Report Released on RCMP Complaint Process

By 250 News

OTTAWA, - Paul E. Kennedy, Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC), has released his findings and recommendations related to the Commission's first ever analysis of the RCMP's performance in the public complaint process, entitled Review of the RCMP's Public Complaint Records - 2007.

"The Commission is the custodian of the entire complaint process on behalf of the Canadian public.  We are currently looking at a model where the RCMP handles over 90 percent of public complaint investigations," said Mr. Kennedy.  "We want to ensure public trust in the integrity of the complaint system.  This report provides national and regional perspectives on overall RCMP performance as we strive to improve transparency and accountability and bring uniformity to the complaint process across the country."

The report examined all public complaint decisions authored by the RCMP in 2007.  It looked at such issues as the timeliness in processing complaints, the appropriateness of investigation findings, variations in procedures within the RCMP across Canada, in particular Northern and remote areas, the misclassification of allegations, the unusual number of complaint withdrawals and the inappropriate informal resolution of complaints.

Key recommendations made by Mr. Kennedy in the report include the following:


*   That the RCMP improve the tracking of public complaints and that all divisions and detachments provide the Commission a copy of all complaints that are filed directly with the RCMP in the first instance.


*   That the RCMP appropriately train its complaint investigators and adjudicators and that any existing manuals be immediately updated to ensure a standardized national approach to the treatment of public complaints.


*   That the RCMP commit to improving its service standards by reducing wait times for the investigation and resolution of public complaints.

The study found that a total of 3,104 allegations were made against the RCMP and its members in 2007.  The most common complaint allegations as identified by the RCMP were Neglect of Duty (29%), Improper Attitude (20%) and Improper Use of Force (13%).


The full report can be found on the CPC website at
http://www.cpc-cpp.gc.ca<blocked::http://www.cpc-cpp.gc.ca/prr/rep/rev/chair-pre/cic-cew-ai-090115-eng.aspx>.

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