Jessica Hume (Toronto Sun) – The top Mountie in charge of cleaning up the national force has found himself in a mess of trouble for using on-duty officers as his honour guard at his wedding.
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson reimbursed taxpayers the $912 – which represents wages for the eight Mounties in official dress – after learning the honour guard was plucked from duty to attend the Aug. 16 wedding in Ottawa.
Members of an honour guard are supposed to be off-duty while performing.
“I would like to apologize to the members and to Canadians,’ Paulson said in a statement released after hearing the members were indeed on-duty.
“I will reimburse $912 to the Receiver General as this amount represents the three hours of work of these eight constables.”
RCMP spokesman David Falls said Paulson had “asked the corps sergeant major to seek some volunteers to act as an honour guard; this is not unusual for a member’s wedding. He was not consulted on their duty status.”
Leo Knight, a former Vancouver police officer and security expert, believes it isn’t the honour guard that is at issue.
“I had one at my wedding,” he said.
Nor does he see the fact the members were on-duty as overly problematic.
“Guys would be honoured to do it,” he said.
For Knight, the most confounding element is Paulson’s handling of it.
“Paulson has nothing to apologize for,” Knight said. “When he should apologize on behalf of the RCMP – like with those photos and the sergeant in Coquitlam – he doesn’t. When he is challenged by a member, he attacks that member. And when he has nothing to apologize for, he does.
“I wouldn’t say he’s incompetent, but I certainly question some of his decisions.”
In June, a 30-year RCMP veteran sent a letter to Paulson blasting his conduct and tarnishing the reputation of the institution.
Tim Killam, a retired deputy commissioner, defended Paulson.
“Normally you wouldn’t use on-duty members for something personal (such as a wedding). But as for why he’d apologize, I don’t know.”
[Source]
Canadians need to see some change from TOP to BOTTOM and most likely a direction change in the MIDDLE in the thinking part, it’s a mess.
An organization is only as strong as its weakest link.
How is it possible that the RCMP Musical ride is privately funded but Canadians are somehow footing the bills too. If the red serge is an RCMP symbol of pride for them and a moral builder may I suggest that they put the disgraced officers in those uniforms and call the CBC to do a story at a children’s event to see what kind of public response they get.
It’s all crap.
Fix it and stop with the PR the con jobs.
I respect Monty Halls view but I am going to look at it from the other side. In my view, I have no problem with members showing up wearing the red serge showing the colors, whether they are on duty or not. Most members put on the serge on their own time, or in other words, on a voluntary overtime basis. I always found it to be a nice break to put on the uniform and see someone excited about taking a picture with a Mountie in full colors. I don’t recall anyone wanting to take my picture when I showed up at a domestic in my regular uniform.
The force is in crisis, and one way to fix a problem is face it head on, members wearing the serge, getting dressed up will shows Canada that we are still proud to wear the uniform at any event. It’s great PR and show’s Canadians you can be proud in the face of all the controversy the media is having a field day with. However the following quote
“RCMP spokesman Corporal David Falls said the eight officers were members in training from the Musical Ride branch who volunteered to be at the wedding. “These duties were performed voluntarily at the end of their workday,” Cpl. Falls said in an e-mail.
Why lie about it, will you never learn, if you had just said yes the members were on duty, the media might have said something about it but lie about the truth, now it just adds more miss trust and the media loves it.
Another quote I have a problem with is the statement by Tim Killam, quote “Tim Killam, a retired deputy commissioner with the RCMP, pointed out the officers pulled in for wedding duty were performing a ceremonial role in their regular day jobs in the first place, and that RCMP officers regularly show up at sporting events and other public forums as part of their assigned duties to “do little more than stand upright and look iconic”. This is a belittling statement.
Killam could have quantified that statement differently or is what he thinks of the boys when the wear the uniform. This is exactly the P.R. the force needs right now, not another patronizing account by a retired officer who doesn’t know any better. These members earn the right to wear this uniform and don’t ever say that they do little more than stand upright and look iconic, for most of them it a break from their regular duties of long hours and little recognition from upper management like Killam.
To wear the uniform and have people smile at you is one of the great rewards members get out of wearing the serge. By the way, where was Killam and Falls in the photo?
Does anyone really want to hear the opinion of a retired D/Comm. Naturally D. Comm. Tim Killam (retired) is going to defend Paulson. They think privilege comes with their position, and who are any of us to question their actions or thinking. They act as if they are celebrities and surround themselves with yes men to have their egos stroked on a daily basis.
I know Leo Knight and have nothing personal against him, but I disagree that Paulson had nothing to apology for. The buck needs to stop with him and I have a hard time believing that Paulson had no knowledge that the members were not on their own time. There is no reason we should believe Cpl. Falls. He has already been caught in his lies to defend Paulson. Lets remember this was not a public function to promote the RCMP, this was a very personal and private function to promote Paulson at his wedding.
The Sgt. Major should be demoted. If any of us had made arrangements and pulled a stunt like this, we would be mopping ourselves off the floor when they were done with us.
I am lead to believe that these 8 Mounties are fairly junior, and are newish to the Musical Ride. So when a Sgt. Major approaches these members, how much choice does anyone think they really had. I would say “volun-told”. There is nothing democratic in the RCMP.
They just don’t get it. Actions really do speak louder than words.