Appendix B: MAB Recruitment Taskforce^{Footnote 1} Advisory Report to the RCMP

15 June 2021

Introduction and Context

The Taskforce was charged with assessing and providing advice on recruitment within the RCMP. In its earliest meetings, the Taskforce opted to focus on (1) Regular Members (RMs) and (2) Indigenous officers. This decision was based on the following factors:

• Addressing static/ declining recruitment of this particular population group
• Alignment with RCMP’s EDI Strategy
• Alignment with RCMP’s Reconciliation Strategy
• Alignment with FNPP contractual requirement re Indigenous RMs
• Alignment with 2020 Speech from the Throne:

The Government will: […]          

• • Move forward on RCMP reforms, with a shift toward community-led policing;       
  • And accelerate work to co-develop a legislative framework for First Nations policing as an essential service.
• Potential to extrapolate from findings to support recruitment efforts in other realms (e.g., racialized persons, women, LGBTQ2+) while recognizing the specific histories and contemporary realities of Indigenous peoples and communities.

Indigenous representation within the RCMP RM population has been static for the last two decades, and has been slowly declining for the last decade:

Recruitment data indicate that the downward trend in representation stands to decline further:

Source: National Recruiting Program

Note: 1) Figures reported are based on historical reports published at fiscal year-end. 2) Depot shut down for lack of funding. 3) Initiatives for hiring Inuit cadets were established to coincide with Nunavut recognized as a territory in 1999.

We find the recruitment data presented in this table disconcerting. The consistent decline in Indigenous recruitment since the period 1999-2001 is an obvious threat to the RCMP’s goal of 10 percent recruitment across the RCMP. While this representation has stalled for years and now shows a slow decline, there will be a precipice in the numbers when the Indigenous RMs recruited in the period 1999- 2001 retire.

These numbers indicate that the status quo is not an acceptable path forward. Rather, aggressive measures – that move beyond intention and rhetoric to concrete action with measurable outcomes – are needed to boost Indigenous recruitment and representation within the RCMP, in line with the organization’s stated objectives.

Information-Gathering

Throughout March-April 2021, the Taskforce held meetings with Assistant Commissioners, Superintendents, current and retired Commanding Officers, from Divisions across the country, including at Depot. The Taskforce also benefited from reports and information shared by Human Resources within the RCMP.

The Taskforce appreciates the collaboration and insights shared by all those with whom its members met with and worked during the period of its mandate.

Observations

Itemized observations are set out in the Taskforce’s presentation to the MAB given on 8 April. The most salient points, for the purpose of this report, are the following:

1. RCMP says Reconciliation and Indigenous recruitment are priorities but there is little evidence of this in strategic planning or in action.
2. The data shown above tell a story of declining recruitment. Numbers will drop further in a dramatic way once the cohorts recruited in the late 1990s/early 2000s retire. Those cohorts were the result of deliberate measures undertaken within the force to recruit groups of cohorts that were composed uniquely of Indigenous troops.
3. Detachment-level operations include several ad hoc and creative measures that establish good relationships with local Indigenous communities. Yet these do not form part of a larger Indigenous or Reconciliation strategy within the RCMP and there are no mechanisms in place to assess their impact and, where they are effective, to sustain and grow them.
4. Divisions do not have their own targets for Indigenous representation and those who are involved in Indigenous recruitment and policing operations do not universally know what the central representation target is.
5. The idea of training for six months at Depot is an alienating proposition for many Indigenous young people, especially those from northern communities. Some Indigenous cadets will not make it through the training because the setting is so unfamiliar to them (language, food, customs), and not for lack of ability.
6. A core theme emerging across all conversations with RCMP members is the weak level of trust between the RCMP and Indigenous communities. While there are stories of strong relations in some detachments between officers and band council leaders or elders from nearby communities, by and large, many young Indigenous people are not encouraged, or actively discouraged from joining the RCMP because of the fraught relationship the force has had, and continues to have, with Indigenous peoples. This calls for creative and novel approaches to thinking about Indigenous and community policing to build and restore trust.
7. Many systemic barriers limit access to recruitment and promotion within the RCMP. While this is true for all Indigenous peoples, barriers to recruitment are especially difficult to overcome for residents of northern and remote communities. We describe these barriers below. For the moment, we cite the fact that these barriers exist – and the need to develop effective ways to reduce or eliminate them – as one of our Taskforce’s key observations.

Recommendations

There are many recommendations that the Taskforce contemplated, such as those focused on reducing barriers to Indigenous recruitment and that would increase the potential for cultivating strong relationships between detachment officers and communities. We decided, however, to focus on three principal themes, which would– if adopted –be likely to integrate more discrete measures aimed at boosting Indigenous recruitment within the RCMP.

