ARCHIVED - Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP - Report

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Section II: Analysis of Program Activities by Strategic Outcome

Strategic Outcome: RCMP members are held publicly accountable for their conduct in the performance of their duties.

Program Activity: Civilian review of RCMP members' conduct in the performance of their duties.

Program Activity Descriptions

The CPC conducts reviews of complaints received from the public about the conduct of RCMP members in the performance of their duties. When complainants are not satisfied with the RCMP's handling of their complaints, they can request a review of their case by the CPC. In reviewing these complaints, the CPC may conduct hearings and investigations, and reports on its findings and makes recommendations to the RCMP Commissioner and Minister of Public Safety.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
3,299	3,639	3,236

2010-11 Human Resources (FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference
22	31	3

Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets	Performance Status
Improve access to and openness of the public complaint process.	The percentage of complaints received from the public directly by the CPC is increased.	Annual increase of 5%	Mostly Met

Performance Summary and Analysis of Program Activity

In 2010-2011, the CPC received 74% of all complaints directly from the public with the RCMP receiving the rest; this represents a 4% increase from 70% in 2009-2010. Both the overall number of complaints and the number of complaints sent directly to the CPC has continued to increase annually. The CPC's National (complaint) Intake Office in Surrey, BC, processed 3,904 general enquiries, alternative dispute resolutions and formal complaints against the RCMP in 2010-2011. Of these, 1,818 were complaints, 154 were resolved through alternative dispute resolution and 1,932 were general enquiries. The CPC continues to emphasize its internal performance-based service standards, consistent with its view that to be effective, it is imperative that review be timely. It is in furtherance of this principle that the CPC recommends, as it has in the past, that the RCMP apply service standards to its response times, with the goal in mind that the complaint investigation and review be completed within one year.

The CPC has steadily increased its outreach capability. Engagement with key stakeholder groups, such as municipal associations, police boards, provincial oversight bodies and Aboriginal groups, is vital to helping increase awareness of an individual's ability to initiate a complaint against the conduct of an RCMP member. An EKOS study undertaken in May 2010 concluded that 65% of people are comfortable bringing complaints to the CPC.

The CPC has continued to conduct trends analysis and generate specialized reports. The CPC's Review of the Record project, an annual in-depth examination of the entire RCMP public complaint system, continues to be an important public reporting and management tool in identifying areas in the public complaint system requiring further attention by the RCMP.

The CPC issued a report entitled RCMP Use of the Conducted Energy Weapon and a submission to the Yukon Police Review that included a detailed review of all complaints originating from the Yukon. The CPC's review of the RCMP Use of Conducted Energy Weapon (TASER^®), which examined 696 TASER^® usage reports, concluded that usage (i.e. threatened or actual deployment of weapon) dropped 38% in 2009, and continued a downward tread evidenced in previous years.

The CPC also continued its research into areas of particular concern to the public. The CPC has the Multiple Complaint Member Project, which functions as an early warning system designed to identify RCMP members who are subject to three or more public complaints, where the allegations are serious in nature (e.g. improper use of force, improper use of firearms) within a 12 month period. Once a member is identified under the current criteria, the CPC shares this information with the RCMP, which is then able to communicate the information to the relevant division and/or detachment.

Lessons Learned

Over the past several years, a number of independent inquires and task forces have all recommended enhanced civilian oversight of the RCMP. The government introduced Bill C-38 on June 14, 2010, which set out to create a new RCMP review and complaint commission with expanded powers. Bill C-38 did not advance beyond first reading before the 2011 federal election call.

During this period, the goal of the CPC has been to ensure that it is providing the best possible service to the public under the existing legislative framework in order to better position itself to meet expectations under a new mandate.

To this end, the CPC has:

• structured its organization to streamline processes;
• implemented and respected service standards (while urging the RCMP to do the same);
• focused more resources on outreach; and
• focused on trends analysis (e.g. use of the conducted energy weapons, police investigating the police, and data analysis on complaints nationally and by region).

The CPC believes these types of initiatives are encouraging the RCMP to improve its internal handling of individual complaints, as well as to implement national policies that will hopefully lead to better training, and consequently to fewer incidents of conflict with the public.

This would not have been possible without interim funding over and above the CPC's resource base, which has been approved by the government over the past four years.

Program Activity: Internal Services

Program Activity Descriptions

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only activities and resources that apply across an organization and not those provided specifically to a program.

2010-11 Financial Resources ($ thousands)

Planned Spending	Total Authorities	Actual Spending
2,089	4,755	4,288

2010-11 Human Resources (FTEs)

Planned	Actual	Difference
12	26	14

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