Ministerial Transition Binder, July 2023

Federal Policing

• Enforces federal laws; collects criminal intelligence; secures the borders; conducts international policing activities; and ensures the safety of critical infrastructure, major events, state officials, dignitaries and foreign missions.
• Prevents, detects and investigates transnational serious and organized crime, financial crime, cybercrime, and criminal activity related to national security.
• Operational priorities – financial crime; transnational serious and organized crime; foreign interference; ideologically motivated violent extremism; Canadian Extremist Travellers; cyber-enabled crime; border integrity.

Internal Services

• People, Resourcing and Transformation, Professional Responsibility Sector, Corporate Management and Comptrollership, Legal Services, Strategic Policy and External Relations, Audit and Evaluation, Reform, Accountability, and Culture.
• Support 24/7 policing operations across the country, the effective administration of the RCMP, and the advancement of the Government’s broader public safety agenda.

Specialized Policing Services

• Provides critical front-line operational support services in areas such as physical and technical surveillance, forensic analyses, firearms, criminal records, advanced police technology, the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre, intelligence, advanced and specialized training, leadership development and combatting online child sexual exploitation.
• Responsible for the stewardship and delivery of National Police Services – specialized police support services that are provided to the RCMP and Canadian law enforcement and criminal justice partners.
• Administration of the Firearms Act and related Regulations; Canadian Firearms Program.

Contract and Indigenous Policing

• Front-line policing services provided under contract to 8 provinces (excluding Quebec and Ontario), three territories, over 150 municipalities and approximately 600 Indigenous communities.
• General administration of justice, preservation of the peace, community policing and the prevention of crime.
• Priorities – Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, providing modern contract policing services, operational research, policy management and operational support thorough oversight, training and deployment of new tools and technology.

Divisions

The RCMP is organized into divisions, each led by a commanding officer:

RCMP Headquarters

Ottawa, Ontario

B Division

Newfoundland and Labrador

C Division

Quebec

D Division

Manitoba

Depot Division

Regina, Saskatchewan

E Division

British Columbia

F Division

Saskatchewan

G Division

Northwest Territories

H Division

Nova Scotia

J Division

New Brunswick

K Division

Alberta

L Division

Prince Edward Island

M Division

Yukon

National Division

Ottawa, Ontario

O Division

Ontario

V Division

Nunavut

Commissioner's mandate

Section 5(1) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act (RCMP Act) provides that, under the direction of the Minister, has the control and management of the Force and all matters connected with the Force.

Police independence

• The Commissioner is accountable to the Minister, but operationally independent
• The RCMP is free from direction or influence of elected officials when fulfilling its core law enforcement functions
• Individual police officers have discretion which, while not absolute, allows them to determine how they will enforce the law

Mandate

To prevent and investigate crime, maintain peace and order, contribute to national security, enforce laws, apprehend offenders, provide operational support to other police forces and protect designated officials

Mission

To preserve the peace, uphold the law and provide quality services in partnership with communities

Vision

A healthy, inclusive organization trusted by employees, partners and the public that keeps Canadians safe by consistently delivering exceptional policing services and continually striving to grow and improve

Fast facts

• $5 billion organization
• More than 3,300 buildings and 12,500 vehicles
• More than 31,000 employees
  • More than 19,000 regular members
  • More than 3,000 civilian members
  • More than 9,000 public servants
• More than 650 detachments
• 12 international peace operations
• 3 million annual occurrences
• More than 750 cadets entering RCMP training academy (Depot) annually

Review bodies

Activities of the RCMP are subject to regular review:

• Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
• RCMP External Review Committee
• National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians
• National Security and Intelligence Review Agency
• Independent investigative bodies in provinces and territories mandated to examine serious incidents involving police (for example, British Columbia Independent Investigations Office; Alberta Serious Incident Response Team; Manitoba Independent Investigation Unit; Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team; Serious Incident Response Team for Newfoundland and Labrador)

Operational priorities

• Serious and Organized Crime
• National Security
• Youth
• Indigenous Communities
• Economic Integrity

Organizational priorities

• Indigenous Reconciliation
• Federal Policing Transformation
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Recruitment and Retention
• Reform, Transformation, and Culture Change
• Preventing and Addressing Harassment
• Addressing Systemic Racism and Discrimination

Management Advisory Board

• Established by Government in 2019
• Mandated to provide the Commissioner with external advice on the management and administration of the RCMP
• Chair: Kent Roach
• 13 Board member positions; 7 currently filled (inclusive of Chair)

Four years in, the Board has provided advice and recommendations on issues such as modernization, internal governance, resourcing, and workplace issues. Specifically, they have provided critical guidance on the RCMP’s Cadet Training Program and the use of the Carotid Control Technique. The Board has also been instrumental in the development of the Independent Centre for Harassment Resolution.

Michael Duheme

Commissioner Michael Duheme, under the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, and direction of the Minister of Public Safety, has the control and management of the RCMP. This includes overseeing the delivery of front-line policing services in most provinces (except Ontario and Quebec) and all territories, law enforcement and investigative services to enforce federal laws, technology and support services to the broader policing community, and international policing duties.

Michael Duheme is honoured to serve as Commissioner of the RCMP. With more than 35 years as a police officer, he brings a wide range of policing experience to his current role.

Hailing from Chambly, Quebec, he began his career as a general duty investigator in New Minas, Nova Scotia. He has served in four provinces across Canada, and internationally on a Kosovo peacekeeping mission. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the RCMP's Emergency Response Team, a VIP personal protection officer and Operations Commander for the Francophone Summit.

In 2015, Commissioner Duheme was promoted to Officer in Charge of Parliamentary Protective Services, and he became the first Director of the Parliamentary Protective Service. With over 500 human resources under his command, he implemented strategies to facilitate integration among three organizationally distinct units.

In 2016, he became Commanding Officer of National Division, where he oversaw the conduct of sensitive and international investigations that impact Canada's national interests, as well as protective policing services in the National Capital Region. His duties also included leading the establishment of a dedicated cybercrime investigative team focused on combatting significant threats from transnational organized crime groups and threats to Canada's critical infrastructure.

Prior to his appointment as Commissioner in March 2023, he served as Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing. This core function of the RCMP includes investigating drugs and organized crime, economic crime, and terrorist criminal activity; enforcing federal statutes and securing Canada's border; conducting international capacity building, liaison, and peacekeeping; and ensuring the safety of major events, state officials, dignitaries and foreign missions.

Commissioner Duheme recognizes that the RCMP's employees are our best ambassadors. He remains steadfast in his commitment to support the active participation of every employee, to foster a positive work environment, and to promote innovative ideas to improve the RCMP.

With his strong sense of leadership, he remains fully engaged in furthering the RCMP's modernization goals, strengthening relationships with all partners and Canadians, and continuing to protect and support the safety of communities in Canada and beyond.

Kathy Thompson

Associate Deputy Minister, Chief Administrative Officer Kathy Thompson joined the RCMP on November 28, 2022.

Prior to joining the RCMP, she held senior executive positions in the Government of Canada including as the Executive Vice-President of the Public Health Agency of Canada, where she was responsible for providing policy and operational leadership in the management of COVID-19 public health border measures.

Prior to her role at Public Health Agency of Canada, Kathy was the Vice-President of the Strategic Policy Branch at the Canada Border Services Agency responsible for leading the agency's vision on modernization, and maturing its data transformation.

In 2013, she was the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Community Safety and Countering Crime Branch at Public Safety Canada working closely with the RCMP and law enforcement agencies. She spent 10 years in Executive roles at the Communications Security Establishment; and was part of the leadership team that established and stood up the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, contributing to the Government Canada's national security and other priorities.

Kathy began her professional career with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities working on community safety and crime prevention and other files.

She graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts in law and in psychology, with a concentration in Criminology.

Jodie Boudreau

The Deputy Commissioner of Contract and Indigenous Policing is responsible for overseeing delivery of local policing services in Canada's three territories and in all provinces except Ontario and Quebec. She and her team ensure a uniform level of service and consistent responses to operational issues that arise as a result of the RCMP's frontline policing responsibilities. They are frequently called upon to provide leadership to the broader public safety community to advance federal priorities, including providing culturally competent police services to more than 600 Indigenous communities.

Deputy Commissioner Jodie Boudreau joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1992 as a general duty police officer in E Division (British Columbia).

Her early career included working as a federal drug enforcement officer on Vancouver Island before continuing in general duty policing in the Lower Mainland.