    1.Recruitment of Indigenous Clusters and Cohorts to Depot    

• What it should look like:
  • Clusters of Indigenous recruits (n=~15-20) brought to Depot from a single province, who train together, who are mentored before, during, and after their time at Depot by more senior Indigenous and other recruits, who would form part of a larger Indigenous RM network that convenes and supports one another across the Force, and which advises RCMP leadership.
  • Clusters could train with other recruits at Depot.
  • Cluster-recruiting from one province would/should not preclude recruiting to Depot in the same cohort cadets who are Indigenous or members other underrepresented groups.
  • Training at Depot needs to include cross-cultural awareness.
  • The Depot training experience needs to be considered through the lens of Reconciliation. How can diverse Indigenous traditions, languages, cultures, knowledges, be integrated into, and represented in, the physical space, the curriculum, the activities onsite? Changes to this effect would help Depot more effectively welcome Indigenous recruits.
  • Upon graduation, recruits would return to their province together and be permitted to stay there unless a graduate cadet expresses their goal of being posted elsewhere.
  • Detachment postings for Indigenous recruits should not require turnover within the usual timeframe for RMs.
  • Clusters could be recruited from different provinces in different years.
  • Before clusters relocate to Depot, investment in “pre-departure training” would serve to acclimatize the troops as to what to expect at Depot and begin to create opportunities for socializing among the recruits. For Indigenous recruits, this pre-training could be extended, to provide them with the chance to connect with one another, learn about the organization, expectations, the institution they are about to enter, as well as  linkages back (home) to their base province/detachment/section. This window of opportunity could be, and should be tailored for Indigenous candidates (and all candidates frankly) to ensure their future success.
  • Upon graduation from Depot, new Indigenous RMs would be assigned in pairs or groups of three or more to the same detachment or to detachments proximate to one another. It is envisaged that this will facilitate the cadet-to-RM transition and sustain and reinforce relationships. Ideally, junior Indigenous RMs would serve their own community(ies), provided that this aligns with their own objectives. It should be recognized that for some Indigenous RMs, returning to community will be important whereas for some others, mobility is a part of the attraction of a career as an RM with the RCMP.
  • Related to the foregoing point, the mobility requirements of RCMP careers should be revisited for RMs – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous – working with Indigenous communities. This would more effectively recognize the time that relationship- and trust-building take and, accordingly, the importance of continuity in the context of RCMP presence in Indigenous communities.
• The foregoing can and should be coupled with an approach premised on Indigenous-only cohorts; these options (Indigenous-only and Indigenous cluster within a class) are not mutually exclusive.
• This mechanism has shown to work when deployed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
• It was not without controversy; therefore, the measure must be accompanied by a strong communications/awareness-raising strategy to sensitize the force to the fact that such a move is integral to the RCMP’s modernization and reconciliation commitments.

2. Partnerships and Working with Indigenous Communities

• The FNPP service model has not been reviewed since 1995. The time is opportune to do so now in view of the speech from the Throne and the 2021 budget commitment to address systemic racism in the RCMP. The focus can be on a commitment to working with Indigenous communities in partnership to address the specific needs of different communities. In this connection, we recommend the development of the FNPP as its own unit and leadership – that has authority and influence – within the RCMP. This work needs to be developed within the framework of a broader national commitment to Indigenous policing that is both articulated and acted upon by the Minister and his team, and by the RCMP. We would advocate for a model that allocates sufficient resources to Indigenous policing that would allow for aggressive recruiting and remuneration for Indigenous community policing.
• While the Special Constable (SC) model had some promise but dissipated because of “mission drift”; SCs were asked to take up work that was the same as RMs but not given the uniform, the pay, and other “perks” tied to RM status. Because it stands to confirm “second class” status of Indigenous policing, we do not advise its reignition.
• Instead, the Community Safety Officer role – while distinct from the Depot-trained RM – is promising from the vantage point of community relations and Indigenous policing.
• CSO model also prompts a call for an interdisciplinary approach to Indigenous community safety.
• Policing is just one element, but there will be a need for social work, mental health professionals, and Indigenous knowledge-holders. A team approach to community policing – designed and implemented in partnerships with local Indigenous communities – holds promise.
• Officers who know local culture, language and people are essential to build the trust that was never established between the RCMP and Indigenous peoples/communities.
• Alongside the increased Indigenous RM recruitment, the RCMP needs to consider how it can support the development of CSOs and formalize collaborations with them.
• There are 634 FN communities across Canada. They are all different and require different approaches or levels of service. This requires a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. The health of this approach will depend on assessing individual communities’ distinct needs then matching these with the appropriate services and resources, which may or may not include law enforcement/policing services.
• As part of the national strategy (see #3 below), each division ought to be charged with developing community partnership plans, premised on working with Indigenous community leadership to hear their needs and goals vis-à-vis both policing and security but also questions about how to increase Indigenous representation in the RCMP.

