Letter to Commissioner Duheme regarding MAB’s September 2024 Quarterly Meeting 

October 11, 2024

 

Commissioner Mike Duheme
RCMP National Headquarters
73 Leikin Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0R2

 

Dear Commissioner Duheme,

On behalf of the Management Advisory Board (MAB) for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), I would like to follow-up on the recent MAB Quarterly Meeting at the RCMP’s “Depot” Training Academy in Saskatchewan held on September 04-06, 2024.

First, thank you for your participation at the MAB’s Quarterly; as always, we are deeply appreciative of your time, effort, and insight. The MAB also appreciates your facilitation of participation of the members of your Senior Executive Committee (SEC), which has led to frank and useful exchanges. Our time spent together deepens our understanding and awareness of the key risks and challenges you face daily. We will continue to refine the process by which we engage with you in this segment of the agenda, in order to allow maximum time for discussion, and ensure the most judicious use of our collective time.

The MAB was grateful to hold its Quarterly Meeting at Depot – a world-renowned institution that prepares cadets for their future and sets the tone for the RCMP’s culture and identity. The Board appreciated the opportunity to tour Depot and learn of its historic significance. We also value the time spent speaking with cadets at various stages of their Depot experience – to discuss their experiences and see first-hand the effect of innovations and modernization efforts.

In the course of our three-day meeting, we received a presentation on the newly-created Cadet Training Program’s Unconscious Bias Scenarios, and discussed those portions still under development. MAB members highlighted some concerns with the current curriculum insofar that it is not evident to us that the desired pedagogical result will be achieved. In the coming weeks, we will schedule a discussion with Jas Breton, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), and Rob O’Reilly, Chief Learning Officer, in order to impart our advice in this respect.

The Board also learned more about the processes and policies for transitioning from the RCMP to new police services. The unprecedented and complex nature of this work is evident, and only adds to the challenge of designing and implementing such transitions. We encourage the RCMP to continue to document the process, in order to build a roadmap or playbook for future transitions and inform future processes of this nature.

The Board was grateful to receive the presentation on the RCMP’s data analysis and planning capacities related to personnel, which spoke to the MAB’s concerns outlined in its previous letter shared on June 13, 2024. We were pleased to note the progress in developing an enhanced Regular Member demand model.

We also heard about the RCMP’s comprehensive efforts in relation to police intervention techniques, which includes the carotid control technique. Above all, the MAB continues to support your utmost priority for the safety of Canadians and frontline RCMP officers. MAB had previously produced an advisory letter which recommended the RCMP consider updating their mandatory recertification regime to take place on an annual basis and enhance training materials on the CCT. MAB members were pleased to see the changes implemented to the training modules, and learn of the reviews of application of the CCT, as well as mandatory aftercare for those to whom the technique was applied. The Board is pleased to see such a thorough and measured approach to considering MAB’s advice and, as such, considers the RCMP response to the letter appropriate and complete.

The Board is also grateful for the opportunity given to a few of our members to participate in the RCMP National Memorial Service on September 08, 2024, in Regina. Honouring the fallen RCMP members who put their lives on the line to serve Canadians is very important to all of us.

Moving forward, MAB’s Standing Committees continue to focus on the broad themes of organizational accountability and culture, human resources, as well as finance and administration, with the last of these committees undertaking a deep dive on procurement. This body of work is supplemented by our taskforce exploring the topic of RCMP member wellbeing.

This being said, the Board is seized with the issue of recruitment, and sees this as a core, cross-cutting challenge, which if not adequately addressed, will have detrimental impacts in a number of areas across the organization. We look forward to continued dialogue on this matter, and will engage with the CHRO to discuss the best approach to keeping this topic at the forefront of our engagements, which may include a collaborative whiteboard session at an upcoming quarterly MAB meeting.

Currently, Canada is at the forefront of a tremendous opportunity for transformation in relation to the RCMP’s policing mandates. It is not lost on the MAB that this presents a sizable issue in relation to which you and your team will play a critical role. The RCMP’s expertise, insight, and drive for modernization will be crucial in the coming months to ensure the success of such efforts. Rest assured that the Board is committed to supporting you and your team as you proceed through this endeavour, with a view to achieving the best possible future for the RCMP and Canadians.

Should there be any other follow-up items from your perspective that you would like to circle back to the MAB on, I am happy to hear from you at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Professor Angela Campbell
Chairperson, Management Advisory Board for the RCMP

CC: Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
Deputy Minister of Public Safety Canada