General

Mounties will no longer investigate themselves

In “serious” cases, outside cops will probe the RCMP

It seems like a no-brainer: when an RCMP officer is accused of potential wrongdoing, the lead investigator should not be another RCMP officer. But for decades, the opposite has been standard operating procedure—until yesterday, when the commissioner announced that Mounties will no longer investigate fellow Mounties in cases involving serious injury or death. Instead, the RCMP will refer such cases to outside police forces, or provincial or federal review agencies. “The RCMP must strive to be as open and transparent as possible and fully accountable for its actions,” Commissioner William Elliott told a news conference. “I’m convinced we need to collectively raise the bar in terms of how we respond to situations where life is lost, serious injuries sustained, or sensitive matters of public trust and confidence are raised.” Calls for the Mounties to stop investigating each other have escalated in recent years, especially following the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski, who was repeatedly tasered by RCMP officers at the Vancouver International Airport in October 2007.

Montreal Gazette

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