I would think that one of the advantages of having a true City of PG police force would be that the retention rate of members at wahtever level, but especially at the top, would be much higher.

I also think that it would be beneficial to have people in a community police force know the community and the people within it to improve effectiveness.

How much is it costing us to have to put people through these continuous learning curves, both in dollars as well as effectiveness?

The RCMP is a NATIONAL "company" that happens to have a contract to be the police in this community. I get the feeling at times like these that the client is simply not as important as the "company". The RCMP is not a COMMUNITY "company". I think we need a COMMUNITY "company".

TY gus....

I see a lot of chiefs?? lets put it to a reefer-rendum..4 our own force Yea!!

Amen Gus.

She is relatively young and to her its all about climbing up the ladder. The rcmp just made an aboriginal chief superintendent an assistant commissioner dealing with aboriginal policing in saskatchewan.

One finds that once they get into management any loyalty they have to the home town where they got their white shirts is limited.

Right on Gus. But I think common sense like that will happen when pigs fly.

"She is relatively young and to her its all about climbing up the ladder."

That is understandable. If we had a chjoice in the matter, however, I would think any reasonable person would not hire an individual like that in the first place.

My post is not meant as a criticism of her, it is meant as a criticism of the system with the intent of trying to improve it.

At least two ways of doing that, in my opinion.

1. Develop a municipal police force and say good by to the RCMP from that point of view. The local force would still work with them in cooperation of those crimes which are provincial and national in nature, the same way as a Vancouver Police force does. In other words, we would be part of a truly "integrated" system.

2. Re-organize the way the RCMP provides services to municipalities with special attention being paid to transfer and local retention policies and procedures. That should include something like a local police commission which would have a joint say, with the RCMP E Division, in the organization of the local force.

Women were meant to have babies and nurture them into adults. The modern women want to be men as well as women and it isn't working.

This isn't about women, aboriginal officers, or ambitious officers. It is an explicit policy of the RCMP to move officers around every few years. If that's counterproductive, maybe the overall policy should be changed.

"Women were meant to have babies....."

At the moment, they are still the only ones who do ...... except for Schwarzenegger .... :-)

"... and nurture them into adults."

Some still do, although more and more of that is being done by formal and informal individuals and groups in the community, just like in the clans of old .....

"The modern women want to be men as well as women ....... "

Maybe they just want to be people with less restricted options ..... freedom!!!

".... and it isn't working."

We are still adjusting ..... it does not happen overnight. It takes some of us longer than others .... :-)

Wow, some of you folks are something else...
The beauty about being young is that you have not been indoctrinated into the "Old School" even if you are in the RCMP.
Brenda Butterworth Carr has made it her mission in life and career to step outside of the box and not be in the "Old Boy's Club". No I am not in the RCMP but I have seen the magic this woman has woven into our community and most importantly into her staff...those have chosen to accept her guidance and wisdom.
People who don't know her can criticize and speculate that she was promoted to her post in Ottawa because she is aboriginal and a woman...
But these comments would come from people who are bitter and disillutioned. (And burnt out).
Superintendent Brenda Butterworth Carr has worked very hard for the Higher Good and she has earned every gift that is coming her way. I wish her the best because she deserves it!

"It is an explicit policy of the RCMP to move officers around every few years."

Precisely!!! I know that and that is why I made my comment. In this particular case we are seeing it loud and clear.

In my opinion it is great for the individual as well as the morale in the force, but counterproductive for the client municipality.

I think it is high time that whole policy is reviewed. We are not the only community that is affected by such turnover in staff no matter at what level.

From the "Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP" I will not post the link here because some believe me to be truthful when I write **smile**.

Quote: "Within the police community, there are varying levels of awareness of diversity issues and varying levels of skill in dealing with them. Certain realities face today's RCMP: a high number of new recruits, A HIGH RATE OF TURNOVER, a high number of baby boomers retiring, experienced members leaving the force for a variety of reasons, and a lack of resources have resulted in the INADEQUATE MENTORING OF NEW MEMBERS, understaffing of detachments, and MORALE ISSUES."

Those are not my words. They are from the upper reaches within the RCMP themselves.

Those are not good indicators for the delivery of services based on good practices principles to a client.

Congratulations Brenda for being recognized by your piers. Seriously, can you really blame her, this is once in a lifetime opportunity.

I do not know all the politics about the RCMP in our town, but I think the downtown is a better place, because of the presence of the guys/gals walking the beat.

I think her fresh outlook on the way policing should be done, needs to be kept moving forward with whoever out next superintendent becomes.

Would I support a city police force. I don't think we are capable of supporting one. The presence of the RCMP is still required even if we do. We need a policing system for the outlying areas. This will increase the burden on the Regional District.

She has worked magic eh danakamura? Since her taking of the reigns of the city detachment prince george has become the most violent city in canada. Wasn't MS Carr on the hwy 16 woman's task force? Any news there?

She is a woman and she is first nations. It is a perfect opportunity for the rcmp management to show good publicity.

I've read the Brown commission report and believe me, RCMP management doesn't want to change a thing....and just about the only thing that has changed is that the members do not have to wear ties with their long sleeve shirts anymore....yay!

What about better uniforms? Better equipment? Do you know that the bulletproof vests given to the rcmp members are inferior quality?

Many municipal forces are way better equipped and for that reason alone a change to a muni force would be nice, however there is no way the city could afford it.

The cost per resident ranges around $280 in PG. That is the same order of magnitude as the average cost of the 11 municipal police forces in the province. There will be no appreciable change from the cost perspective. However, I think there will be an appreciable change from the accountability point of view.

Our own police force will ,live, shop and stay here .Not like these transients we get here..they don't even no where this place is when they leave there skooling behind..let alone find their own butts with both hands......
And yes we can support our own police force.

BBC has done a remarkable job in networking and partnering the RCMP with community agencies. The working relationships that were created have been awesome. This is the magic I was mentioning earlier Imorge. I can't comment on the issues you brought up because I am not in the RCMP. From a community perspective BBW picked up where Dahl Chambers left off. There has been enough negative publicity about Dahl, but again from a community perspective, Dahl Chambers also did a great job in working with community agencies in a number of areas. There is tons of work that has been done and continues to be done behind the scenes by upper management RCMP that is not recognized. These efforts have served our community well.

I meant BBC (Brenda Butterworth Carr) not BBW.

Dahl Chambers has forgotten more police work than the current police chief has ever known ! How can a white English male from Cape Breton compete ? She gave about one year as a stepping stone and Chambers was a member of this community for 9 years. I wonder what she would have been in 5 years ? Ottawa is a good place her! Don't let the door hit you on the way out !