Is the RCMP having a problem?

[Figleaf]

In retrospect, one begins to notice a persistence of troubling problems arising from and within the RCMP. Here is a beginning of a list of things from recent memory. Does this constitute a troubling pattern?

-APEC pepperspray attack

-Maher Arar torture rendition

-Kafkaesque investigation of reporter Juliet O'Neill

-abortive, but destructive sniffing around Ontario Minister Greg Sorbarra

-two recent incidents of gun-toting rural nutcases getting the drop on officers in questionable circumstances

-convenient release of politically damaging letter vs. Ralph Goodale in the middle of the election

-blundering investigation of Mulroney's Airbus dealings

-failure of the Air India case

-mysterious deaths in RCMP custody (e.g. Ian Bush, Paul Alphonse)

- ...?

[geoffrey]

-APEC pepperspray attack

Completely Chretiens doing, this has been the known case for some time. The RCMP was answering to pressure from the PMO to suppress the students.

-Maher Arar torture rendition

Better safe than sorry.

-Kafkaesque investigation of reporter Juliet O'Neill

Blame that one on the JP that issued the warrant.

-abortive, but destructive sniffing around Ontario Minister Greg Sorbarra

Explain?

-two recent incidents of gun-toting rural nutcases getting the drop on officers in questionable circumstances

Out of respect to the officers, I'd tend to hesitate to speculate until further findings are announced. You have no idea what happened.

-convenient release of politically damaging letter vs. Ralph Goodale in the middle of the election

I can tell you that Goodale was guilty as shit in the case. It's only in government, especially with the former Liberals, that executives (Cabinet ministers) escape all responsibility for their departments. Insider trading, especially with policy secrets from the government, is definitely a charge that can and has in the private sector, moved up the chain of command. If the Finance department were a private company, people would be in jail. There was a release, the Brision e-mails showed it too (I still haven't figured out why the RCMP didn't pursue that further). If there is police incompetence here, it's that no one has served time.

-blundering investigation of Mulroney's Airbus dealings

Bah, Mulroney did nothing wrong. The government settled out of court for the defamation of Mulroney. They had no evidence and decided not to even bother trying to prove it in court. The settlement ended the issue.

-failure of the Air India case

That's more of a Charter of Rights v. Common Sense case.

-mysterious deaths in RCMP custody (e.g. Ian Bush, Paul Alphonse)

I don't know anything about the specifics, but when your dealing with the scum of society, many on drugs and alcohol, it's going to happen. I'm suprised the numbers aren't higher, I applaud the police efforts in dealing with these types of people.

--

The RCMP does a great job, of course it'll have a black eye or two when they do what they do. They are still renowned world wide and are hired to help foreign nations build their struggling police forces into accountable, community based organizations.

[Argus]

In retrospect, one begins to notice a persistence of troubling problems arising from and within the RCMP. Here is a beginning of a list of things from recent memory. Does this constitute a troubling pattern?

- ...?

Since the midpoint of Mulroney's reign the RCMP commissioiner has been a hand puppet for the PMO. It has gotten worse as the years went by. The current commisioner is a stooge and a lap dog without any sense of honour, integrity or ethics. The pepper spraying incident was merely an indication the RCMP would do anything the government of the day told them. Worse than the pepper spraying was when the PMO, in the person of Jean Carle, co-opted the RCMP into repeatedly harrassing Francois Beaudoin, the former head of the Business Development Bank. The RCMP tried their best to have him arrested on trumped up charges because the PMO was angry at him for making public Chretien's orders to loan money to a business acquaintance - who essentially gave the money to Chretien. There have also been strong allegations that political interference from Ujjal Dosanjh, the Liberals' prime Indian organizer in BC is behind the RCMP's failure to investigate the conspiracy to murder of a Sikh girl lured to her death in India. In addition, there have been repeated strong accusations of wrongdoing high within the RCMP, and then of investigations being blocked and delayed from the top. You don't have to go any further than the front page of today's Ottawa Citzen, where we read of an investigation into wrongdoing, nepotism and misuse of funds was delayed and blocked so thoroughly (including transferring the lead investigator) that by the time it was done the commisioner was able to announce, with crocodile tears in his eyes, that under the RCMP act too much time had passed to take action against the senior brass who had been accused.

That senior brass, incidentally, have all been given big bonuses, while their accusers have been demoted and transfered.

Zaccardelli, btw, is the recipient of one of the National Taxpayers Federation's "Teddy" awards.

Most Original Use of Leather in Public Service: RCMP Commissioner Guiliano Zaccardelli for spending $1,064 on ceremonial leather riding boots and $180,000 on executive office renovations including $30,000 on leather furniture and $42,000 in bathroom upgrades.