Deputy Commissioner Boudreau also has experience as an undercover operator, was a member of the Tactical Troop, an Executive Officer, Critical Incident Commander, Assistant District Commander and Deputy Criminal Operations Officer.

In 2018, Jodie became the RCMP's Commanding Officer in Ontario (O Division) prior to assuming the role of Deputy Commissioner in 2023.

She has also served as Aide-de-Camp to Alberta’s Lieutenant Governor and is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Medal and the RCMP's Long Service Medal.

Mark Flynn

In April 2023, Mark Flynn was appointed to the position of Deputy Commissioner, Federal Policing. In his current role, he is responsible for both domestic and international operations, which includes National Security, Protective Policing, Federal Policing Criminal Operations, Intelligence & International, and Federal Policing Strategic Management.

Previous to his current role, Mark was the Assistant Commissioner responsible for the governance and oversight of the RCMP National Security and Protective Policing programs. This includes extensive collaboration with Government of Canada departments, domestic and international policing organizations, security and intelligence partners, and private sector in an effort to combat threats to Canada’s, and international partners’, safety and security.

Prior to taking on the Assistant Commissioner role, Mark was responsible for the RCMP Federal Policing Cybercrime and Financial Crime programs. He has over a decade of experience in covert electronic surveillance in support of all types of investigation including national security, transnational organized crime, and other serious crime investigations. He also has experience working as a frontline investigator in general duty policing and specialized investigative units where he was an investigator in a broad range of investigations.

Mark’s experience extends to policy work in legislative reform, the National Wiretap Expert Committee, delivery of training to police and prosecutors, and instruction and moderation of executive officer leadership training.

Bryan Larkin

Deputy Commissioner Bryan Larkin is responsible for Specialized Policing Services, a broad range of critical services that include the Canadian Firearms Program, the Canadian Police College, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada, the Information Management / Information Technology Program, Forensic Science and Identification Services, Departmental Security, and Technical Operations. His responsibilities also include stewardship for National Police Services, a suite of scientific, technological and police educational programs that support the broader Canadian law enforcement community.

Bryan joins the RCMP from the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) where he served as Chief since 2014.

Bryan's extensive police leadership experience includes serving as Chief of the Guelph Police Service, as Director at the International Association of Chiefs of Police and, most recently, as President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. In his previous roles, he's accessed and relied on Specialized Policing Services and gathered feedback from police agencies across Canada.

Bryan began his policing career in 1991 as a member of the Waterloo Regional Police Service, working as a front-line Constable assigned to Division #1 in Kitchener. Over the course of his career, he's held a number of progressively responsible positions including: Community and Media Relations; Special Assignments; Traffic Services; Human Resources, Recruiting; Media Officer; Executive Officer to the Chief of Police; and Superintendent of Central Division.

Alison Whelan

Alison has been with the RCMP since 2003, when she joined the Strategic Policy and Planning Branch as a policy analyst before taking on more senior-level roles, including acting as the Chief Strategic Policy and Planning Officer for an extended period of time. In 2013, Alison joined the RCMP's Federal Policing program where she was responsible for managing the policy development and analysis on national security, serious and organized crime, financial crime and cybercrime as Director General Strategic Policy, and later as Executive Director Strategic Policy and External Relations. In 2018, she was appointed Executive Director of National Security and Protective Policing – the first public servant to hold the position. Her most recent position was as Chief Strategic Policy and External Relations Officer.

Alison began her professional career at the Public Policy Forum, later joining the federal public service with her first position at the National Secretariat on Homelessness. A proud Newfoundlander, Alison holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and completed the Harvard Kennedy School's Senior Executives in National and International Security program.

Samantha Hazen

Samantha Hazen was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Financial Officer at Shared Services Canada in October 2020.

In 2000, she began her career in the public service with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada then joined Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada in 2004 and Correctional Services Canada in 2014. Throughout these appointments, she gained experience in audit, corporate accounting, financial policy, internal controls and operations. From 2015 to 2017, Samantha was the Senior Director of Financial Strategies and Costing at Shared Services Canada and in 2017 was appointed Shared Services Canada’s Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Her responsibilities covered all areas of Financial Management including: Financial Management Advisory Services, Resource Management, Corporate Accounting, Financial Systems, Investment Planning and Treasury Board Submissions. In January 2020, Samantha became the Executive Director, Financial Policy and Community Development in the Treasury Board Secretariat, Office of the Comptroller General, where she was responsible for strengthening financial management oversight across the Government of Canada, by providing frameworks, policies and guidance to departments and agencies. She also supported the professional development capacity of the financial management community within the Government of Canada.

In January 2013, Samantha received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her outstanding contribution to the Public Service.

Samantha received a Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Ottawa and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

Nadine Huggins

In May 2022, Nadine Huggins became the RCMP's Chief Human Resources Officer, responsible for all matters related to the well-being, safety and compensation of RCMP employees. The Chief Human Resources Officer's leadership is fundamental to many of the organization's ongoing modernization initiatives.

With several years of private sector experience and more than twenty years of accomplished public service, Nadine has built a career focussed on finding solutions to complex issues, leading teams and using a strength- based approach to promote change.

She began working for the RCMP in 2020, leading the development of our People Management Modernization. Under Nadine's direction, we created and are currently driving the People Strategy and the Vision 150 Equity Accountability and Trust action plan both of which are shifting mindsets and behaviours and preparing the RCMP to meet its future mandate.

Nadine works to build a healthy, respectful, diverse and inclusive workplace. She led the development and implementation of the RCMP's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and is now leading Recruitment Renewal to ensure our candidates have the skills, characteristics and attributes needed to meet current and future policing needs. In January 2021, she became the RCMP's first Senior Designated Official for Diversity and Inclusion, collaborating with employees who are members of diverse communities.

The Chief Human Resources Officer is responsible for all matters related to people management policy, the well-being, safety and compensation of RCMP employees.

Curtis Zablocki

As Commanding Officer for K Division, Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki is responsible for overseeing Alberta, the RCMP's second largest division. K Division provides federal police services on behalf of the Government of Canada, serves as Alberta's contract provincial police force, provides contract municipal police services to large municipalities, and is a key partner in joint forces law enforcement operations.

Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, a 31-year veteran of the RCMP, was born and raised in rural Saskatchewan. In September of 2018, he was appointed the 25th Commanding Officer of the Alberta RCMP (K Division).

Curtis knew Alberta well before becoming its Commanding Officer, having spent most of his RCMP career in the province performing operational duties including district advisory and detachment command functions, and serving as the Deputy Criminal Operations Officer. He then moved to Saskatchewan where he served as Commanding Officer for two years.

When he accepted his current role, Curtis set three divisional priorities to focus and guide K Division RCMP employees: our people, our community and our service. With a strong, healthy workforce and strong relationships with the communities it serves, K Division continues to build a foundation that helps it be responsive and flexible while keeping Alberta safe.

Curtis holds a Bachelor's degree in Criminology from the University of Alberta and is a Member of the Order of Merit of Police Forces

Dwayne McDonald

As Commanding Officer for E Division, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald is responsible for overseeing the RCMP's largest division British Columbia. E Division provides federal police services on behalf of the Government of Canada, serves as British Columbia's contract provincial police force, provides contract municipal police services to large municipalities, and is a key partner in joint forces law enforcement operations.

Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald has over 29 years of experience in law enforcement having served both the Canada Border Services Agency and the RCMP. Deputy Commissioner McDonald has a vast knowledge of federal, provincial and municipal policing with experience in positions of leadership and command in a number of high profile RCMP positions in British Columbia.

Most recently, Dwayne served as the Assistant Commissioner and Criminal Operations Officer for Federal, Investigative Services and Organized Crime for the province of British Columbia. He had oversight of a large portfolio of including RCMP Major Crime, Police Support Services, Criminal Intelligence, Federal Policing, National Security, and the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit – British Columbia (CFSEU-BC).

Dwayne holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from Simon Fraser University. He lectures at the Canadian Police College in Major Case Management, Major Crime and Kidnapping investigations. He belongs to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, and is a member of a number of significant law enforcement and intelligence-related committees.

In 2015, Dwayne was invested as a Member of the Order of Merit of Police Forces by The Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Right Honorable David Johnston.

