(CBC News) – The federal government is investigating allegations by senior Mounties that RCMP Commissioner William Elliott is abusive and insulting, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said Tuesday.
“Some comments have come to my attention fairly recently and we are doing an analysis to see whether these concerns are merited,” he said.
Toews said the complaints are “essentially an internal matter in the RCMP, but one that concerns me because of the impact the RCMP have generally throughout the country.”
This is a stressful time for the force, which is implementing sweeping reforms, he said.
CBC News reported Monday that as many as 10 senior members of the force, including deputy commissioners Tim Killam and Raf Souccar, have complained to Toews and to the Prime Minister’s Office about Elliott’s conduct.
Behaviour at issue
The officers have accused Elliott of being verbally abusive, closed-minded, arrogant and insulting. One complaint described an enraged Elliott throwing papers at an officer.
Elliott, the first civilian to lead the Mounties, was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in July 2007.
Veteran journalist Paul Palango, who has written extensively about the RCMP, says Elliott’s ferocious reputation has been apparent since his appointment.
“From the time he took over, [he] was reducing assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners to tears,” he told CBC News. “Some wanted to leave the force. Some did leave the force because of his attitude and his behaviour.”
Last year, Elliott attended a $44,000 course in Arizona that dealt with behavioural barriers to success, the CBC’s Alison Crawford reported.
He subsequently acknowledged to employees in a memo that he learned his actions can sometimes have negative impacts.
Whether it’s warranted, there’s no doubt the staff protest against the commissioner’s behaviour is unprecedented. The RCMP normally keep their problems securely private.
“The fact that they have broken ranks within what is effectively a paramilitary organization shows that, I think, there are some deep fissures,” Rob Gordon, director of the school of criminology at Simon Fraser University, told CBC News.
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By the very fact that you were called upon to assist in some issues in race relations shows that there was a system in place to deal with such items. Your testimony under oath at a hearing to that fact underlies that premise.
DT
I would not say that there was a system where my involvement was concerned. Keith Clarke and Harper Boucher knew of the extensive work that I had done on the topic of Police/Race Relations. (Documentation available upon request)
They knew that I would be fair and not take sides. My job description did not include putting out fires that were caused by INDIVIDUAL facilitators not following the rules.
You are right DT that there is a system in place. There are rules, regulations, mission statements, and core values. The policies are not being followed or even being used as a guide. Supervisors are not holding their members accountable. Everyone wants to be a supervisor but no one wants to supervise.
There is no need to invent the wheel in relation to the running of the RCMP. Just enforce the present rules.
Calvin Lawrence
CGL Consulting
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“I was called upon to resolve racial conflicts that was (sic) caused by the actions of facilitators involving the abuse of cadets. I later addressed the the incoming facilitators on their course regarding racial issues.”
In other words there were instances (how many?) and there were actions taken to correct them.
The foregoing notwithstanding, your assertion that: “The culture of the RCMP starts at the RCMP Training Academy with mild to severe abuse.” is not supported by your latest submission either.
By the very fact that you were called upon to assist in some issues in race relations shows that there was a system in place to deal with such items. Your testimony under oath at a hearing to that fact underlies that premise.
“People like yourself form opinions and take sides without knowing all the facts. Emotions takes the place of logic and in-depth investigating. ”
The same could be said for your broad brush statements that lack substantial foundation. However, I assume, until proven incorrect that you have a modicum of information at your disposal, some of which you chose to use to attempt to strengthen one of your statements I took issue with. No emotions there, just calculation and dismantling of your foundation.
All you have shown me is that there have been racial issues at Depot, that there are methodologies in place to address them, you have testified as such and that you are backing away from the entirety of the statement I challenged by citing a small example.
“The real story is that out of all the RCMP members; it appears there is no one fit to command. ” That broad brush statement is still out there flapping in the wind with no support.
“The established procedures to determine if a cadet is qualified to be a member of the RCMP was in place when I was at Depot and are still in place.” Would that include allowing a cadet to pass Depot being on mod b for 22 of 24 weeks? Along with fainting under scenario pressure regularly?
You have made some good points in there Calvin, but they are overshadowed by the sloppy broad brush. And could you just elaborate a bit on Morin, what I get is same scenario, different outcome. Is that correct?
