Douglas Quan (National Post/Postmedia News) – RCMP recruiters are making a big push into Canada’s ethnic and minority communities after the force’s senior managers set unprecedented diversity “benchmarks” last month.
The benchmarks call for new recruits to consist of 30 per cent women, 20 per cent visible minorities and 10 per cent aboriginals.
Recruiters across the country are reaching out to those groups through new print, television, radio and Internet ads in no fewer than 10 different languages, including Arabic, Portuguese, Ukrainian and Hindi.
In the Pacific region, recruiters have teamed up with a Vancouver Chinese-language TV station to run a series of three-minute segments highlighting careers within the RCMP.
The force is sending its members to community events, such as aboriginal basketball or women’s hockey tournaments, to talk to potential recruits.
They’re also holding information sessions targeting specific groups, such as Edmonton’s Islamic community or Toronto’s Filipino population.
Some recruiters are also planning to do more outreach to high school students.
“The Canada of tomorrow is going to be a diverse place. We need to reflect Canada,” said Insp. Allen Williamson, acting director of the RCMP’s recruiting program.
According to RCMP data, the force is currently made up of 20% women, 7.5% visible minorities and 7.9% aboriginals.
Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, a frequent critic of the RCMP, said he applauds the new benchmarks, and suggested that one way the force could enhance diversity is by offering monetary bonuses to officers who bring in quality minority and female candidates.
A position paper co-authored by Mr. Kenny earlier this year noted that hiring more minorities would enhance pride among those groups and strengthen their support for law enforcement.
“The RCMP is a national institution. It should be moving more quickly to reflect the face of Canada in a manner with which all Canadians can identify,” the paper said.
“Visible minorities whose families have come from countries where police are seen as brutal or corrupt may deem policing to be a lousy career option, although surely this reluctance will fall always in succeeding generations.
“Outreach to those communities should accelerate that process.”
Mr. Kenny said one thing that troubles him, however, is the fact that the overall number of new officers the force has set out to hire in the past couple of years has plummeted.
During the 2008-09 fiscal year, the force hired close to 1,800 officers nationwide and said in news releases that it hoped to hire that many each year for the next five years.
But this fiscal year, the recruitment goal dropped to 567.
“It’s totally an issue of money,” Mr. Kenny said.
Mr. Williamson insists the force readjusted its hiring target because of decreased demand from its contract partners and because the attrition rate slowed.
Mr. Williamson acknowledged recruiters are trying to dispel the myth that the employment equity benchmarks have somehow led to a lowering of standards or preferential treatment.
“The answer to that is an emphatic, ‘No,’ ” he said.
How about directed at any person who has “good morals & think straight and act right” Why just the farmers progeny? Do they have better moral fiber?
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The drive should really be directed to farmer’s sons and daughters accross Canada who can show a good upbringing, good morals & think straight and act right.
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Policy,
Farm boys and girls are not going to solve the problems. The below quote is more to the point:
“We trained hard. But it seemed that every time that we were beginning to form into teams , we would be reorganized.
I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing. What a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization”.
Satyricon
Calvin Lawrence
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Good point Calvin, the farm boys and girls won’t solve the problems. This isn’t directed at you Calvin, but I would like to know how Mr. Kenny’s idea’s will?
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“The Canada of tomorrow is going to be a diverse place. We need to reflect Canada,” said Insp. Allen Williamson, acting director of the RCMP’s recruiting program, and Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, a frequent critic of the RCMP, said he applauds the new benchmarks
Next they will be training 911dispatcher to ask callers to identify their preference in what officer arrives at your door. Will drivers require a bumper sticker on their car advising the traffic cop behind you if you are a woman, native, black, yellow or white, also if your straight, gay or a lesbian.
What Canada needs are the best police officers in the country showing up at your door doing a job that requires the best trained personnel in the country; not meeting quotas for politician’s looking for votes? Enough said!
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There is nothing wrong with a recruitment drive if you maintain high standards and do not pander to a particular group. If everybody is treated equally with respect to their “qualifications” and those qualifications are not linked to race, gender or anything but suitability, you will have desirable persons in your organization.
There were issues when the RCMP waved a magic wand and made all special constables into regular members. Obviously no corporate memory on that one. You mention the “bilingual bonus”, which in Pumpwater Saskatchewan, was a joke. That was part of the ‘franconization’ of the government ranks. That and the ‘native positions’ where officers are not deducted income tax, are divisive policies.