Overview

• A series of external reviews and reports over the past decade have identified systemic challenges in the RCMP, highlighting the need for a long-term, comprehensive approach to culture change. Over the last several years, there have also been calls for reform on crisis intervention and de-escalation approaches by the police, including responses to mental health-related calls. The spring release of the Mass Casualty Commission’s final report – the most significant review of the RCMP since the McDonald Commission – has renewed calls for significant change to the organization’s culture, human resource management and operations.
• The RCMP has dedicated considerable efforts to addressing the long-standing issues facing the organization over the past five years. Key accomplishments include: establishment of the Independent Centre for Harassment Resolution; modernization of the RCMP recruitment model; modernizing the conduct (disciplinary) measures; implementing the RCMP’s first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy; implementing Gender-based Analysis Plus; laying the groundwork for the collection of race-based data; and, responding to public complaints in a timely manner.
• While recognizing that much has been accomplished, much more is required. To this end, the Commissioner recently established a new sector – Reform, Accountability and Culture – to provide dedicated capacity and leadership to transform the RCMP. The sector is mandated to:
  • lead the strategic response to the Mass Casualty Commission final report and recommendations for the RCMP, and those from other recent, significant external reviews (i.e., Public Order Emergency Commission) – taking a holistic, organizational approach and reporting publicly on progress
  • provide centralized management of major transformation and renewal initiatives across the RCMP’s three operational business lines (i.e., Federal Policing, Contract and Indigenous Policing, and Specialized Police Services) to ensure the RCMP thrives and its operations are optimized
  • provide strategic advice, oversight, measurement and coordination of culture change initiatives, ensuring innovative approaches are considered, in line with the RCMP’s strategic priorities
  • support the work of the Management Advisory Board, an independent external body appointed to provide advice to the Commissioner on the management and administration of the RCMP

Strategic considerations

• The work of the new sector responds to expectations outlined in the Minister’s mandate letter as it relates to RCMP reform, as well as the requirement for continued cultural transformation, and for increased accountability and transparency.
• While an overall commitment to foundational transformation has been made and significant groundwork has been laid, change of this degree will take time and requires sustained focus, effort and resources. To date, minimal funding has been provided to support culture reform. In addition, the organization will require external funding and support to respond to the recommendations in the Mass Casualty Commission.
• Demonstrating concrete and sustained progress in transformation and reform efforts is critical to strengthening public trust and confidence in the RCMP. This means continued transparency and public reporting on these efforts, including the organizational response to the Mass Casualty Commission findings and recommendations, and those of other external reviews.
• Transforming RCMP culture is a top priority and is critical to achieving operational excellence. The Bastarache report, related to gender-based harassment and discrimination in the RCMP, pointed to key systemic barriers to gender equality in the RCMP workforce, including backfilling employees on parental leave, and improving access to child care, housing and social supports. Progress to date has been limited and effective solutions will require resources, and collaboration with partners and stakeholders. If not addressed, such systemic barriers will continue to impede improvements to workforce culture and compromise the ability of the organization to deliver effective and efficient policing services.

Next steps

• The RCMP will continue its efforts to meet the expectations of the public and employees as it relates to organizational reform. A key priority includes the RCMP’s response to the Mass Casualty Commission. The RCMP will continue to work collaboratively with Public Safety, as well as other relevant departments and agencies to advance this work.
• RCMP support to Public Safety to prepare for upcoming negotiations with provinces/territories on contract policing, as well as partner engagement with respect to federal policing transformation, are also areas of focus in the short to medium-term.
• The RCMP will further strengthen its focus to advance progress in addressing systemic barriers, including those identified in the Bastarache report, through engagement with employees and key partners to identify solutions.

Overview

• The Mass Casualty Commission report represents not only one of the most sweeping reviews to impact the RCMP since the McDonald Commission, but also a change to how Canada approaches policing and public safety. The RCMP is supporting Public Safety Canada and the whole-of-government approach to respond to the Commission’s recommendations. More importantly, the RCMP is the lead on a number of recommendations (such as those related to critical incidents) and is positioned to provide leadership on many others (such as those related to mental health and gender-based violence).
• The Public Order Emergency Commission report contains 56 recommendations related to the invocation of the Emergencies Act in 2022. While not the focus of the majority of Public Order Emergency Commission recommendations, the RCMP is directly impacted in two of six major themes: policing; and, federal intelligence collection and coordination.
• RCMP analysis of Public Order Emergency Commission and Mass Casualty Commission recommendations identified crosscutting themes and the need for holistic analysis and strategic implementation.
• To ensure this approach, the RCMP created a new Reform, Accountability and Culture sector that includes a team with the responsibility to take a leadership and coordination role for the RCMP on these and all future significant external reviews of the organization. This represents a positive shift in how the RCMP has historically managed these reviews, where the RCMP has been criticized for a siloed approach not supported by dedicated teams, and with limited public accountability.
• This sector reports directly to the Commissioner, which allows for greater leadership and accountability on this important work.
• To date, the RCMP has conducted a thorough analysis of all recommendations stemming from both reports, and has categorized them within broad strategic themes and sub-themes.
• In terms of Mass Casualty Commission implementation, the RCMP’s focus has been on:
  • Assessing and prioritizing recommendations using a standardized methodology to ensure the RCMP first addresses themes with the highest urgency and impact.
  • In collaboration with partners, the RCMP is conducting “deep dive” exercises to determine work done to date, initiatives underway, and future work required on key priority themes, such as gender-based violence. This work will culminate in action plans and a clear, public-facing strategy in September, outlining how the RCMP will be implementing the recommendations under its authorities.
    • One of the first areas of focus has been a renewed approach to managing crises given that 24 of the 130 Mass Casualty Commission recommendations and 3 from Public Order Emergency Commission identify shortcomings in the current model.
  • Establishing policy positions on a number of key recommendations, such as on the sale of decommissioned vehicles and the future of Depot.
  • Advancing two time-sensitive recommendations with strict 6-month timelines in the Mass Casualty Commission – both on track to be resolved within the timelines.
  • Development of an internal/external communications strategy.
• Regarding Public Order Emergency Commission, the RCMP’s primary focus has been on:
  • Improving information sharing across the law enforcement community on serious criminality associated with public order events through the Criminal Intelligence Service Canada.
  • Assessing the feasibility of how to leverage an existing center of expertise established to set up integrated command structures for government led events to help local police services set up their own commands in the event of an unplanned event, including providing guidance and support in logistics, mobilization of resources and the development of an integrated intelligence group to coordinate information sharing.
  • Developing a National After-Action Review, which examines four main areas of review. This review is in its final stages, and its recommendations will help the RCMP improve how it manages public order events that are multijurisdictional or have national significance in the future.

Strategic considerations

• The level of reform called for in these reviews will require a long-term effort, multisector and multi-jurisdictional support, and an infusion of transformative funding from the Government of Canada.
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Next steps

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Overview

• Policing falls under the constitutional responsibility of the provinces and territories (P/T), which can delegate fiscal and governance responsibility to larger, urban, municipal governments. The RCMP provides front-line services as the police of jurisdiction (PoJ) for all P/Ts, except Ontario and Québec, and in over 150 municipalities through Police Services Agreements (known as “contracts”, hence contract policing). The RCMP is the PoJ for about 22% of Canada’s population across about 75% of Canada’s geographic land mass, much of which is rural and/or remote/isolated.
• To be effective, these contract policing arrangements require strong partnerships with diverse communities, governments and other partner agencies for coordinated and effective service delivery and to address local priorities. The RCMP is working with partners to meet community needs and strengthen public trust and confidence.

Strategic considerations

Next steps

• The RCMP is continually assessing the needs and challenges faced across Canada in service delivery that meets the needs and standards of the communities it serves. Contract and Indigenous Policing—a business line at RCMP National Headquarters—remains committed to delivering the highest quality policies, programs, research and tools in support not only of front-line policing, but enforcement, prevention and education across the entire organization. Engagement continues to ensure opportunities exist to leverage funding to be able to support this important work with necessary tools and resources.
• Regardless of the challenges faced and outcomes of discussions related to policing transitions, the RCMP will continue to work closely with its partners in the delivery of high-quality front-line policing services, while optimizing the available resources, to ensure community and officer safety.
• A more detailed briefing can be provided to expand on any of the above-identified front-line policing issue areas, as well as the contract policing mandate.

