RCMP union tells Ottawa to stop making Mounties investigate colleagues

The union representing RCMP officers says one way to improve accountability in the national police force is to stop tasking Mounties with investigating colleagues accused of wrongdoing. 

The federal government is working to pass a bill that would expand the mandate of the RCMP's watchdog, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, before Parliament rises for the summer break. 

Brian Sauvé, president of the National Police Federation, is arguing that the bill needs amendments to make the review system "fully independent." 

As it stands, when a member of the public feels they have been unfairly or improperly treated by an RCMP officer, they are directed to lodge a complaint with their local detachment.

If the complainant doesn't agree with the RCMP's finding, then they can kick their complaint up to the CRCC, which is meant to be an independent review body.

"Our members handle these investigations of their colleagues in a professional and impartial manner. However, this does create a perception of bias and possible conflict of interest," Sauvé recently told the House of Commons standing committee on public safety and national security.

"Bill C-20 offers an opportunity to address the issue of police investigating the police."

Sauvé also told MPs on the committee that having RCMP officers investigate complaints first imposes an unwelcome burden on resources.

"With nearly 20,000 members of the RCMP handling three million documented interactions each year, complaints can be expected," he said.

The union said that, on average, members investigate about 1,500 complaints a year. 

"We are talking about approximately 60,000 work hours taken from communities where our members could be engaging in core policing duties," Sauvé said.

"This is particularly harmful in smaller detachments areas where all resources are vital to daily operations."

The CRCC has taken on some high-profile cases in recent years. It concluded that RCMP officers racially discriminated against the mother of Colten Boushie during their investigation of the Indigenous man's shooting death in 2016. 

It also has called out what it calls "unreasonable" use of force during wellness checks and has repeatedly found Mounties are not properly investigating sexual assault allegations.

Critics, however, have long argued the CRCC process isn't truly independent and the agency lacks teeth because it's recommendations are not binding.

Union says decisions should not be 'politically motivated'

If passed, Bill C-20 would replace the CRCC with the Public Complaints and Review Commission, which also would take on complaints against Canada Border Services Agency workers.

Bill C-20 also would require the heads of the RCMP and the CBSA to report annually to the public safety minister on progress in implementing commission recommendations.

The bill also promises to codify deadlines and would require the RCMP to respond to complaints within six months. The RCMP sometimes takes years to properly respond to complaints lodged by members of the public with the CRCC.

It's the third iteration of the bill to be introduced by the Liberal government. Previous versions of the bill got multi-party support but died on the order paper.

The issue of the CRCC's resources and independence was raised as part of the inquiry into the deadly mass shooting in Nova Scotia. In testimony before the commission, CRCC chair Michelaine Lahaie said that in order to conduct a systemic investigation or a public interest investigation, she must send a letter to the minister of public safety indicating that she has sufficient resources to conduct that investigation.

In its submissions, the RCMP's union encouraged MPs to make sure the new PCRC is appropriately resourced "to make independent decisions and recommendations that are not politically motivated or influenced by external pressures."

Sauvé told the committee that the new body should be fully independent to allow it to conduct its investigations "away from the government of the day."

Lahaie is scheduled to testify before the committee Friday.