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“The culture of the RCMP starts at the RCMP Training Academy with mild to severe abuse.” It is evident it has been a while since you were at the RCMP training facility. You are probably a proponent of the recent Federal Court of Appeal decision.
I will agree that the measure of an individuals or organizations mettle is severely tested under crisis.
“The sad part about this situation is the hard working everyday members will be demoralized and discouraged. They will retire, leave the job, or just become cynical. They will do the job but hate belonging to an organization that has lost respect and is imploding.”
Has it occurred to you that the present debacle at the highest levels is a manifestation of the changes underway in the RCMP? At no time in the past have you had such senior ranks speak out against improper behavior by a superior. Is this not a proper response to inappropriate management? Wasn’t the previous Commissioner considered a tyrant by the upper command, however nobody spoke out until the one lone voice from lower down in the structure?
Would you prefer that a person acting in such a manner remain hidden behind the veil of secrecy and “culture” so often touted of the RCMP? I find it quite refreshing that the most senior personnel in an organization such as the para-military RCMP have acted in a manner consistent with modern human resource systems.
“The real story is that out of all the RCMP members; it appears there is no one fit to command. ” I would have to take issue with such a broad statement condemning the entire organization. Its on a par with your spiral analogy to the Holocaust. Surely you do not stand by that utterance.
“The sad part about this situation is the hard working everyday members will be demoralized and discouraged. ” I do not think this the case at all. I think you are falling victim to the sky is falling mantra. As I noted above, this situation signals change. You may wish to continue the negative diatribe, however, I am cautiously optimistic that an air of change has come to upper echelon systems. We see public airing of all manner of issues in organizations across the country and this is just another one.
“In reality command and control is the culture that is still followed. There is talk of change management but after all is said and done, more is said than done.” If you were to canvass the entirety of the RCMP offices in the country and tallied the results, I would be more inclined to give more weight to that statement.
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Minister ‘troubled’ by complaints about RCMP commissioner
National Post – Douglas Quan
July 27, 2010
When he was appointed RCMP commissioner in 2007, William Elliott — the first-ever civilian named to head the national force — admitted that gaining the trust of his peers posed “special challenges.”
Three years later, the former senior bureaucrat appears to have failed to win over key members of his leadership team.
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews confirmed Tuesday that a “workplace assessment” is underway within the beleaguered agency to try to resolve a conflict between Elliott and senior members of the RCMP.
According to a CBC report Monday night, as many as 10 senior Mounties — including two deputy commissioners — filed complaints with the Prime Minister’s Office within the past week, accusing the RCMP’s top boss of being verbally abusive, close-minded, arrogant and insulting.
They described one incident in which the commissioner allegedly went into a rage and threw papers at another officer, the CBC reported.
The CBC identified two of the complainants as deputy commissioners Tim Killam and Raf Souccar. Neither could be reached for comment on Tuesday.
Mr. Toews said Tuesday he is “troubled” by the reports, but declined to say more about what the RCMP is doing to try to address the problems.
“The government of Canada continues to be committed to helping ensure the RCMP becomes a stronger, more effective organization,” Mr. Toews said in a statement. “I will not comment further on this specific assessment as it relates to the internal management of the RCMP.”
Linda Duxbury, a Carleton University professor who has spent years studying the public service, including the RCMP, said Tuesday it’s almost unheard of for members of the public sector — and particularly the RCMP — to band together to lodge such a complaint.
“If we look at the RCMP culture, it’s, ‘Suck it up and do it. Don’t complain, just get on with your work,’ ” she said.
Things “must have been intolerable.”
Ms. Duxbury said she believes the complaints represent more than run-of-the-mill griping by Mounties who don’t like an outsider running the force.
“There really is some kind of fire there. It says he’s not an appropriate leader for the RCMP,” she said.
Ms. Duxbury added that whatever action the RCMP is taking now is probably coming way too late.
“That’s closing the barn door after the cattle are out,” she said.
Mr. Elliott was appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in July 2007 following the resignation of Giuliano Zaccardelli.
Mr. Elliott, who had previously served as associate public safety deputy minister, promised to run the RCMP as a “modern, efficient, effective organization,” but he admitted that earning the respect of the rank and file presented “special challenges.”
“Clearly, I’m going to have to rely even more than my predecessors over the long history of the RCMP on the expertise of the police officers,” Mr. Elliott told reporters at the time.
