RCMP must improve handling of public complaints: commission

The RCMP needs to do a better job of handling complaints if it wants to improve the public's trust in the force, a study by a watchdog has found.

The latest findings of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, an independent agency created by Parliament, were released on Thursday. It is the first-ever analysis of the RCMP's performance in the public complaint process.

The study found that 3,104 allegations were made against Mounties in 2007. The most common complaints were neglect of duty, improper attitude and improper use of force.

"For me, it's very simple," Commission chair Paul Kennedy said. "You cannot manage the RCMP as an institution unless you have proper and accurate data that tells you how the organization and its members are performing. A complaint process is part of that necessary feedback."

The report examines all of the public complaint decisions made by the RCMP in 2007 and looks at timeliness in processing complaints, investigation findings, variations in procedures, misclassification of allegations, complaint withdrawals and inappropriate informal resolutions.

The complaints commission found that a large number allegations against police officers are being buried without proper investigation.

"You've got 43 per cent of the cases we've looked at that are either dealt with informally or shown as withdrawals," Kennedy said.

The findings also suggest that the number of complaints in rural and remote areas of Canada may be going under-reported, Kennedy added.

Owing to language barriers and the remoteness of some of the RCMP's jurisdictions, there may be people who do not "intuitively know what their rights are and if a matter has been adequately disposed of," he said.

Recommendations

Among the key recommendations made in the report are:

• Improved tracking of public complaints.
• More appropriate training for complaint investigators.
• Standardizing a national approach to the treatment of public complaints.
• Reducing wait times for the investigation and resolution of public complaints.

"If you want to have the public's trust, you have to show the process has integrity," Kennedy said. "You have to be serious how you respond to public complaints and do so in a meaningful fashion."

The report has been shared with RCMP Commissioner William Elliott and federal Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan.

In a written statement, the RCMP said it welcomed the report and would review and assess the recommendations.

"The RCMP remains committed to working to reduce public complaints" and effectively handling those received, the Mounties said.

Currently, the public can complain about the RCMP directly to the Mounties, to the commission or to a provincial policing authority, since the force carries out front-line policing in many parts of Canada.

When the commission receives a complaint, it may try to settle the matter informally. When that doesn't work or is not appropriate, a formal grievance is filed with the RCMP. The Mounties then investigate and report their findings.

If the complainant is still dissatisfied, they can ask the commission to take up the file.