Mounties in Pacific Region Source of Most Complaints

Wednesday, December 30, 2009 04:22 AM

Prince George, B.C.- The RCMP in the Pacific region, (which includes B.C.’s “E” Division and the Yukon’s “M” Division) registered the most complaints over a given year.

The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, (CPC) has released its report on the number of complaints lodged in 2008 that were followed to completion by July of 2009. The CPC cannot say how many complaints may have actually been lodged with the RCMP during 2008 which may not have reached a conclusion before the July 2009 deadline and expects other final reports will continue to be filed well into 2010.

Based on the information received within the timeframe, the CPC has been advised there were 2,375 complaints lodged, but only 1,829 had reached a conclusion. That means, 23% of the complaints lodged in 2008 were still outstanding at the time the report was written.

The Pacific Region had the most complaints (814) representing 45% of the total. That is not to say there were more issues in “E” or “M” Divisions, rather this is the area with the largest number of members. The 814 complaints included 942 allegations.

The Northwest Region had 692 complaints (38%); the Central Region had 64 (3%); and the Atlantic Region had 259 (14%). Although the number of completed complaints received by the Commission increased in 2008; the distribution throughout the Regions remained consistent from the previous year.

From a regional perspective, the Pacific Region issued a Final Report in 39% of the cases, down from 41% in 2007 and also marginally below the Force average. Of the 942 allegations made, the ones most likely to be disposed of in this manner were "Improper Search of Premises" and "Improper Use of Force". However, when looking at the allegations that were supported and unsupported, it was discovered that only 8% of the total 925 allegations were supported. These supported allegations were most likely to be related to "Improper Attitude" (14% supported) and "Neglect of Duty" (10% supported); while allegations relating to "Improper Use of Firearms" (100% unsupported), "Driving Irregularity" (100% unsupported), "Mishandling of Property" (100% unsupported), and "Improper Use of Force" (99% unsupported) were most likely to be unsupported.

The Pacific region complaints were more likely to be lodged with the CPC than with the Mounties as 77% of the complaints were lodged with the CPC, and only 23% were lodged with the RCMP. In the Northwest, 60% of the complaints were lodged with the CPC, Central region saw 61% of the complaints were lodged with the CPC , and in the Atlantic region, 60% of complaints were lodged with the CPC.

The top three types of complaints in the Pacific region are:

1. Neglect of Duty 30%

2. Improper attitude 22%

3. Improper Use of force 12%

The report notes there are some problems with the final records sent to the Complaints Commission. Occasionally, the final reports were incomplete in that some documents were missing. The good news is that only 4% of the Pacific Region reports were considered incomplete compared to other regions.

The report also includes an examination of repeat complaints against the same member, however the CPC saysthat information is difficult to properly track as the same complaint may have been laid by a person who has made repeat complaints against the force. The CPC recommends the RCMP implement a national program whereby multiple complaints will be utilized as an "early warning" of potential conduct-related concerns with individual RCMP members.

The report makes eleven other recommendations, including:

Implementation of a proper data base to track public complaints so the Commission can accurately determine when complaints were lodged, how many have been lodged and where, the members involved and the nature of the complaint.
Some clarification on what constitutes “serious allegations” and when it is appropriate to informally resolve improper use of force complaints and when it is not and
Clarity on when it is appropriate to accept a withdrawal of a complaint of serious allegations and that the reasons for the withdrawal be clearly documented.

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Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 04:22 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Eagleone on December 30 2009 8:14 AM

I hear another unaccountable RCMP officer on the lose... knifed a fellow cop to death in Ottawa yesterday while on suspension from his RCMP duties for threatening a bishop with a knife in an earlier incident. One wonders what it will take to see an RCMP member held to the same standard of our law that the rest of us would be held to... they seem to be able to murder and face no consequences for their actions and that is not right in a constitutional republic of equal citizens. More shame on the RCMP this Ottawa incident brings IMO. Accountibility surely needs to become the order of the day with that organization and its members.

Posted by: uppercandian on December 30 2009 8:42 AM

Last i checked the mountie was charged with first degree murder! Sounds like accountability is coming. Mounties who get acquitted or criminal charges are only being held to the same standard as everyone else. I'm not sure if you are familiar with BC'S judicial system but it is a joke, it doesn't matter if your a cop or a regular joe, you are still likley to have a crown counsel looking for a "deal" and a judge who is terrified to send anyone to jail. For instance, everyone is horrified that the cop in the LMD who killed the kid on the motorcycle was not charged with impaired causing death and so they should be. The reality is that nobody in BC would have been charged with impaired because the cop and gone home prior to police attendance and drank alcohol. The mountie clearly knew what he was doing and so do many "civilians" in BC who constantly beat impaired charges over a number of technicalities. I think its unfair that eagleone would make a comment like he/she did on the slaying of the ottawa cop. The rcmp was in the process of firing the mountie as he appears to be suffering from some form of mental illness. Like everyone, the mountie is entitled to a process before he was officially removed. I read online that after the first incident where he pulled a knife on a preist that he had several sists removed from his brain, not sure if that was a cause but certainly should be taken into consideration.

