterns of the 80’s and 90’s were bad enough, I can’t imagine too many white males seeing the force as a serious career choice this time around either.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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