Zacardelli under fire

[watching&waiting]

I am no fan of the RCMP and I do know first hand about abusive power they use and how the little guy will never get justice. The corruption of our federal police force starts at the top and believe me it all flows down through the ranks to the very bottom. I at first thought that it was just an attitude they learned in training, but theft and coruption is at all levels and it runs deep and wide.

Even if the head of the RCMP is replaced he will have to do a major house cleaning if he wants to really change the way things are. We should take all the officers that have had trouble and send them to Afghanistan to help police over there where they will have to use the basic callings in everyday policing and then maybe they will see the error of their ways by the time they come back.

[geoffrey]

I can't believe the disrespect I'm hearing about the RCMP, it's very disturbing. My experiences with the RCMP in 3 different provinces have all been extremely positive, same with the OPP. What are you basing your 'dislike' of the RCMP on? Get a speeding ticket?

[Ricki Bobbi]

I don't know what is more Kafkaesque about the OP.

A failed attempt to point to a *pattern of abuse* consisting of 9 incidents over TWENTY ONE YEARS by the largest security organization in the country ...

---OR---

The use of the term kafkaesque in an example where it is so blatantly misapplied.

PS great response Argus.

[jbg]

The RCMP does a great job, of course it'll have a black eye or two when they do what they do. They are still renowned world wide and are hired to help foreign nations build their struggling police forces into accountable, community based organizations.

Exactly. I'd want to know how many transactions they're involved in vs. how many go bad. The NYC Police was similarly vilified for a long time during the Giuliani era, while crime was dropping like a stone.

[watching&waiting]

I can't believe the disrespect I'm hearing about the RCMP, it's very disturbing. My experiences with the RCMP in 3 different provinces have all been extremely positive, same with the OPP. What are you basing your 'dislike' of the RCMP on? Get a speeding ticket?

I will not make my reasons public, but a speeding ticket I would laugh at. Mine was a case where a private company paid for an investigation by the RCMP that was slanted back to what the private company wanted and actions taken from there. Even the trial judge admonished the RCMP for their behaviour and said they could easily be sued for it. But as life would have it I could no longer afford the expense and took a plea and $20,000.00 fine. The officers who did this when I spoke to them after laughed and said go ahead a sue us, you may see a penny or two after legal costs and I would be old as ready to die by the time it ended. So yes I think the RCMP are the best police force money can buy.

[Argus]

I can't believe the disrespect I'm hearing about the RCMP, it's very disturbing. My experiences with the RCMP in 3 different provinces have all been extremely positive, same with the OPP. What are you basing your 'dislike' of the RCMP on? Get a speeding ticket?

Who are you talking about? I have respect for the ordinary cop, but virtually none for the leadership of the RCMP - and I'm a cop supporting, military supporting conservative.

Zaccardelli has been a disaster for the force, and he and senior people like him need to be forced into retirement, pronto.

[Borg]

I can't believe the disrespect I'm hearing about the RCMP, it's very disturbing. My experiences with the RCMP in 3 different provinces have all been extremely positive, same with the OPP. What are you basing your 'dislike' of the RCMP on? Get a speeding ticket?

I am closely associated with the Gravel Road Cops.

The problems started with making the head of the RCMP a Deputy or Assistant Deputy Minister. It allowed the feds closer control over the organization.

I would say the RCMP have lost a great deal of their good public relations due to this. A good number of senior folks in the organization would likely agree if they could speak without fear of career damage.

Their shiny rep has been badly tarnished and deservedly so.

Borg

[Figleaf]

bye

Edited July 22, 2007 by Figleaf

[Gord]

I have a great deal of respect for the RCMP as a whole. But in his case I believe the officers in charge of this investigation should be put on trial and if found guilty should be imprisoned. It is pretty sad when the RCMP labels a 1 year old child as a terrorist. I wonder where they got their intel for that decision?

When you see what Arar went through because of some obvious incompetence. It is not enough to simply

reprimand or fire the individuals responsible.

[myata]

I agree there're some troubling signs of 1) political interference (e.g. leak investigation incident); 2) what looks like persistent failure to detect and investigate wrongdoings withing the force (Arar incident; that "pension fund" affair; recent episode with underage molestations accusations on which, again, the (pretty short) term allowed for internal investigation was missed); other episodes that periodically pop up in the news or TV; 3) culture of self preservation and inablity to adapt to modern times.

I also agree that most of the problems are emanating from the top brass and probably haven't reached the rank and file level, yet. But a major reform of the force is in order.