Its all part of the government political meddling with the RCMP, and it is unacceptable. When the RCMP was having difficulties with the Doukhobors in the Province of BC, many members that spoke the language or similar language were transferred to the ‘Duke Squad”. No special allowances, no special treatment. So what is next for today? If a Chinese speaking member of the RCMP is asked to do some translation with a complainant, are they to be compensated extra for this ability?
Some persons bring unique abilities to an organization that as a whole make it stronger and more effective. There should be no extra compensation in any organization based on ethnicity or unique talents. If everybody is treated equally, there is no basis for issues.
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Yes, a lot of wands like to get waved. Makes people feel important I guess…
For years members in crap holes have also complained that they should get more money for living where they live, the workload and shift work than someone who sits behind a desk at HQ. But, not much you can do about this. It is like that everywhere else as well.
My attitude about the whole language thing is Canada has 2 founding nations. If you don’t speak the language, than don’t come here. They should be learning our language, not the other way around.
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“Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, a frequent critic of the RCMP, said he applauds the new benchmarks, and suggested that one way the force could enhance diversity is by offering monetary bonuses to officers who bring in quality minority and female candidates.”
First off, define “Quality”. This more likely means speaks more than one language and has some initials after their name, rather than someone who can do the job.
Also, if someone brought in Sam Steele himself they wouldn’t get a dime. But, bring in someone is useless on the street, and isn’t even a Canadian Citizen,they are worth money.
Does Anyone else see what is wrong with this?
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I need to correct the last comment. At one time the force would accept those with landed immigrant status. You have to be a Canadian citizen now.
I was also thinking, what if 2 minorities are working side who were brought in by serving members. One of the officers got a bonus for bringing in a quality person, the other didn’t. What is the new recruit whose reccomender didn’t get a bonus didn’t get a bonus think when the system tells them they are not “quality”. This will create resentment amongst the visible minority and female ranks. Will this also politicize the process?
The bilingual bonus idea was bad enough for morale, I really feel this idea is going to create a lot more strife in the ranks. I think Colin Kenny needs to get the tinfoil off his head and get with the real world.
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Let the resentment begin!!!!!
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“I think all this means is that they are having trouble recruiting bottom feeders so now they come out with a conscience decision to recruit minorities. Look out Joe.”
You are going to have to explain that one RMR, it makes no sense.
Well Calvin, I think you will have to wait for the overall mindset of the Commissioned ranks to change. There have been several regressive steps in that corridor in the past number of years that have cordoned off those levels from progress. One is their exclusivity of choice in selection, another is a restriction of perks such as lieu time removal as an example of creating an esoteric outlook. Another is the fact that no member of the Commissioned ranks has ever been “fired”. Asked (forced) to resign, yes, but you cannot “fire” an officer. Although the new officer development process gives the illusion of progress, capable persons languish on the “list”. Officers are expected to be “on board” with upper management decisions regardless of their personal views. No room for healthy debate.
Its one of the prices to be paid for being halfway paramilitary and corporate in the same group.
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I think all this means is that they are having trouble recruiting bottom feeders so now they come out with a conscience decision to recruit minorities. Look out Joe.
I think CL you can forget the conscience bothering the upper management of the force regarding their positions in the force.
No offence meant here and I wish it wasn’t true but that feeder frenzy level seems to be reserved in Ottawa for whites only, sorry!! Maybe someday but not today.
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The benchmarks call for new recruits to consist of 30 per cent women, 20 per cent visible minorities and 10 per cent aboriginals.
Article
I am a 7th Generation Black Canadian.
I was in the Police Environment from 1969 until 2006.
I have been involved and consult on Police /Race Relations since 1970.
Will the above percentages be applied to the rank of Inspector, and up?
Perhaps Mr. Kenny would like to address that question?
Potential recruits note what they see in relation to “Diversity “when viewing the make up of upper management in the RCMP.
Recruits look for people that look like them in the Commissioned Officer Ranks. The same statements being made now were being made in the 1960’s.
Today potential RCMP recruits do not have the illusion of full inclusion.
Does the below statement apply to “educating” potential RCMP recruits and the public regarding this topic?
”Powerful people never educate powerless people in what they need that they can use to take the power away from powerful people;
it’s too much to expect. If I was in power, I would not educate people in how to take my powers away.”
Dr. John Henrik Clarke
Calvin Lawrence
CGL Consulting
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