RCMP Watch

CBC News - More than 50 RCMP officers in B.C. have gone through alcohol abuse or dependence treatment, but the percentage of officers with alcohol problems is well below the national average, according to an internal RCMP memo obtained by the CBC.

“A small number of E Div. members who may be affected by alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have been the subject recently of intense media scrutiny. This contributes to a negative image of the RCMP,” said the memo written by Dr. Ian MacDonald, the Regional Health Services Officer for the RCMP’s E Division in B.C.

“However, the prevalence of AUDs amongst RCMP members is considerably lower than the general [Read more →]

Rob Shaw, Vancouver, B.C. (Vancouver Sun) - A suspended senior police sergeant has been accused of leaking a letter to the media that sparked an investigation into former police chief Paul Battershill.

The inquiry into Sgt. Jim Simpson’s actions will likely trigger a fresh round of scrutiny of the police department and may reopen a controversy around Battershill’s resignation from the force in August, after the Victoria Police Board said it had lost confidence in his leadership.

Battershill was put on leave in October 2007 following allegations of misconduct made by senior officers at [Read more →]

Susan Quinn, Port Alberni, B.C. (Alberni Valley News) - Matthew Charleson spent Thursday night in the drunk tank at the Port Alberni RCMP station after going on a bender. It’s a place he admits he’s been before. Only this time when he woke up the next morning, he didn’t just have a hangover: he also had a broken collarbone.

Now, Charleson wants to find out why.

“I was drunk. They took me to the drunk tank. Before then I wasn’t beat up,” Charleson said. [Read more →]

Ed Mason (iNews 800) - The RCMP has hired a senior civil servant and former journalist to manage its public image.

Commissioner William Elliot has appointed Sheila Bird to the newly created position of Executive Director Public Affairs.

Elliot, in an internal message to Mounties obtained by iNews 880 says Bird will lead the development of initiatives to better inform the public as well as RCMP employees, our partners and stakeholders about the [Read more →]

Chris Gardner (iNews 880) - A body appointed by the federal government is praising the RCMP for reforming its culture.

However, the Reform Implementation Council adds there’s still lots of room for improvement.

In its interim report, the body says the Mounties are “embracing the need to change and modernize.” But, it adds there are some areas where more reform is needed. [Read more →]

James McNulty (Vancouver Province) - As RCMP miscues in Metro Vancouver pile higher than a fresh shipment of Tasers, the case for a regional police force replacing municipal Mounties has never been stronger.

Yet there was nary a peep about it in the civic election; the issue remained locked-down for RCMP-contracted mayors and councils.

When the topic is put before local Royal Canadian Mounted Politicians, the Stepford Wife gene kicks in: “We [Read more →]

(CBC) - The discrimination case of an Iranian-born man who was tossed out of the RCMP training program has caught the attention of a visible minority police officers group in the United Kingdom.

Cmdr. Ali Dizaei, a high-ranking officer with the Metropolitan Police Service in London and president of the National Black Police Association, said he’s planning to lead a delegation of association members to Canada in the new year to meet with RCMP leaders and share their experiences battling racism within the ranks of police.
[Read more →]

Stuart Hunter (Canwest News Service) Vancouver, B.C. - The RCMP is “anxious” to participate in an upcoming Taser inquiry and is working toward restoring public confidence in the wake of a series of high-profile investigations of officers, Commissioner William Elliott says.

Speaking to a lunch meeting of the Vancouver Board of Trade, Elliott - the force’s 22nd commissioner and first civilian head - said his officers will readily take part in the inquiry slated to resume Jan. 19.

“We are anxious to participate to the fullest extent possible,” Elliott told reporters. “We are anxious to [Read more →]

Ian Bailey (Globe and Mail) Vancouver, B.C. - The RCMP commissioner is asking for public patience with the national police force in light of a series of made-in-B.C. controversies that include the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski and recent news that a Mountie is suspected of impaired driving in a fatal collision with a civilian.

“The incidents you refer to certainly are very serious incidents. I think that it’s important for the public to keep them in context,” William Elliott told reporters yesterday, after his first speech to the influential Vancouver Board of Trade since being appointed 16 months ago. [Read more →]

(Canadian Press) Vancouver, B.C. - The civilian commissioner of the RCMP admits he faces an uphill battle as he tries to rebuild public trust, but he insisted Wednesday that Canadians still support the iconic national police force.

William Elliott said there are “significant challenges” that must be overcome if the RCMP is to enjoy the confidence of the public.

Chief among them, he said, is to ensure there is sufficient independent oversight of the force.
“As you all know we are an organization that is often criticized, sometimes that criticism is well-based, sometimes it is not,” Elliott told members of the Vancouver Board of Trade. [Read more →]