3. National Strategy and Standards for Indigenous Recruitment with Local Implementation that Reflects Divisional Realities

• “Many spokes, no hub” reflects the current state of affairs. While there are several detachment-level efforts to bridge relationships with local communities are not backed up/aligned/supported by central policies and strategies.
• National strategy needs to be premised on clear articulation of commitment from the top that the RCMP’s aspirations vis-a-vis modernization and reconciliation will not succeed without significantly improved efforts to recruit and retain Indigenous RMs. The message from the RCMP to Indigenous youth ought to be “We need you.” That message needs to be conveyed consistently from the top, to divisional levels, to community levels which is where most of the recruitment will occur.
• The national strategy would serve as the guiding umbrella with directions to each division to set targets and develop a clear plan for meeting these targets.
• This strategy could fold in recommendations #1 and #2 above.
• Divisions need to be held to report on measures deployed to meet established targets over the next 5, 10, 20 years. This needs to be built into the CO’s/Division’s annual performance goals and assessments.
• We recommend that BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the territories constitute a focal point for this strategy, but targets should be set for all Divisions.
• Targets should be set for each Division using relevant employment equity data that establishes the Labour Market Availability in a given location.
• Each Division must be held accountable to establish its own measures and activities to move toward reaching their respective targets.
• Given the urgency of the situation, we recommend Divisional Targets be set an communicated no later than September 2021.
• Divisions then ought to develop and submit their respective plans to the commissioners by 31 March 2022, followed thereafter by quarterly reports that communicate (a) steps taken (b) challenges and success and (c) progress toward meeting targets. These reports should be submitted to the Commissioner who is charged with taking appropriate measures for support and intervention where progress is not being made an acceptable pace. Quarterly reports from divisions, and responses from the Commissioner to these, are to be shared with the DM for his review.
• The strategy must examine systemic barriers and how these can be reduced or eliminated, especially if the RCMP ever hopes to recruit a critical mass of officers from the North. These barriers include requirements related to: education, language, fitness, security, driver’s license, hearing/vision testing.
• Aside from recruitment, this strategy must focus also on nurturing Indigenous talent with a view to seeing Indigenous RMs move up through the ranks. Where are the Indigenous Assistant Commissioners? Aside from the strategies proposed below (networks, mentorships), setting targets at rank levels as opposed to solely within the broad RM category will be essential.
• Strategy also should consider how much of the training for Indigenous RCMP officers needs to happen at Depot. We learned through our discussions that there has not been a single Inuk recruit to graduate successfully from Depot since 2003 and just a handful (5 or fewer) Innu RMs remain within the RCMP.
• A national strategy needs to be mindful of the fact that “the North” is vast and reflects diverse geographic, cultural, and demographic realities.
• This strategy also must consider whether and how onsite training would reduce the barrier presented by the current need to relocate to Depot for six months of training, which will be an alienating experience for many recruits from the territories, Labrador or northern communities in the provinces. Addressing this challenge calls for assessing (a) how to shorten the period at Depot and (b) how to make Depot more welcoming for Indigenous troops from diverse communities, both through critical mass/cluster recruiting and through the training and measures that are put in place at Depot to reflect Indigenous identities, cultures (many institutions are adopting Elders-in-residence to support Indigenous trainees). We see this as having the promise to boost success rates through the training program.
• Finally, an effective national strategy will undertake the following steps, with a view to removing systemic barriers:
  • Examine the recruitment test – both method and content. It should test ability to learn rather than what a person already knows.
  • Waive testing fees for Indigenous applicants.
  • Continue to work to reduce application processing time AND appoint an Indigenous recruiter to be in touch regularly (monthly?) with Indigenous applicants.
  • Allow testing in remote locations virtually as has been done in some locations (e.g., Ontario) since the onset of COVID.
  • Formalize mentorship, networking opportunities for Indigenous RMs to ensure support and to facilitate promotion through the ranks.
  • Develop communities of practice for detachments within and/or across Divisions with a view to identifying and developing best practices for Indigenous RM recruitment, support, retention and promotion.    

4. Implementation

• Within three months of submission of this report (i.e., by 1 October 2021) we recommend that the RCMP prepare and publish a plan for implementing measures related to Indigenous RM recruitment.
• A unit within the RCMP ought to be established charged with responsibility for implementing and tracking the results of measures envisaged to boost Indigenous representation and success within the RCMP. This unit should be responsible to report every quarter to the CAO of the RCMP with a copy to the MAB.
• Each CO must be charged with reporting semi-annually on mandates given pursuant to recommendation #3 above. These reports must provide a KPI for Divisions and their COs against which career progression and performance are measured.
• Appointment of a Deputy Commissioner specific to Indigenous Policing.