Overview

• Labour market challenges with recruiting police officers, global movements and considerations on the role of policing in society, COVID-19 shut downs at the RCMP training facility and RCMP workplace (from March 20th to June 12th, 2020) and issues reported in the media have impacted the RCMP’s ability to recruit, train, and retain regular members to meet demands placed on both contract policing and federal policing.
• To address these challenges, the RCMP has and continues to undertake a number of initiatives aimed at increasing recruitment levels and production capacity, including pre-posting agreements and Flexible Posting Plans, continued efforts to streamline the recruitment process, lifting the mobility requirement, and developing a national recruitment and communications strategy.

Strategic considerations

• Recruitment and retention remain a top priority for the RCMP, and we are committed to filling the vacancies across the organization and retaining our police officers. Our goal is to ensure we are hiring and developing the talent needed to support the evolving nature of policing at large and in the communities we serve.
• The RCMP is comprised of roughly 31,000 employees, (approximately 19,000 regular members, 9,000 public servants, and 3,000 civilian members). The RCMP, like other police organizations, is facing recruitment challenges, including vacancy challenges.
• The RCMP has and continues to modernize the recruitment approach to identify and rectify barriers that have impeded women, as well as Black, Indigenous, and other racialized groups, from being successful in the application process.
• To address vacancies, the RCMP contracted two companies to conduct recruitment market research and develop a recruitment marketing strategy. By Fall 2023, the marketing strategy will be launched, and will target ideal and diverse regular member candidates across Canada as identified by the market research.
• Recommendations have been implemented from the 2021 PricewaterhouseCoopers end-to-end review, as well as the November 2022 comprehensive internal review of the recruitment process to enhance the assessment process, reduce the processing time, and increase candidates’ positive experiences.
• Residency thresholds for Permanent Residents have been changed to attract diverse candidates, thereby taking advantage of Canada’s growing immigrant population and continuing to build a workforce reflective of the public we serve.
• The RCMP has high retention of its regular members. While there is typically slightly elevated attrition within the first 2 to 3 years of service, as some leave for other police services or other careers, a majority of departures are due to retirement.

Next steps

• Launch of the Marketing and Advertising Strategy, Fall 2023. Finalize internal review of recruitment process to leverage additional support and personal contact from the Divisions across the country.

Overview

• RCMP activities are subject to regular review by a variety of mechanisms, as well as oversight via direction from the Minister of Public Safety (subject to the legal constraints of operational independence ^{footnote 3}). These tend to focus broadly on conduct, results, labour relations, or a combination of these.
• Parliament has created independent agencies to review the RCMP’s activities and report to Parliament through either the Minister of Public Safety or the Prime Minister, including the following:
  • The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP is an independent review body that receives complaints from the public and conducts reviews when complainants are not satisfied with the RCMP’s handling of their complaints. The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission submits an annual report to Parliament via the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
  • The RCMP External Review Committee is an independent administrative tribunal that provides independent review of grievances related to the interpretation and application of Treasury Board policies. The Chair reports annually to Parliament via the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
  • The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians is comprised of Parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament who are appointed by the Governor in Council. It reviews the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative and financial framework for national security and intelligence government-wide, any national security and intelligence activity (except ongoing investigations), and any national security and intelligence matters referred by a minister of the Crown. The Committee submits an Annual Report to the Prime Minister, which is tabled in both Houses of Parliament, but may also complete a Special Report on any matter related to its mandate, at any time.
  • The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency is an independent and external review body that reports to Parliament. It is responsible for conducting independent expert reviews of national security and intelligence activities across all federal departments and agencies, informing Parliament and Canadians as to their lawfulness, and provides a report to the Minister with the findings. The National Security and Intelligence Review Agency reports to Parliament via reviews and annual reports.
• In addition, the Management Advisory Board (MAB) provides advice and guidance on transformation, workplace well-being, human resources, modern management practices, information technology and other specialized fields. The MAB was created to help the RCMP modernize, to address issues of harassment and workplace culture, and to provide longer-term advice on the administration and management of the RCMP. A Ministerial Directive related to the MAB was issued in May 2023, to clearly outline the steps the RCMP must take to consider the MAB’s advice. The required 30-day report on progress implementing the Ministerial Directive was submitted to the Minister on June 13, 2023. The MAB, chaired by Professor Kent Roach, is constituted of 13 members and currently has 6 vacancies.
• Some provinces have independent investigative bodies mandated to examine serious incidents involving police, including the RCMP (for example, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team). The RCMP is also subject to oversight by the judicial system. Courts approve warrants upon provision of the appropriate information to justify their issuance. As the judicial function is required to be impartial, with complete administrative independence, it operates at arms-length from the police. Parliament has exclusive authority over the procedures in courts that try criminal cases, while federal authority for criminal law and procedures ensures fair and consistent treatment of criminal behaviour across the country. Specifically, the RCMP may be subject to judicial review via the RCMP Act, the Canada Labour Code, coroner inquests, and Provincial Police Acts.

Strategic considerations

• In 2022, the MAB established priorities with a focus on its advisory role and advancing the Government’s policing agenda and modernization commitments.
• Priorities included: the establishment of the Independent Centre for Harassment Resolution, Conduct Measures Guide Review, Contract Policing Assessment, Less than Lethal Intervention Models, Indigenous Policing, Federal Policing Transformation, and Recruitment, including the Cadet Training Program and Indigenous Recruitment.
• Several of these priorities relate to Ministerial and Commissioner Mandate Letter Commitments, and are broadly related to overall RCMP transformation and modernization. Advancing progress on mandate commitments to transform is key to strengthening public trust and confidence in the RCMP.
• The RCMP continues to face significant public scrutiny, and will be challenged to meet public expectations for transparency and reform. This includes public debate about the Government’s vision for the RCMP, its role, mandate, and structure, and is closely linked to review and oversight.
• In June 2023, the MAB launched an external website in the spirit of increased accountability and transparency.

Next steps

• The RCMP will continue to build on concrete actions taken to date to modernize the RCMP and ensure strong oversight, accountability and transparency, such as continuing to meeting our timelines to respond to investigations led by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, and working closely with the Management Advisory Board.

Overview

• As the federal police force of Canada, the RCMP has a unique and distinct role among the Canadian policing community. Defined by the RCMP Act, the RCMP is mandated at the federal level to:
  • enforce federal laws, secure Canada’s borders, collect and operationalize criminal intelligence, and ensure the safety of critical infrastructure
  • investigate criminality related to national security, serious and organized crime, financial crime and cyber crime
  • ensure the safety of Internationally Protected Persons and other designated persons, significant national or international events, and designated protective sites
  • provide specially-trained RCMP officers on board selected Canadianregistered aircraft
  • leverage international partnerships for domestic operational advantage, while investing in international law enforcement capacity building and international peace operations
  • Federal Policing employs approximately 5,000 people across Canada and abroad (regular members, civilian members and public servants)
• This mandate gives the RCMP the responsibility to tackle the highest level of criminal threats and contribute to the safety and security of Canada, Canadians, and Canadian interests both at home and abroad. Close working relationships with international and domestic (provincial/territorial and municipal police services) law enforcement and partners through Joint Force Operations, or other integrated units are critical to success.
• The mandate of Federal Policing is guided by over 150 statutes and acts of Parliament, with operational delivery falling under the auspices of the Federal Policing program and Specialized Policing Services.
• The Federal Policing program is facing an increasingly complex criminal environment. It is responding to rising cybercrime and money laundering operations, both of which support organized crime and an increasing range of national security threats. These types of criminal threats tackled at the federal level are increasingly transnational, and investigations are resource intensive. [REDACTED]
• Emerging technology, social media, growth in cryptocurrencies, advances in artificial intelligence, the ease of flow for goods and people across borders, changing Canadian demographics, and a shifting global geopolitical situation (among other facts) are converging and changing how criminality is being conducted, who is conducting it, and where it is being conducted.
• These change factors are shifting the very nature of police work, especially in the Federal Policing world, and together with competing demands for more police by contract jurisdictions who have an agreement with the federal government, have set in motion a growing delta between the RCMP’s capabilities and capacity dedicated to fulfilling its federal mandate activities. This delta has been growing for over a decade and as a result, the RCMP is increasingly challenged to deliver on its federal mandate.
• Addressing these challenges will require continued modernization efforts, new ways of performing its work including embracing technology in support of improved operational performance, and finding, developing and retaining the right talent, as well as prioritization and sound risk assessment. It will also require investment.