Posted by: diplomat on December 30 2009 9:00 AM

"...constitutional republic..."

Perhaps a small point and I don't wish to nitpick, but it is quite important to me.

Canada is not a republic.

I wish it was...we could actually elect (!) our president and we would have an elected (!) upper and lower house instead of a bunch of political patronage appointees sitting in a senate.

Posted by: diplomat on December 30 2009 9:05 AM

BTW, I have had over many years only two highly aggravating encounters with RCMP officers. Both were shortly after (coincidentally) transferred out of town.

On all other occasions (when I needed help and advice) I received very professional and very polite attention.

Wish I could say the same for all other professions.

Posted by: Stompin Tom on December 30 2009 10:16 AM

In reality the RCMP are like every other group of people out there, they are after all human.

There are many good, and a few bad, unfortuantly the bad ones always get the press.

Posted by: kidar on December 30 2009 11:26 AM

It would be interesting to hear what our Attorney General/Solicitor General has to say about the statistics given, since he is an ex-Vancouver cop. When "Eagleone" speaks of accountability; maybe we as citizens should hear from the Commanding Officer of the Pacific region to hear how he will account for the statistics and why his men and women are reacting differently than other areas of the Country.

Posted by: MrPG on December 30 2009 12:18 PM

"The top three types of complaints in the Pacific region are:

2. Improper attitude 22%"

I love this. I'm sure the cops would file the same complaint against much of the public they have to deal with.

Posted by: An opinion on December 30 2009 12:35 PM

Look at this front a broader sense. How would you rate the RCMP on a scale of 1-10.
Now rate the media with the same scale. Most that I've spoken to give the media drastically lower rating... but the media is really the only source of our information. The media (in particular B C T V) use every opportunity to bash the police, not once or twice as they would most stories, but repeatedly. Each story being slanted to create a media hype. The full story is often left lacking but sells, sells, sells the news.

Most officers that I know will be the first to say they don't want any criminals, even officers who break the law to get away. They only ask that they be afforded the same Constitutional Rights afforded every other Canadian (like organized crime, the media or the person that stole your car).

Why were there more complaints in the Pacific Region? There are many reasons; more operational police officers here in the Pacific Region than anywhere else (except Ontario)in Canada. The love the Media has for the police. And that money motivates many of these complaints. Remember Police deal regularly in conflict and differences are bound to happen... right or wrong.

Just my opinion

Posted by: saywhat on December 30 2009 1:25 PM

Myself I have much respect for the average RCMP member,but you will always get bad people in any group,it doesn't matter wether it's police,priests,bikers or kinsmen.

The only real concern is how the ones that break the rules are dealt with.Lately that hasn't been done very well imo.Me I dont have the answer,I do think that all the bad press the RCMP is getting is just another nail in the coffin for the contract that comes up in 2012.

Posted by: frankgeorgeson on December 30 2009 1:37 PM

Talking of the contract maybe the Province of British Columbia and the City of Prince George should not renew the RCMP contracts.

With our own BC/City police force we would have more say in policy and procedures.

Ottawa can just take care of the Upper and Lower Canada Family Compact while the west drifts away.

Posted by: lmorge on December 30 2009 3:48 PM

Ha ha good luck on that one Frank.

Posted by: seamutt on December 31 2009 10:12 AM

Imagine a provincial police force headed by grimacing Gordo!

Posted by: Eagleone on December 31 2009 11:06 PM

Who says it would be headed by the premier? I'd rather see what kind of local force we could build that was more directly accountable to those they serve, than having some of the unaccountable mentally unbalanced employed by the RCMP on the other end of a tazer deciding who lives and who dies.

This isn't something you can compare to other occupations or write off as bad apples and bad media, or worse yet compare to the general public. They need to be held to a higher standard because they have control over the life and death of people they interact with... they have the ability to deploy deadly force often based on personal perceptions of the officer involved.

The police need to not only be held to a higher standard, but also percieve that they will be held to a higher standard understanding full well why it is that it should be that way. The 'I'm a cop so I'm better than you' is a dangerous perception and a red flag that should be recognized right away in that profession. Respect has always been a far more powerful tool than fear.