Brian Lilley, Ottawa (Toronto Sun) – In the midst of a mutiny that seeks to replace the only civilian ever to lead the RCMP, Canadians prefer the idea of a uniformed officer leading the force.
Two weeks ago complaints from senior Mounties about current Commissioner William Elliott were made public. Elliott is the first civilian to lead the RCMP.
Sources close to the top of the force described the complaints as part of a push to dump Elliott. If the push is successful, Canadians are telling the government, the next commissioner should already have a red serge uniform.
Asked what kind of person should lead the Mounties, 46% said that “only those who have come through the ranks should lead it,” while 38% said “great police or military leaders could come from any walk of life.”
“This is an organization that has traditionally held tremendous respect,” said Leger Marketing vice-president Dave Scholz. “Canadians don¹t want a bureaucrat running it.”
Leger Marketing surveyed 1,522 Canadians between Aug. 2 and Aug. 4. The pollster says its results are accurate to within 2.5 percentage points. Scholz said it surprised him that as they polled across the country there was little difference in viewpoints between men and women or different age groups. There were, however, differing views depending on where you live.
Albertans (61%) were most likely to say that only someone who has come through the ranks should lead the RCMP, Quebecers were evenly split (41% each side) and Ontarians sat at the national average.
Scholz said the Alberta numbers don¹t surprise him because the province often supports a tough law-and-order agenda.
“They may have a more predetermined police attitude,” Scholz said.
As for the wider message in the poll, Scholz called it significant that nearly half of the country disagrees with the government decision to have a civilian run the national police force.
“Regardless of what the government does, or what the RCMP thinks,” said Scholz, “we believe you need to understand an organization to effectively run it.”
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Up front the governments tell us, they are not in control of the RCMP and they have a mandate to decide and do what they see fit, but I guess behind the scene they tell them what to do or better still how to do it, so I guess they don’t really have confidence is them at all.
Do you actually believe that the government could make better decisions than the Duxbury, reports, the Brown report, or even the Braidwood inquiry recommended? – - No, I don’t.
All they want to do is keep it hidden from the public’s eye, using spins that baffles the mind, and hope as they always do, it will eventually go away when the media runs with another story.
Look at what happen to the Alberta couple that when missing, where’s the update. All they have to do is make an arrest and weather he did it or not the media acts like they got their man, but where’s the charges and where’s the couple????
They found the RV and the 4×4 but where’s the elderly couple, still missing?
Police have the task of upholding the laws and appeasing the public and in doing so decisions are made and that’s why we have the innocent in prison wrongfully convicted. Where’s the accountability and why haven’t the RCMP answered for missing it when they were called about the burning RV?
Who’s watch is this anyways, who’s responsible, and who’s on deck here?
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“Are we forgetting about Commissioner Zarccardelli and what did previous Commissioners do that helped manage and prevent what we are seeing happen lately in this police force? ”
What you keep overlooking is the fact that the Commissioner, no matter where he comes from, is a Deputy Minister of the seated government. Does that not strike you as inappropriate? Too much government interference. Too much pandering to the government whim of the day being it how to hire and who to hire to no accountability to anyone other than the seated government. It has been a recipe for disaster.
A civilian board of non government hacks would be preferable to the situation now. The biggest mistake ever made with the RCMP was to annex it to the government like it has been. Separate employer status from the government would allow for freedom of change whether the government likes it or not.
Elliot already came in with a mandate of change years ago. What makes you think leaving him there would make any difference? Do you actually believe that the government could make better decisions than the Duxbury,reports, the Brown report, or even the Braidwood inquiry recommended?
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“Regardless of what the government does, or what the RCMP thinks,” said Scholz, “we believe you need to understand an organization to effectively run it.”
All this means to a Commissioner is that he should go with the flow. Not upset the Governments or the senior members of the force, it’s bad press.
Are we forgetting about Commissioner Zarccardelli and what did previous Commissioners do that helped manage and prevent what we are seeing happen lately in this police force?
I would assume they are not happy with someone over seeing their command and looking over their shoulders. Maybe they are after the top job and Commissioner Elliot happens to be there in the way right now as the battle to get to the top continues.
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If they want a uniformed officer is place of Elliot, there has to be a union or an association to combat the next uniformed commissioner & his self righteous hooligans. What will happen is the RCMP will go back to their old, wicked ways. Obviously that’s no good, we’ll be back to square one.
They should leave Elliot in & mandate him to make the necessary & obvious changes.
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