Strategic considerations

• [REDACTED]
• Recognizing these [REDACTED] key challenges, the RCMP has sought to better align existing federal mandate resources to be able to identify and respond to areas of highest risks and needs. Progress to date includes:
  • Optimizing capacity within existing resource levels, particularly in light of growing requirements for more recruits by contracting jurisdictions, has resulted in the RCMP leveraging civilian expertise to enhance capabilities where appropriate. This approach is supported by concerted efforts to implement a dedicated Federal Training Centre with specialized curriculum, training and recruitment processes to better identify, develop and retain specialized skill sets, including lateral entries and experienced civilians
  • Implementation of a national prioritization model to align resources to the most serious threats facing Canada and Canadians, both at home and abroad. This includes refocusing investigative activities to enable a more flexible and responsive federal program designed to directly support national and public interests
  • Modernizing the collection, analysis and use of data (i.e. business intelligence) to provide a better understanding of operational, human and financial resources to support improved evidence-based decision-making, address transparency and accountability requirements, appropriately plan and allocate resources, and be more adaptive to emerging threats

Next steps

[REDACTED]

Overview

• Foreign interference refers to a wide range of activities that target Canadian interests, or interfere in Canadian society. Foreign interference can be conducted by representatives of foreign states (for example, intelligence agencies, judicial representatives, police agents) and proxies (for example, agents or criminal networks). The common and underlying element for foreign interference criminal activities is that they are state-backed, state-influenced, and operate either on behalf of, or towards the benefit of, a foreign state.
• In recent years, Canada has seen an increase in the frequency and sophistication of foreign interference, with certain countries seeking to advance their strategic interests to the detriment of Canada’s interests.
• Foreign interference can include:
  • areas of economic integrity (i.e. foreign investments)
  • critical infrastructure (i.e. exploiting vulnerabilities to communications or energy sector)
  • proliferation (i.e. efforts to procure sensitive restricted dual use goods)
  • transnational repression (i.e. intimidating or using violence against diaspora communities)
  • theft of intellectual property, disinformation (i.e. state manipulation seeking influence)
  • theft of protected information
  • targeting democratic institutions.
• Foreign interference may include activity that falls below a criminal threshold, for example, disinformation.
• The RCMP is mandated by legislation (Section 2 of the Security Offences Act and Ministerial Direction) and RCMP Policy (Operational Manual Section 12) to investigate threats to the security of Canada defined in Section 2 of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act; breaches of security defined in the Security Offences Act; and any other criminal offence, federal statute, or Criminal Code offence that may have a national security dimension.
• The RCMP’s Federal Policing National Security program has a multidisciplinary team dedicated to countering foreign interference. The program works collaboratively with local and provincial law enforcement partners and security and intelligence agencies to enforce various laws in order to prosecute and mitigate foreign interference. The program also works collaboratively with government and non-government entities to become aware of and respond to foreign interference. The RCMP becomes involved once it is made aware of a criminal or otherwise illegal aspect of foreign interference. The RCMP also educates about foreign actor interference threats through engagement efforts with the public sector, private entities and impacted communities.
• The RCMP is part of the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force, which actively monitors election periods for signs of foreign interference, and participates in briefings to Government of Canada senior management, the Panel of Five, and to the campaign leaders of the various political parties, as required. Upon request, the RCMP supports investigations of potential violations of the Canada Elections Act that are conducted by the Commissioner of Canada Elections, and can provide other types of assistance.

Strategic considerations

• The RCMP has strong relationships with Canada’s security and intelligence community and law enforcement agencies around the world, and works closely with Five Eyes partners to respond to and maintain situational awareness of all threats to national security.
• In relation to allegations of foreign interference targeting Canada’s 2019 and 2021 federal elections, the RCMP did not conduct criminal investigations into the 2019 federal election, and does not have any criminal investigations underway concerning the 2021 federal election.
• Foreign interference is a complex space for law enforcement to be able to bring charges forward. [REDACTED]

Next steps

• While the RCMP faces resource challenges in tackling the foreign interference threat, Budget 2023 proposed ($48.9 million over three years starting in 2023-24) to protect Canadians from harassment and intimidation, increase investigative capacity and more proactively engage with communities at higher risk of being targeted. [REDACTED] It has also launched a new dedicated recruitment stream to staff these and other positions in Federal Policing.
• The RCMP continues to participate in Public-Safety-led consultations [REDACTED]
• [REDACTED]
• The RCMP will continue to provide support for the ongoing review bodies, including National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, the National Security Intelligence Review Agency and the work undertaken by the Independent Special Rapporteur.
• [REDACTED]

Overview

• Reconciliation is based on trust and the uncomfortable truth that the RCMP has played a role in colonization during the 150 years as an agent of the Federal Government. To foster reconciliation, the RCMP is working to increase knowledge, awareness, and understanding of our shared history; strengthen relationships, cultural awareness, trauma-informed training, and communication with families; improve investigative practices; expand consultations and engagement with Indigenous groups; and increase Indigenous representation within the workforce.
• When relationships are built upon trust, confidence, and mutual respect, police assistance is more likely to be sought when individuals or communities are in need. This can also result in better supported investigations, increased collaboration and enhanced provision of services to address recommendations on policing and safety concerns.
• First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities want police to be familiar with their communities, listen to concerns, engage in dialogue and public education as well as increase partnerships and community proactivity. Building trust with communities requires time and dedicated effort. The RCMP is proactively working to identify, prioritize and solve problems. With this investment, community outreach will be continuous, coordinated, purposeful and impactful.
• Reconciliation Report: The RCMP published its first reconciliation report in July 2021, entitled RCMP Path of Reconciliation: Strengthening Trust in the RCMP. This effort was guided by the principle of “nothing about us without us,” and created in collaboration with RCMP divisions, Indigenous organizations, advisory groups, and communities. A second report is in development for completion in late 2023.
• Indigenous Awareness Guide: On June 21, 2023, the RCMP released Indigenous Insights: Building Relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis, its awareness guide for RCMP employees, to provide an overview of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada; showcase a number of the distinct and unique cultures, languages, and political and spiritual traditions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples; provide cultural perspective on historical matters related to the delivery of Indigenous policing services and employee interactions with Indigenous peoples; and, reinforce the RCMP’s commitment to reconciliation.
• Enhanced Police Service Delivery: The RCMP has made changes in operations and policy in the areas of Next of Kin notifications, Missing Persons investigations, Sexual Assault Case Reviews, and Uniform and Dress Policy. The RCMP also continues to collaborate with provincial/territorial Family Information Liaison Units to support the provision of culturally-safe and trauma-informed investigational updates to families of missing and murdered Indigenous woman and girls (MMIWG) and 2SLGBTQI+ people.
• RCMP’s Indigenous Collaboration, Co-Development and Accountability Unit (RICCA): RICCA was established under the Chief Human Resource Officer with a mandate to strengthen relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples by modernizing human resource governance and strategies through collaboration with the communities the RCMP serves. RICCA is also working to build cultural competency of Indigenous cultures, histories, and realities to create a workforce that is inclusive, reflective and respectful of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. RICCA supports Indigenous outreach to promote the RCMP as a preferred career and supports reconciliation commitments across the Government of Canada through partnerships to address systemic racism.
• Dedicated Leadership for Reconciliation and Indigenous Policing: In 2023, the RCMP created and staffed a new senior executive position (Assistant Commissioner level) for Indigenous Policing and Community Engagement to ensure leadership and a dedicated program structure specific to organizational reconciliation efforts and Indigenous policing, for long-term sustainability.
• Restorative Justice: The RCMP has been working with federal, provincial and regional partners to increase restorative justice use and referrals to community and Indigenous (traditional) justice programs pre-charge. In 2019, the RCMP introduced mechanisms to track the number of restorative justice referrals and is working towards a 5% increase in referrals over the next 3 years. Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers and Deputy Ministers Responsible for Justice and Public Safety approved postponing the 5% increase target to the end of the 2022/23 fiscal year as a result of COVID-19-related delays. Education and awareness materials continue to be made available to all RCMP personnel, along with Canadian law enforcement and government personnel. This includes the publishing of a national training course entitled A Restorative Justice Mindset; this course assists with increasing the knowledge of restorative justice and its use within the Criminal Justice System.
• Training: Strengthening cultural awareness training is an important component for advancing reconciliation and the RCMP. Such courses include: Uniting Against Racism (mandatory), Using a Trauma-Informed Approach (mandatory for regular members), Cultural Awareness and Humility (mandatory), and the Indigenous Learning Series. As part of the RCMP training Academy’s (Depot) ongoing modernization of the Cadet Training Program and building on the success of delivering the Kairos Blanket Exercise to cadets since 2017, a project is underway to introduce more comprehensive and inclusive training package to further enhance cultural competency. Depot also schedules a number of events throughout the year for cadets to complement the formal curriculum, including tipi raising and sweat lodges. The RCMP is working to employ a Knowledge Keeper position and an Indigenous Advisory position at Depot, both as permanent cultural resources.
• National Pathway (Strategic Plan): The RCMP is co-developing its first National Pathway for reconciliation, in collaboration with an Indigenous consulting firm specializing in corporate planning and change management. The plan will support addressing the MMIWG Inquiry’s Calls for Justice and be a compilation of strategies and efforts from across the RCMP that maps out a sustainable way forward for the RCMP, including a progress measurement strategy.

