Raf Souccar says next commissioner should be a police officer
Raf Souccar, the RCMP deputy commissioner who complained to federal authorities about Commissioner William Elliott, testified today to a standing committee on public safety about his boss’s abusive behaviour. Elliott, the RCMP’s first civilian appointed to commissioner, announced last Friday that he would step down at the end of this summer, after numerous complaints about his management style and treatment of officers. Among the deputy commissioner’s grievances was Elliott’s tendency to criticize officers publicly, while Souccar tried to deal with internal issues privately. Souccar said there was little doubt that the next RCMP commissioner should be a police officer, not a civilian, and “will have to be a strong leader who can rally the troops, someone everyone can believe in and support.” He also called for changes to the RCMP Act that would allow a swifter discipline process.