November Updates: Problems in the RCMP

Photograph of magnifying glass over RCMP crest

 

 

 

For the month of November 2012, there have been many news reports about harassment issues contained within the RCMP.

We have include below some of these most notable stories:

 

 

B.C. Mountie Denies Sexual Harassment Allegations – VANCOUVER – A B.C. RCMP officer accused of harassment by a fellow Mountie is denying the allegations against him.

The civil lawsuit launched against Corp. Baldev (David) Singh Bamra by Const. Karen Katz is one of several sexual harassment suits filed by female officers against the RCMP. Read more

RCMP At Status Of Women Committee On Harassment – The RCMP’s grievance process doesn’t line up with standard federal government procedures for dealing with harassment and the culture must change in order to fight the problem, MPs heard Tuesday morning.

RCMP representatives appeared as witnesses at the House of Commons status of women committee this morning, providing testimony as part of the MPs’ study of sexual harassment issues in federal workplaces.

Sharon Woodburn, the director general of the RCMP’s workforce programs and services, and Michael O’Rielly, the director of the RCMP’s legislative reform initiative, told MPs that the Treasury Board Secretariat process is set up to resolve problems early and rebuild relationships. The only recourse in the RCMP, however, is a disciplinary process that requires gathering evidence to prove a violation of the code of conduct. It echoes repeated comments by RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson that the force needs an updated disciplinary process, something that’s up to Parliament to pass. Read more

RCMP Culture Needs to Change To Fight Harassment, MP Told – The RCMP’s grievance process doesn’t line up with standard federal government procedures for dealing with harassment and the culture must change in order to fight the problem, MPs heard Tuesday morning.

RCMP representatives appeared as witnesses at the House of Commons status of women committee this morning, providing testimony as part of the MPs’ study of sexual harassment issues in federal workplaces. Read more

Internal RCMP Audit Shows Bias Against Promotion Of Women, Commissioner Bob Paulson Reveals – VANCOUVER – An internal gender-based audit of the RCMP’s workforce has revealed a “clear, unassailable” bias against the promotion of women in the upper ranks, the RCMP commissioner disclosed Tuesday.

Bob Paulson shared details of the soon-to-be-released audit report during a wide-ranging interview with Postmedia News in which he admitted that his first year – marked by a harassment scandal and, within the past week, the death of a young B.C. constable in a car accident – has been “very, very tough.” Read more

RCMP Says Force Is Changing After Sexual Harassment Allegations – (story & video) – A year after Canada’s national police force was rocked by allegations of sexual harassment, some within the RCMP say the force is changing.

Last November, Cpl. Catherine Galliford told CBC News the constant sexual advances and mistreatment she faced while working as the public face of the RCMP in B.C. made her sick. Read more

How To Reinvent The RCMP – A bill making its way through Parliament promises to overhaul the RCMP by making individual police officers more accountable for their actions.

But recent history in Canada and elsewhere tells us that improved discipline and a stronger independent complaints process on their own are not enough to get the job done. Read more

RCMP Harassment Crisis Shadows Commissioner’s 1st Year – (story & video) – RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson says a harassment culture has shadowed his first year in the role and that he once experienced it himself.

In an interview with CBC News’s Alison Crawford, Paulson says he has spent the year responding to the stories of harassment while also trying to change the RCMP’s strategic direction. Read more

 

 

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