Next steps

• Looking ahead, the RCMP will continue working to build trusting relationships and support professional, dedicated and culturally responsive policing services that meet the unique needs of First Nation, Inuit and Métis people. The RCMP’s reconciliation efforts will also continue to respond to the Government of Canada’s National Action Plan: Ending Violence Against Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People and Federal Pathway, and align with the implementation of Bill C-15, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and Action Plan.

Overview

• National Police Services are a coordinated and integrated series of specialized and technical programs and services provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and accessible to law enforcement and criminal justice officials in Canada, and to select foreign organizations. National Police Services play a crucial role in the detection and investigation of criminal activity in Canada, help to ensure sound prosecutions, and support international law enforcement cooperation. In many instances, the RCMP is the sole provider of these services.
• National Police Services are delivered through service lines of the RCMP’s Specialized Policing Services.
  • The Canadian Police College provides police leadership and management development programs, as well as advanced and specialized training in law enforcement, particularly in the areas of organized and multijurisdictional crime.
  • Criminal Intelligence Service Canada ensures the timely production and dissemination of criminal intelligence information among 380 member agencies. It is the centre of excellence for intelligence in support of national law enforcement efforts to detect, reduce and prevent serious and organized crime, and assists in operational planning, both federally and in the provinces and territories.
  • Forensic Science and Identification Services provides investigational support to law enforcement and criminal justice communities through forensic science analysis, fingerprint identification, and the maintenance of policing information and identification repositories, including the National DNA Data Bank, the Canadian Police Information Centre, and the National Repository of Criminal Records.
  • The Canadian Firearms Program provides direct operational and technical firearms-related support to law enforcement across Canada, and oversees the administration of the Firearms Act and its regulations. The Canadian Firearms Program serves lawful and responsible firearms users while targeting firearms use that is unsafe or criminal in nature.
  • Technical Operations provides direct operational support and capabilities related to a range of complex law enforcement issues, such as missing children, online child sexual exploitation, air services, cybercrime, technological and sensitive investigations, background screening, and protective technical services.
• The National Police Services National Advisory Committee was created in 2012, and supports the integrity, accessibility, viability and delivery of National Police Services by supporting information exchange across the law enforcement community related to operations, needs and challenges of National Police Services. The committee is co-chaired by RCMP Deputy Commissioner, Specialized Policing Services, and a provincial/territorial or municipal co-chair.
• The Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is accountable to the Minister of Public Safety for the direction, management and operation of National Police Services.

Strategic considerations

• The National Police Services National Advisory Committee serves as an integrating influence for various programs and services of National Police Services, supporting the objective of providing timely, high quality, and seamless services that are responsive to the needs of the Canadian policing community.
• In December 2020, the National Police Services Charter was approved by Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Minsters responsible for Justice and Public Safety as the guiding policy framework that defines how National Police Services are to be managed nationally, including the roles and responsibilities of providers, partners and stakeholders, and governance structure. The National Police Services charter is non-binding and does not commit any provincial, territorial, or municipal government to providing financial resources to enable the downloading of program costs by the federal government.
• National Police Services are provided to Canadian law enforcement free of charge with the exception of Canadian Police College training (fee-based courses, with RCMP working towards 100% cost recovery; currently 90% is paid by provinces and territories and 10% is paid by the Government of Canada); and Biology Casework Analysis (which has bilateral cost-sharing agreements between Public Safety and individual provinces; 54% paid by provinces and territories and 46% paid by the Government of Canada).
• [REDACTED]

Next steps

• The RCMP, leveraging the National Police Services National Advisory Committee, will continually review demand for National Police Services programs and associated operating costs, explore new service delivery options, and adopt new technologies to ensure that National Police Services remain viable and sustainable.

Overview

• The firearms legislative regime is set out in the Firearms Act, the Criminal Code, and related regulations. The Canadian Firearms Program supports public safety by determining eligibility to possess firearms, promoting responsible ownership, storage and use of firearms, and providing Canadian and international law enforcement with specialized services vital to the prevention and investigation of firearms crime and misuse.
• To this end, it provides a number of important services to Canadians including:
  • Screening individuals for eligibility to possess and/or acquire a firearm
  • Licensing businesses that manufacture and sell firearms
  • Maintaining national firearm safety training standards
  • Registering restricted and prohibited firearms
• The Canadian Firearms Program also supports domestic and international law enforcement and Crown prosecution efforts to combat illicit firearms activity through:
  • Investigative support
  • Conducting firearms tracing
  • Conducting open source internet investigations (regulatory and law enforcement)
  • Maintaining the Firearms Reference Tables
  • Providing technical expertise and training
  • Providing expert opinions or testimony in court
• As of April 2023, there were more than 2.3 million individual and more than 4,000 business licensees in Canada.
• Once an individual holds a firearms licence, they undergo continuous eligibility screening, which ensures that any police-reported incidents of high-risk behaviour are brought to the attention of the Chief Firearms Officer of jurisdiction for investigation and action.
• There are three legal classifications of firearms:
  • Non-restricted (most hunting rifles and shotguns)
  • Restricted (some rifles and shotguns, and all handguns that are not prohibited)
  • Prohibited (all full automatic firearms, some handguns, and all firearms that are prescribed by regulation to be prohibited)
• Restricted and Prohibited firearms must be registered with the Canadian Firearms Program. At the end of 2021, there were more than one million Restricted and about 160,000 Prohibited firearms registered to licensees.
• In order to possess and use Non-Restricted firearms, individuals require a Possession and Acquisition License, and must pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course. Individuals wishing to possess and use Restricted firearms require additional training and would apply for the restricted privilege. Approximately 30% of licences have restricted privileges.

Strategic considerations

• The Canadian Firearms Program is upgrading its principal data management tool, the Canadian Firearms Information System, which serves as the repository for all firearms licensing, registration, authorizations, and related firearms regulatory data. The Canadian Firearms Digital Services Solution project will modernize existing information systems to improve client experience, eliminate manual processes, and strengthen program agility in support of the evolving Canadian Firearms Program.
• [REDACTED]

Overview

• Hate-motivated crimes and incidents are on the rise in Canada. They have widespread impacts on individual victims, and also on communities writ large. According to Statistics Canada, the number of police-reported hate crimes increased in Canada by more than 70% from 2019 to 20211. ^{footnote 4} Hate-motivated crimes and incidents can lead to feelings of exclusion, resulting in low confidence levels in police, which in itself results in an under-reporting of these crimes.
• Police in Canada recognize that low confidence levels are compounded by historical discrimination practices and feelings that community members who report instances of hate-motivated crime will not lead to investigation. Community members may also feel safer approaching a community group rather than police whenever a hate incident occurs.
• Considering the prevalence and impact of hate-motivated crimes and incidents in Canada, this issue has become a critical focus of the organisation to better equip front-line police officers and support victims of hate.

Strategic considerations

• As part of a renewed Anti-Racism Strategy, the Government of Canada has committed to developing the first ever Canada’s Action Plan on Combatting Hate, including actions on combatting hate-motivated crimes and incidents in Canada, training and tools for public safety agencies, and investments to support digital literacy, to prevent radicalization to violence, and protect vulnerable communities. This work is led by the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion with support from others, including the Minister of Public Safety. Consultations to support the development of the Action Plan were launched in late March 2022, building on the work of the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, including national summits on antisemitism and Islamophobia.
• The RCMP is working with Canadian Heritage to support the development of the strategy and related initiatives to combat hate, and to address systemic racism in the criminal justice system.