Mr. Elliott’s leadership style came under question in September 2009, when it came to light that the RCMP had paid an Arizona firm more than $44,000 to provide him with “executive coaching” and other training.
In a letter to all RCMP members at the time, Mr. Elliott wrote that the training allowed him to “explore the impacts of my leadership and behaviours on individuals and on the RCMP as a whole.”
“I learned that my actions can and did have unintended, sometimes negative impacts. I believe this insight is helping me to change and to be a more effective leader,” he wrote.
Leadership training and executive coaching are “crucial” to renewal of the RCMP, he added.
Ex-Mountie William Gilmour, a Brampton, Ont., lawyer who has represented officers in lawsuits against the force, said he has heard from his clients that Mr. Elliott is belligerent and arrogant.
“He’s not a policeman’s policeman. He’s never walked the beat,” he said.
News of a rift within the agency’s highest ranks comes at a time when the force has been trying to rebuild its image following a series of scandals, including the Tasering death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport and the mismanagement of pension and insurance funds.
“They are absolutely getting tired of being poster boys of dysfunction,” Ms. Duxbury said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of eye rolling.”
A 2009 national RCMP employee survey showed that 80% of employees said the agency was a good place to work and 87% said they were proud to be a member of the force.
But the same survey also showed a lot of dissatisfaction in the workplace.
Forty-seven per cent said they could not complete their assigned workload within regular hours; 34% said complaints are not dealt with effectively; and 48% said they had contemplated leaving the force in the past six months.
Assessment underway in RCMP conflict: Toews
CTV.ca News Staff
July 27, 2010
Public Safety Minister Vic Toews confirms that there is a “workplace assessment” underway that stems from a feud involving RCMP Commissioner William Elliott and his senior subordinates.
Elliott, the first-ever civilian director of the RCMP, has reportedly become the subject of formal complaints from senior Mounties who take issue with the way he conducts himself on the job.
Toews would not comment any further on the assessment, saying only it relates to internal management of the RCMP.
On Tuesday, CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife spoke to a senior Mountie who described the beef senior officers have with their commissioner.
Fife quoted the unnamed Mountie as being “fed up” with Elliott’s behaviour, describing it as “abusive, ignorant” and “bullying.”
Recently, senior staff members have been keeping detailed notes on Elliott’s behavior, which will likely be submitted to the assessor.
“So at the end of the day, when that report is done, he may lose his job,” said Fife.
Elliott was apparently sent to a leadership training seminar in Arizona recently, which cost taxpayers $44,000, sources told CTV News.
Elliott has so far said little about the reports about his relationship with senior Mounties. He also declined to appear on CTV to discuss the matter.
“He will not comment publicly, he will not come on camera, we’ve made that effort,” said Fife.
“But sources tell me that he has been working behind the scenes to try to dampen things down.”
Sources say Deputy Commissioners Raf Souccar and Tim Killam are two of the Mounties involved in laying complaints against Elliott.
His appointment as a civilian never went down well with the police officers in the RCMP, and defenders of him say his detractors may be angling to replace him, according to many reports.
“People who support him say . . . ‘He’s honest, he’s committed to improving the situation in RCMP . . . and that these allegations are made by people who were hoping he’d leave after three years . . . and these people have their own ambitions,’” Fife said.
Elliott is the 22nd person to serve as commissioner of the RCMP — and the first non-Mountie to do so. He began serving as commissioner just over three years ago.
Elliott began working for the Canadian government in 1988.
Linda Duxbury, a professor who has studied the RCMP extensively, said that the new problems are indicative of deep-seeded problems at the agency.
She said that at an organization like the RCMP, a culture of trust among staff is crucial.
“I don’t see how Bill Elliot will be able to trust his senior leadership team,” Duxbury said in an interview.
Worse, given the obvious tensions, it may be too late for a simple fix, such as removing certain staff members or shaking up the leadership.
“I don’t see how they can fix it up right now. The genie’s out of the bottle.”
Politically speaking, the Prime Minister’s Office is also in a difficult spot, as thousands of RCMP personnel across the country will be closely scrutinizing the PMO’s response to the departmental fight.
“The Prime Minister’s Office is stuck between a rock and a hard place,” she said.