Nationally and Provincially Complaints Against RCMP Up

Wednesday, August 01, 2007 01:14 PM

Complaints against the RCMP are up, but not as high as they have been in the past.

The latest report from the RCMP Complaints Commission indicates complaints involving the RCMP increased over the previous year, but have not hit the 5 year high recorded in the year 2002 – 2003.

The report from Commissioner Paul Kennedy on the year April 1^st 2006 to March 31^st 2007, shows there were 998 General inquiries to the Complaints Commission, that is up slightly from the previous year when there were 979.

When it came to actual complaints lodged directly with the RCMP Complaints Commission, there were 920 in the year 06/’07 compared to 738 in the previous year. That is an increase of just under 25%. Commission Spokesman Nelson Kalil says the number only reflects those complaints which were lodged directly with the RCMP Complaints Commission.

More than half of the complaints originated from B.C.

Although there have been two high profile RCMP complaints cases over the past couple of years (the shooting deaths of Ian Bush and of Kevin St. Arnaud) Kalil says that is not likely the reason for the increase. Kalil says the graph of complaints over the past five years in this province shows ups and downs, so it is not likely those two cases had any significant impact.

Here are the B.C. numbers for the past five years. Keep in mind, these numbers only reflect the complaints lodged directly with the RCMP Complaints Commission

Year	Complaints Filed
‘06/’07	499
‘05/’06	378
‘04/’05	460
‘03/’04	375
‘02/03	510

Yesterday, B.C.’s Police Complaints Commission issued its report on municipal police forces in B.C. That Commission oversees activities of 14 municipal forces in the province, and does not handle any complaints against the RCMP. That report indicated there was a 35% increase in complaints involving municipal forces. There were 503 complaints filed against the municipal forces last year, up 35% over the previous two years. Despite reports in some media linking that report to the RCMP stats, there is no connection.

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Posted on Wednesday, August 01, 2007 01:14 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Andyfreeze on August 1 2007 1:59 PM

Completely irrellevant...when was the last time we actually heard of a complaint being accepted as the truth and the RCMP found at fault?
I am sure there must some examples but I haven't found any yet.

Posted by: REALIST on August 1 2007 2:41 PM

What would the point of issuing a complaint? We know that there is no accountability by the R.C.M.P. It would be like trying to get a malpractice suit decided by fellow doctors. Good luck. Best to keep your mouth shut lest you are identified for "special treatment".

Posted by: Gofaster on August 1 2007 2:51 PM

Historically anytime a police force has been high profile in the news, complaints are high as well.
Some may well be warrented and some most definitely aren't..
No I am not a police officer.
No I don't condone bad behavior on their side or anyone elses for that matter.
As for the above comments...
1st... you wont' hear the results of any complaints..ever heard of confidentiality of information....when you hear it only the bad or what someone perceives as bad.
2nd- "Special treatment" is only inflicted on those who really need it. Haven't seen any of that for a very long time either.

Posted by: Gofaster on August 1 2007 4:43 PM

were you one of those people who received that 1-800 number? or are you repeating that said by others?...
I have never had the problem you are refering to..ever!

Posted by: dgdiggler on August 1 2007 7:00 PM

Nope just an insider joke.

Posted by: editor on August 1 2007 7:31 PM

Note:
one comment has been removed, I know it was meant as a joke, however, the language was not appropriate.

Elaine Macdonald

Posted by: mib on August 1 2007 10:49 PM

I'am sure that some of these compliants, are fauls, but the one,s that are real, are they ever, investigated,and if they are, who investigates, the authority in carge, out side,investigors's, R.C.m.P., ARE peolpe to and subject, to human fautlse, as wew are all, but they tendn to but there life on the line

Posted by: mib on August 1 2007 11:04 PM

Ok, let's let the R"C"M"P, investigate thenselves, it worked for cn, ONLY WHOW
MANY DIED, R.C.M.P, will have better
track recourds, I,aM, SURE

Posted by: mib on August 1 2007 11:12 PM

Ok, let's let the R"C"M"P, investigate thenselves, it worked for cn, ONLY HOW
MANY DIED, R.C.M.P, will have better
track recourds, I,aM, SURE

Posted by: mib on August 1 2007 11:29 PM

Ok, let's let the R"C"M"P, investigate thenselves, it worked for cn, ONLY HOW
MANY DIED, R.C.M.P, will have better
track recourds, I,aM, SURE

Posted by: Gofaster on August 2 2007 6:29 AM

Well mib, it appears you have an axe to grind....
kewl...
to be sure you never have a complaint, never call them for help...that way they won't make a decision that is against your thoughts.

And yes like any organization I am sure they have their bad apples as well.
Are some of the investigators incompetant...or will they rule against the complainant, I am sure there are those too,
For the rest, they are doing a job, and as a whole I think they do a pretty good one considering what they are working with

Posted by: dgdiggler on August 2 2007 8:13 AM

Sorry elaine.