Next steps

• The Task Force is concentrating on priority areas, including improving public communication, creating a strong network among hate crimes units, enhancing hate crime reporting, reviewing and strengthening police training to frontline officers, and supporting community engagement and support to victims. The Task Force is aiming to have some early practical solutions ready to be rolled out nationally in the coming months. It is working with experts in policing, academia, and communities to develop comprehensive solutions for each of these priority areas, which could be adopted by all policing organizations in Canada.
• The RCMP is currently carrying out a needs assessment to improve its capacity to address hate-motivated crimes and incidents across the jurisdictions it services. This includes revamping its training for frontline officers and new recruits, and creating a repository of informational support for the policing community.

Overview

Strategic considerations

[REDACTED]

Next steps

• The RCMP continues to work with other Government of Canada departments on Ukraine issues and will do so in order to implement its current commitments to the broader Government’s approach to this crisis.

Overview

• The security situation in Haiti is critical, with heavily armed gangs controlling over 60% of Port-au-Prince. The Police Nationale d'Haïti is outgunned by armed groups with various associations, and faces significant challenges with personnel, training and equipment.
• [REDACTED]
• The RCMP continues to deploy temporary liaison officers and analysts deployed overseas to the region under the Canadian Police Arrangement and the work of the Haiti Mission Centre at the RCMP headquarters in Ottawa to coordinate operational efforts related to the deployments. [REDACTED]
• The RCMP’s role in Haiti, [REDACTED] is to deploy Canadian police experts to provide training and advisory supports in the region and to provide invaluable links between international partners who are also working throughout the Caribbean to provide training, humanitarian, and other supports to Haiti.
• The RCMP deploys these resources through the International Peacekeeping and Peace Operations, under the Canadian Police Arrangement; a partnership between the RCMP, Global Affairs Canada, and Public Safety mandated to support Government of Canada commitments.

Strategic considerations

• While the RCMP is supportive of the Government of Canada’s engagements in Haiti, [REDACTED]
• [REDACTED]

Next steps

[REDACTED]

Overview

• In the Summer of 2022, allegations of political interference into the RCMP’s management of the 2020 Nova Scotia mass casualty were a subject of public discussion. Although these allegations were unique to this particular matter, they are part of a broader context and history, with allegations of political interference in the RCMP stretching back to the 1970s.
• Most recently, in 2022 both the Mass Casualty Commission and the Public Order Emergency Commission issued their final reports. Both reports had recommendations that related to the operational independence of the RCMP.
• The Mass Casualty Commission made three recommendations related to operational independence. These recommendations included:
  • Implementing legislative amendments aimed at clarifying ambiguities in the RCMP Act
  • Adopting complementary written policies that set out their respective roles, responsibilities, and mutual expectations in police / government relations
  • Establishing policies and procedures to protect incident commanders, investigators, and front-line members from exposure to direct government intervention or advice
• Public Order Emergency Commission made two recommendations that touch on operational independence:
  • Articulating the scope and meaning of prohibitions against interference or direction of day-to-day operations and when directions to the chief of police should be memorialized in writing
  • Developing of publicly available guidelines with respect to what information can be requested of police (and by whom), and when in the context of major events that the police should on their own initiative provide information to elected officials and/or senior government officials
• Currently, Section 5 of the RCMP Act governs the relationship between the Minister of Public Safety and the Commissioner. It reads as follows:
  • 5 (1) The Governor in Council may appoint an officer, to be known as the Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to hold office during pleasure, who, under the direction of the Minister, has the control and management of the Force and all matters connected with the Force.
• Both in theory and in practice, concepts such as operational independence, interference, and direction are contested and subject to debate. Notably, the RCMP Act is not explicit in outlining the principle of operational independence, with neither the government nor the RCMP adopting a clear definition at any point.
• The Supreme Court of Canada has outlined that police should enjoy independence from government “while engaged in a criminal investigation.” The court further stated that the principle of operational independence “underpins the rule of law” and is necessary for “the maintenance of public order and preservation of the peace”. ^{footnote 5}
• The principle of operational independence is also generally understood to mean that police, in exercising their police powers and making decisions related to law enforcement and the investigation of individual cases of alleged criminal activity, must be free of direction or influence from the executive. This principle was endorsed by the Supreme Court of Canada decision on R v Campbell in 1999, which explained that the RCMP Commissioner “is not to be considered a servant or agent of the government while engaged in a criminal investigation. The Commissioner is not subject to political direction”. ^{footnote 6} This includes political direction by the Minister of Public Safety, to whom the Commissioner ultimately reports. ^{footnote 7}

Strategic considerations

[REDACTED]

Next steps

[REDACTED]

Overview

• Border security and integrity is a shared mandate between the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
• The RCMP is responsible for enforcing the law between the points of entry, including intercepting and, where appropriate, arresting or detaining persons who cross the border between the points of entry.
• The RCMP participates in numerous cross-border initiatives that allow for joint operations and investigations, in order to manage irregular migration and prevent, deter and detect illegal activity that may pose a threat to the safety and security of Canada.
• In addition, the RCMP Border Integrity team has regular interaction with its United States (U.S.) law enforcement counterparts, to discuss operational issues. Close collaboration with these partners allows for coordinated cross-border activities and advances investigations into irregular border crossings and human smuggling.

Strategic considerations

• As the RCMP works with its partners in support of the recently-announced Safe Third Country Agreement Additional Protocols, additional investments are required to allow the RCMP to continue to secure Canada’s border (i.e. front-line officers, border technology, and analytical support)
• [REDACTED]

Next steps

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Overview

• Contributing to the safety and well-being of Indigenous communities is a strategic priority of the RCMP, and a critical component of the organization’s service delivery model.
• The RCMP directly serves approximately 600 Indigenous communities, many of which are served through the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program, which is a costshared program, regulated and administered by Public Safety Canada. The program enhances policing resources to provide professional and dedicated policing services that are culturally responsive for Indigenous communities. The RCMP is an program service provider for approximately 145 Community Tripartite Agreements, covering 240 communities.
• Most communities who host First Nations and Inuit Policing Program positions are responsible for providing and maintaining infrastructure (for example, detachments and housing), which are sometimes in better condition and quality than the existing community infrastructure overall. This creates an ongoing risk of eroding police-community relations. At present, the RCMP does not have jurisdiction, policy or mandate to build, own and/or maintain homes within program communities, which is a service delivery barrier for existing positions and future expansion of the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program in areas where the RCMP is the police of jurisdiction.
• RCMP Indigenous Relations Services is the policy centre that leads the RCMP’s service delivery under the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program at the national level, and provides national leadership to ensure the RCMP’s Indigenous programs and policies are professional, dedicated, and responsive to the diverse cultural needs of First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities. RCMP Indigenous Relations Services is the organizational lead in communications with National Indigenous Organizations, which may include the creation of joint work plans or Memoranda of Understanding, as well as coordinating partnerships with various RCMP units depending on National Indigenous Organization-identified priorities.
• Enforcement on Indigenous Lands / Band By-Laws: The issue of Band bylaw enforcement is a priority for the RCMP. RCMP members are required to perform all duties assigned to peace officers in relation to the preservation of the peace, the prevention of crime and of offences against the laws of Canada and the laws in force in any province in which they may be employed, as well as the apprehension of criminals and offenders and others who may be lawfully taken into custody. Police services including the RCMP maintain operational discretion in their decisions on whether to enforce by-laws.
• Under the most recent renewal of federal cannabis-related funding, RCMP resources were identified to work with RCMP Indigenous Policing Sections across Canada as well as other key stakeholders/partners to provide proactive initiatives and programs within Indigenous communities to increase the awareness of the harmful effects of cannabis use and misuse. These resources will assist with the enforcement of Band by-laws, as the enforcement approaches taken will be influenced by consultations with communities and direction provided with the responsible Departments of Justice in each jurisdiction.

Current status

• Office of the Auditor General’s Audit of the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program: This audit was initiated on Public Safety and the RCMP in spring 2023 in response to various reports and reviews that have highlighted challenges in Indigenous policing with an objective to “determine whether the [RCMP] under the [First Nations and Inuit Policing Program] worked in partnership with Indigenous communities to deliver dedicated and tailored police services that supplement the services provided by provinces and territories.” Specifically, the audit will look at partnership with Indigenous communities, funding, and monitoring and reporting covering the period from April 2018 to August 2023. The Office of the Auditor General has identified Community Tripartite Agreements in Manitoba to be examined and it is anticipated more communities will be selected. The audit is currently in the planning phase, and is anticipated to be tabled in Parliament March 5, 2024.
• Budget 2021 included $540 million over five years in additional support to stabilize the First Nations and Inuit Policing Program; however, it did not provide funding for accommodations for RCMP regular members in Indigenous communities. Public Safety is currently leading the Framework Agreement / Community Tripartite Agreements renewal with the provinces and territories.

