The force’s watchdog has issued over 160 negative findings this fiscal year. The RCMP now claims to have resolved its backlog of public complaints and is in the process of implementing guidelines from its watchdog agency, but some of the complainants are no longer in existence to see the results.
Hundreds of public complaints regarding RCMP action are investigated by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (CRCC) each year, ranging from charges of inappropriate behaviour to mishandled investigations.
When a public member complains about how Mounties treated them, the complaint is investigated first by the local detachment. If the individual is dissatisfied with the RCMP’s conclusions, they can refer the case to the CRCC for further investigation.
When the watchdog is dissatisfied with the RCMP’s initial actions, it submits a summary to the RCMP commissioner for consideration. The CRCC’s final report will be completed and issued only when RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and her team respond to the watchdog’s results and suggestions.
Hundreds of those reports have been on hold for years, awaiting the commissioner’s answer. So far this fiscal year, the oversight body has completed more than 160 “adverse” findings, which are reports that come to undesirable conclusions for the RCMP.
One of the studies indicated that the RCMP did not conduct a thorough investigation into a teen’s sexual assault, while others revealed that persons were detained without probable cause. Even though the fiscal year isn’t over yet, the number of adverse reports completed this year far outnumbers the 78 negative findings in 2020-2021 and the 24 the previous year.
Source: CBC News
