RCMP Watch

Dan Leger (The Chronicle Herald) - Are the Mounties finally changing their ways? Has the storied but sullied force actually learned its lessons, painful as they’ve been? Let’s hope so. Canadians have the right to expect change for the better in their federal police.

The past few years’ headlines must have been brutal for thousands of serving and retired officers, men and women who served their country well. They’ve had to watch as reports about corruption, abuse of power, brutality and violations of civil liberties dragged their good name through the mud.

But it’s more than a public-relations fiasco. Bad management and incompetent leadership have literally killed members. Officers have been lost at least partly because of poor training and supervision.

The rot runs deep. Last year, commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli retired in disgrace over the force’s problems and his inability to tell the truth to Parliament, mostly about the Maher Arar affair. His departure marked the low point in the force’s recent history.

But there have been many other problems, people who died in RCMP custody, fraud in the force’s pension plan, allegations of discrimination and incompetence.

There are signs that the Mounties are responding, however tentatively. And it’s starting here in Nova Scotia.

Last week in Digby, assistant commissioner Ian Atkins, the force’s commanding officer for Nova Scotia, apologized publicly for the actions of his fellow Mounties. He apologized to the people of Digby for years of systemic racism and brutality against African Nova Scotians and others by members of the Digby detachment.

Atkins was saying sorry for the behaviour of a rogue officer and some like-minded thugs in red serge, who harassed female co-workers and insulted and assaulted members of minority groups.

Admitting that a thorough investigation had verified a multitude of complaints, Atkins tried to make amends.

“I’m disappointed and I’m embarrassed,” he said in the story reported by The Chronicle Herald’s Brian Medel.

“I don’t condone, I cannot condone, activities or words that would be found to be offensive to you, to the black community, and the residents of Digby and I know that words were used that were offensive.”

That’s putting it mildly, chief.

Two former employees, both women, told investigators that the detachment’s former commander, Staff Sgt. Wylie Grimm, made many insulting remarks about them, touched them and degraded them. Witnesses said he directed racist comments at a black constable.

Atkins didn’t mention the many other allegations of serious misconduct by members of the Digby detachment. A convenience store’s video cameras captured two Mounties sucker-punching then pummeling a black customer for no reason other than his attitude.

In 2005, a mentally disturbed man, Paul Saulnier, was tackled by several Mounties and died after multiple shots from a Taser stun gun.

Locals in Digby say black drivers are pulled over far more often than whites, committing the crime of “driving while black.”

So Atkins’ apology is timely. His courage in doing so is to be applauded, because you can bet it happened over protests from Mounties who still advocate the “never apologize, never explain” policy.

Yet the apology, while significant, is not enough. Staff Sgt. Grimm was allowed to retire and didn’t face a code of conduct hearing, the RCMP equivalent of a court martial. We can only assume he retired with his full benefits. And officers who were quietly transferred didn’t face any real repercussions for their behaviour during the dark years that Grimm ran the detachment.

But let’s try to be positive and look forward. A day after Atkins’ statement, the RCMP launched a new diversity program, one that is long overdue.

It’s being launched in Digby and eventually will spread across Canada. RCMP officers will learn to understand the cultures and identities of Canadians of all races and ethnic backgrounds. The program is managed by Cpl. Craig Smith, whose book about bias in the Mounties, You Had Better be White by 6 a.m., was based on his own experiences and those of other black Mounties. He knows whereof he speaks.

In a country where ethnic diversity is a fact of life, it’s high time the Mounties rooted out bad officers and trained the good ones to be better. The credibility of the RCMP depends on it.

Just as important, the Mounties won’t be able to defend the country against terrorism or external threats if they can’t understand the people behind them. For pretty much everyone in Canada, the 21st century has arrived. It’s time for the Mounties to get there too.