RCMP Mass Casualty Commission position notes

After-action review

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations P.23, P.24 and P.25, which recommend the implementation of policies and procedures to require an after-action report for any critical incident response that requires the engagement of a critical incident commander. This includes a public reporting component via an annual report that explains lessons learned, and the requirement to initiate an after-action review after the occurrence of a mass casualty incident.

This position note explains that we agree in full with recommendation P.23 and agree in principle with recommendations P.24 and P.25, given the challenges around the feasibility of the timelines prescribed in the recommendations. Overall, the RCMP agrees with the MCC's findings that operational debriefs and after-action reviews provide an invaluable means of capturing lessons learned from a critical incident response and will take actions to formalize these steps into its overall critical incident management training and processes.

For the full position note, visit Open Government.

Canadian police education and training – RCMP Depot Division

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations P.56 and P.70, which recommend the modernization of Canadian police education and research. This includes:

• phasing out the Depot model of RCMP training
• Public Safety Canada working with provincial and territorial governments to establish a 3-year degree as the minimum standard for police education across Canada

This position note explains that we agree in principle with these recommendations. We acknowledge that we must enhance education and training for police in order to effectively respond to the current public safety environment; however, these recommendations are ultimately outside of our mandate and authority. Implementation will require action by provincial, territorial and federal governments. In the interim, we will work within our authority to update our training and education to ensure that cadets receive a modernized curriculum.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Criminal justice reform regarding gender-based and intimate partner violence

This position note examines three recommendations from the MCC as part of a broader collection of notes focused on the topics of gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV). More specifically, recommendations V.10, V.11 and V.12 focus on suggested reforms of the criminal justice and social services system, including a focus on the prevention of GBV and IPV. While the RCMP does not have the mandate to implement these recommendations, it is committed to working with its federal partners and provincial and territorial governments to advance this work.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Interoperability

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations P.1, P.16 and P.64, as they relate to command model standardization, the need for joint training and the importance of effective command posts and emergency operations centres. The RCMP agrees in full with these recommendations.

This position note acknowledges that no single agency can respond to a major incident alone. Rather, agencies need to maintain effective working relationships during critical incidents and emergency events, including collaboration with other police agencies and other emergency personnel. The RCMP is strongly of the opinion that the most effective means to achieve this, as suggested by the MCC, is through joint training, exercising and through the testing of communication protocols and channels. The need to engage, and the policies to support this, are broadly in place, but rehearsing this is paramount to ensuring a coordinated response to an incident. As a best practice, these relationships must also be guided by memorandums of understanding that outline intra-agency communications, and participation of partners in the incident command structure.

For the full position note, visit Open Government.

Operational Communication Centres

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations P.10, P.11, and P.12, all which the RCMP agrees with in full.

These recommendations are related to how information is captured and managed by RCMP Operational Communication Centres (OCC). The RCMP has a number of initiatives to implement these recommendations, including updating scenario-based training for dispatchers, ensuring that software is sufficient to capture information during a critical incident, and a national program evaluation of the OCCs.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Police governance and structure in Nova Scotia

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations P.61 and P.67, which make recommendations to improve police governance in Canada and the structure of policing in Nova Scotia.

This position note explains that we agree in principle with the recommendations. It describes that, while the recommendations fall under the purview of the provincial government, we have made efforts to improve our own internal governance, as well as support the Province of Nova Scotia’s policing review. It also explains how we will implement elements of these recommendations at a national level.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Police responses to gender-based violence

This position note examines four recommendations from the MCC as part of a broader collection of notes focused on the topics of gender-based violence (GBV) and intimate partner violence (IPV). More specifically, this note explains that we agree in full with recommendations V.6 and V.15, and that we are able to make important contributions through improvements to policies and training. In addition, we agree in principle with recommendations V.9 and P.75, and will contribute to the work of partners to address these recommendations in support of preventing violence and protecting safety.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Principles of policing

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendation P.36. This recommendation calls for all Canadian police services to adopt Dr. Ian Loader's set of principles of policing.

This position note explains that we agree in principle with the recommendation. The note highlights the differences and similarities between Dr. Loader's principles and the commonly understood Peelian principles. It also explains the RCMP's intent to enhance understanding of the principles within the organization.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Public alerting

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations C.4, C.5, P.17, P.18, P.19. P.20, P.21 and P.22. These recommendations collectively call for us to:

• renew policies and procedures related to emergency alerting
• work closely with our partners to further the use of the Alert Ready system

This position note explains that we agree in principle with recommendations C.4, C.5, P.17, P.20 and P.21, and agree in full with recommendations P.18, P.19 and P.22. We have advanced our actions related to public communications, specifically working with Public Safety Canada, provincial government partners, and other police services to integrate the use of the Alert Ready system into our practices. This includes the creation of national and divisional policies on the use of Alert Ready, and the integration of public alerting training into the Depot and the Canadian Police College curriculums.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

RCMP governance with contract jurisdictions

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations P.45 and P.53, which recommends the RCMP enhances community involvement in senior recruitment, and ensures adequate police services in rural and remote communities.

This position note explains that we agree in principle with the recommendations. It also provides an overview of how RCMP policing services are contracted through service agreements, and the role those agreements play in how a community is consulted and how policing services are provided. It further explains the actions that we will take to improve governance with contract jurisdictions.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Sale of decommissioned vehicles

This note outlines our position in relation to MCC recommendation C.30, which the RCMP agrees with in full.

In 2021, the Minister imposed a moratorium preventing the sale of all RCMP fleet vehicles until improvements could be made to the decommissioning process. The paper outlines the work that has been done since 2021 to review, update and enhance internal oversight and accountability to address the RCMP vehicle decommissioning process. With new controls in place, the RCMP assesses it has met the requirements of the recommendation.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Taking responsibility

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendation P.37, which calls for the adoption of a policy for admitting to and accepting responsibility for mistakes. This policy would ensure accountability mechanisms are in place for addressing errors. We agree in principle with this recommendation. We will further establish a culture of accountability by advancing improvements to our executive promotion processes and broader cultural reforms. We will also update our Core Values to include “Take Responsibility.”

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.

Uniform and kit management and possession

This note outlines our position related to MCC recommendations C.28 and C.29, which call for improvements to the management and disposal of police uniforms and kit. The note explains that we agree in principle with the recommendation, and have improved policies and procedures to help limit instances of police impersonation. The note also outlines the enhancements we have made to better track police equipment, and to improve the disposal of uniform and equipment.

For the full position note, please visit Open Government.