Considerations and risks

[REDACTED]

Next steps

• The RCMP is actively engaging in the continuous process of reconciliation, and working to strengthen trust and relationships with Indigenous peoples. Building collaborative approaches to enforcement of Band by-laws, is an example of concrete actions that the RCMP is participating in to foster strong collaborative relationships.

Overview

• Consideration of proposed bail reform via Bill C-48, An Act to Amend the Criminal Code, and potential implications for the RCMP.
• In early 2023, following several high-profile incidents involving repeat violent offenders who have been charged with murder while out on bail, a number of large municipal police services, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, and all 13 provincial and territorial premiers in solidarity called on the federal government to commit to a thorough review of the bail system in Canada.
• After a study by the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, the Minister of Justice introduced Bill C-48 to make it more difficult for repeat violent offenders to be released on bail.
• The proposed amendments in the Bill will create a new reverse onus for various violent offences involving weapons and intimate partner violence, where a firearm, knife, or bear spray is used, and the subject has a recent prior history of these same offences.

Current status

• The RCMP completed an assessment of its available national data regarding repeat violent offenders and linkages to the bail system [REDACTED] The data is representative of geographical areas where the RCMP provides front-line policing services under the Police Service Agreements, covering about 22% of Canada’s population.
• Between 2019 and 2022, in RCMP jurisdictions, approximately 53% of Charged/Suspect Chargeable accused of homicide were either in custody or under community supervision (for example, remand, sentenced custody, probation, bail, etc.) at the time of the offence.
• Furthermore, between 2019 and 2022, in RCMP jurisdictions, 18% of homicides were perpetrated by a Charged/Suspect Chargeable who had a history of family violence or intimate partner violence. The data includes homicide investigations that are still open and under investigation, therefore data surrounding the history of family or intimate partner violence is subject to change.
• Introduction and first reading of Bill C-48 in the House of Commons was on May 16, 2023. No date has been set for the second reading of the Bill.

Considerations and risks

• The bail system spans beyond the jurisdiction and purview of the RCMP, requiring broader discussions with Canadian law enforcement, Public Safety and justice communities. The RCMP is engaged via Public Safety and the Department of Justice to ensure it provides the law enforcement perspective and support required relating to federal bail reform.
• Interoperability challenges in relation to Records Management System across agencies for bail preparation packages will be shared by all police services in Canada.
• The Bill does not provide for or describe additional resources for police to monitor violent repeat offenders who are still released on bail.

Recommendation next steps

• The RCMP will continue to work with internal and external partners, including the Department of Justice, to seek guidance on various issues impacting the RCMP, such as police preparation for bail hearings.
• The RCMP may engage via the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police for further discussions among the policing community, including with regard to advocacy for criminal justice systems renewal with a focus on integration between police, court registries, and all federal/provincial/territorial entities holding such records.
• The RCMP may consider the adoption of Uniform Crime Reporting version 2.3, which will allow for integration of records belonging to the same individual across the RCMP’s three Records Management Systems (that is, PROS, PRIME-BC, and Halifax Versadex), across police agencies, and Statistics Canada’s justice surveys.

Overview

• In the November 2020 Fall Economic Statement, $238.5 million was announced for the RCMP to implement a National Body-worn Camera and Digital Evidence Management System Program to improve transparency and accountability, and more effectively respond to concerns about policing from racialized and Indigenous communities. This initiative is one of many under the RCMP’s broader strategy aimed at building trust and transparency with communities.
• The RCMP is committed to providing body-worn cameras to general duty police officers across the country who have direct interactions with the public.
• Should the field test be successful, the broader roll out is expected to take between 12-18 months.

Current status

• The RCMP [REDACTED] which started in select detachments in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Nunavut on May 15, 2023, and is scheduled to end on July 24, 2023. The field test is part of the final stage of the procurement process meant to ensure that the technical solution meets the RCMP’s needs in a fully operational setting, as well as to draw lessons learned that will inform the RCMP’s broader roll out.
• In addition to planned testing in a controlled environment, a mandatory survey was conducted to validate if the service meets the RCMP’s requirements in an operational setting.
• Based on the results [REDACTED]

Considerations and risks

• [REDACTED] Feedback from the ongoing community survey is positive (214 responses to date), and reaffirms that the public believes body-worn cameras help the RCMP be more transparent (93.9%), increases officer accountability (93.4%), and increases community trust in RCMP officers (88.3%).
• If the field test results are successful, participating front-line officers will continue using their personal-issue body-worn cameras and the Digital Evidence Management System service, while preparations for national roll out begin. [REDACTED]
• The field test will also allow the RCMP an opportunity to test and adjust procedures and training materials prior to expanding the use of body-worn cameras to more geographical locations.

Next steps

• The RCMP may provide a subsequent more detailed briefing once the field test is concluded.

Overview

• Police work is inherently dangerous, and police officers (regular members) are obligated by legislation to put themselves in harm’s way. There have been 5 police officers killed in the line of duty across Canada this year (2023), which is on pace to be the deadliest year on record for officers in this country.
• The Member Injured on Duty benefit is a legislative benefit to recognize regular members’ sacrifice, should they become ill/injured or die in service to Canada. Section 5 of the RCMP Pension Continuation Act, and section 32 of the RCMP Superannuation Act provide RCMP regular and civilian members with a disability award in accordance with the Pension Act if the injury or illness, or the aggravation of the injury or illness – resulted in the disability or death arose out of, the regular members’ service.
• Since 1948, Veterans Affairs Canada has administered the Member Injured on Duty Benefit, on behalf of the RCMP through a memorandum of understanding including the processing, adjudication, and payment of disability awards, special allowances, and healthcare treatment benefits.
• In Spring 2022, the Office of the Auditor General tabled its Report on ‘Processing Disability Benefits by Veterans Affairs Canada’ which found there was significant delays in processing applications which delayed treatment and impacted member and veteran well-being. The Office of the Auditor General provided several recommendations for Veterans Affairs Canada to improve the delivery of services, including a joint recommendation for the RCMP and Veterans Affairs Canada to “work together to establish a formal costing process and determine the right level of funding needed for processing applications from RCMP veterans in a timely manner”. The RCMP and Veterans Affairs Canada have committed to addressing this recommendation by FY2024-25.
• Although the Member Injured on Duty Benefit is a legislated benefit, and is therefore, not subject to collective bargaining, any issues or delays in the administration of the benefit to active or former members may be raised by the National Police Federation, and the RCMP Veterans Association.

Current status

• As at June 2023, there were approximately 22,803 RCMP RMs and their families, in receipt of Member Injured on Duty benefits, and include approximately 12,724 former members, 8,523 active members and 1,556 survivors.
• The projected Member Injured on Duty benefits budget for fiscal year 2023-24 is $636 million, however, Veterans Affairs Canada expects financial expenditures to be $619.3 million based on current RCMP application processing trends.
• To date, the RCMP has established the Member Injured on Duty Steering and Oversight Committees, enhanced application(s) monitoring and financial reporting, and is seeking to secure policy development and analysis support in order to put measures in place that will prevent service-related injuries and promote member safety and well-being.
• As recommended by the Office of the Auditor General, the RCMP is working closely with Veterans Affairs Canada to renew the memorandum of understanding for fiscal year 2024-25, and that it properly reflects the administrative costs associated with services delivered to the RCMP.

Considerations and risks

• The RCMP and Veterans Affairs Canada’s longstanding and continued collaboration will be critical to ensure that necessary programs and services are in place to support injured active and former member well-being.
• [REDACTED]

Overview

• In respective mandate letters of 2021 and 2022 for the Minister of Public Safety and the RCMP Commissioner, the RCMP was directed to prohibit the “use of neck restraints in any circumstance, along with a prohibition of the use of tear gas and rubber bullets for crowd control”.
• [REDACTED]
• In December 2022, an RCMP representative became the new co-chair of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Use of Force (UoF) Advisory Committee. Discussions are ongoing on whether the RCMP and committee can work in partnership to review policies and standardize the national standards for police intervention; work is dependent an agreement amongst partners to move forward with such an initiative.
• [REDACTED]
• On July 7, 2023, the RCMP Commissioner issued a letter of acknowledgment to the aforementioned Management Advisory Board letter, affirming the RCMP’s commitment to address the board's recommendations.

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Strategic considerations

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Next steps

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