(Editorial, The Labradorian) – RCMP officers have been plastered all over the news as questions rise about their conduct, use of force and policy surrounding investigation of RCMP members.
Now most of these officers haven’t been from a small town like Sheshatshiu, but that all changed on Nov. 6, when an officer fired a gun during the pursuit of a man who police allege stole their vehicle.
The incident that happened in Sheshatshiu is currently under investigation, and yes you guessed it – the RCMP is conducting the investigation.
Although this case was reported on by numerous media, it’s not the latest investigation being conducted into the RCMP. Last week an investigation was launched into assault allegations made against a Happy Valley-Goose Bay RCMP officer. The case is currently under investigation.
This year two more cases involving RCMP officers surfaced in Labrador. In May 2009 a Nain RCMP Constable was accused of assaulting and forcibly confining a local woman from that community and in January 2009 a Nain RCMP Sergeant was investigated for allegedly driving while impaired.
With all these investigations and public outcry about the actions of the RCMP and RCMP investigating its own, it’s about high time something change.
The RCMP investigating itself is ludicrous. In order for the public to feel comfortable with the outcome of the investigation, it has to be conducted by an agency outside the RCMP.
Paul Kennedy, chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, spent 19 months studying how police investigated itself and the actions of its officers.
He examined 28 cases involving death or serious injury in which Mounties investigated themselves and found there were no national guidelines governing RCMP internal criminal investigations.
Kennedy said in his report that because there was no national, centralized co-ordination of member investigations, no one can tell you how many members have been investigated for serious injury, sexual assault or death nor can they identify how many charges have been laid against their members nor what the outcome was.
The report identified several inappropriate patterns in case files. Twenty-five per cent of primary investigators personally knew the member being investigated. A sole investigator was assigned, in 60 per cent of the cases, putting the investigation at risk for potential conflict of interest or perception of bias.
In almost one-third of the cases, the primary investigator was of the same or lower rank as the subject officer, creating potential for intimidation.
Numerous high profile cases, in which the RCMP showed questionable ability to conduct neutral investigations of its own members, has led to the embarrassment and detriment of the publics perception of the RCMP.
Such cases as Kevin St. Arnaud, Ian Bush and the infamous Robert Dziekanski, has left the RCMP tarnished.
Ian Bush, 22, was killed by an RCMP officer while in police custody at the Huston, British Columbia detachment in October 2005.
Ian had been arrested at a local hockey arena for drinking outside the arena and giving a false name to officers.
An alleged altercation between the RCMP officer and Ian took place in an RCMP interview room and Ian was shot.
An internal RCMP investigation into Ian’s death, ruled that the officer acted in self-defence although the evidence contradicted the officers version of what happened.
Kevin St. Arnaud, 29, was shot and killed by an RCMP officer while responding to a break-in at a pharmacy in Vanderhoof, BC.
An internal RCMP investigation into Kevin’s death cleared the officer of any criminal charges, although the evidence contradicted the officer’s version of what happened.
In 2007 Robert Dziekanski was tasered to death by four BC RCMP officers at the Vancouver International Airport.
BC Criminal Justice reviewed the evidence and decided not to lay any charges against the RCMP, although a videotape of the incident showed the officers used extreme force.
Ontario has an independent Special Investigations Unit to handle investigations involving police.
According to its website, the unit is a civilian law enforcement agency with a consequence-based jurisdiction to conduct criminal investigations. The SIU investigates incidents involving the police and civilians that have resulted in a serious injury or death.
Now doesn’t that make perfect sense, having an independent body conduct investigations?
It’s about high time the RCMP follow suit and implement such a change.
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