When complaints are investigated there are three decisions that can be made.

1) substantiated - where proof exists to corraborate the complainant's allegations.

2) unfounded - where no proof exists and there is evidence that the complaint may have been of a vexatious nature towards the member.

3) unsubstantiated - usually the case where it is the complainant's word against the member's and there is no proof to support either position.

Posted by: heidi1555 on August 2 2007 8:32 AM

"Although there have been two high profile RCMP complaints cases over the past couple of years (the shooting deaths of Ian Bush and of Kevin St. Arnaud) Kalil says that is not likely the reason for the increase. Kalil says the graph of complaints over the past five years in this province shows ups and downs, so it is not likely those two cases had any significant impact."

PPpppfffff no significant impact???? Maybe if Ian and Kevin could've made the complaints themselves the impact would've been more significant! This wasn't just "a roughing" up or "a kick to the head" this was death...done...final...gone forever.. No impact hey? Incidents like these two need to stop in order for the general public to have more respect for the law. I'm scared to see the curve in the graph next year or the year after.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on August 2 2007 9:07 AM

The RCMP continue to investigate themselves.
This is a practice that must stop if it is to be a fair and honest proccess.
Too much power corrupts as we know, and there are too few decisions that actually go against the RCMP.
And if that is not the case,then why is the public never told of these complaints unless charges are laid?
Let's face it,why would they find against themselves?
Not all these complaints filed are unwarranted,false, or without merit.
Is the general public really that stupid?
No, they are not.
The Ian Bush case is a classic example of exactly what is wrong with the system as it stands now, and yet nothing will be done to truthfully get to the bottom of it.
The RCMP and the political wonder boys we elect will do their best to see it fade away into oblivion.
Self-investigation by the RCMP has always been a point of contention and will continue to be in the future.
And rightly so.
It is wrong and it has to stop,but here's betting it won't!
Our only recourse is to nail those we elect on issues such as this, but even that may prove to be a waste of time.

Posted by: Buzz on August 2 2007 12:56 PM

I can't quite see how some can say the RCMP have "no accountability", when they are under intense public scruitiny, especially in the high profile cases. Also, using words such as "corrupt" as a sweeping generalization is utter nonsense. The RCMP have literally millions of contacts with the public every year, so they are bound to get some complaints, especially with the almost 100% negative situations they deal with. Of course there will be a few bad apples, as in any profession, but to suggest that the entire force is "corrupt" or "broken" is ridiculous. Gofaster's comments are excellent.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on August 2 2007 4:46 PM

So where exactly is this accountability for the RCMP?
They answer to no one,they tell the public nothing,outsiders don't get into the inner circle,and all decisions are made within the upper reaches of the RCMP elite.
Where is the public scruitiny?
It is these same elite who decide whether or not a complaint lives or dies, and if they police themselves,how are we to know if they are right?
The problem is not with the everyday front line cop,it is with the upper management calling the shots.
The junior memebers know what happens if you buck the system or the brass.
And if these guy's answer to no one,where is this so called accountability?

Posted by: heidi1555 on August 2 2007 9:19 PM

Accountability is slowly going 6 ft. under.

Posted by: trollunderthebridge on August 2 2007 9:58 PM

Lets see here, if you go about your daily business in a normal manner like 99% of the general public you usually never come into contact with the police and everything is hunky-dory.If you decide to get pissed and or high, and decide to act like a jackass and fight with the police well then too bad if things don't go your way.Despite what some who post here don't seem to get at all is that police have the means and the authority to utilize lethal force in the rarest of situations.There have been too many police funerals in the recent past.They have the right to protect themselves. For the thousands of contacts the police have every day with the public and they end up with 400 or so complaints a year.Not too shabby.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on August 3 2007 9:46 AM

Ben says this is a poorly investigated and presented article.
I can accept that, and I am not suprised.
Far too much of that around.
But that still does not change the accountability issue with the RCMP and police in general.
Police,any police, cannot and must not be allowed to investigate themself if the system is to be fair and just!
It has little to do with the actual number of complaints filed and more to do with what is right.
Why would ANY police force find themselves or their members guilty of something if they didn't have to and nobody could prove otherwise?
My own issue is not with the frontline members who I have a great respect for.It is with the conditions and guidelines they are forced to work under that cause the problems.

Posted by: Truth on August 4 2007 7:57 AM

The cop code of silence protects blue slugs who use excessive force. Only the morally bankrupt would indulge cop deceit. Perjury is sacramental to our worthless police services.

Each Canadian slug delivers:
1 conviction per unit per month
1 person jailed on conviction, per year

Wow! And some morons think we are getting their money's worth. Rely on yourselves; cops are useless.

Listen: do NOT post insulting replies, even if you are a waste of human flesh who feels empowered by puking invective.

Posted by: trollunderthebridge on August 4 2007 9:50 AM

Cut and paste, cut and paste, pick up my government cheque for doing nothing, more cut and paste of the same material. Quite the pattern you have going here.