Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP

The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP is an independent Canadian government agency responsible for complaints, as well as complaints from members of the RCMP, of improper conduct of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The interim chair of the CPC is Ian McPhail, Q.C. He was appointed as vice-chair on January 18, 2010.

Anyone, including a non-citizen, who has a concern about the conduct of an RCMP member can make a complaint. You do not have to be directly involved in the incident; you can make a complaint on behalf of someone else, or as a witness to an incident.

When a member of the public contacts the Commission, they are provided with same-day access to an experienced analyst who then assesses the needs of that person and identifies possible options for a way forward to addressing their concerns. These options include:

• Enquiries may include requests for information about police authority, obtaining assistance in furthering an investigation or gaining an understanding of the role of Crown counsel.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): The Commission employs skilled analysts, trained in mediation, who function as neutral and objective intermediaries to assist with conflict resolution between the public and the RCMP.
• A formal complaint involves a complainant and a CPC analyst completing an official complaint form. The complaint is then written up and sent to the RCMP for investigation. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the RCMP's investigation, he or she can request that the CPC conduct a review of the investigation.

The CPC's National Intake Office in Surrey, B.C. processed 3,764 general enquiries, ADRs, and formal complaints against the RCMP in 2009.

The most common complaint issue relates to member attitude. This category of alleged complaint can include dismissive, rude, non-responsive or biased behaviour on the part of the member as well as behaviour that is seen to be unfair or lacking empathy.

Other complaint issues relate to quality of RCMP criminal investigation, arrest, vehicular incidents and issues surrounding allegations of police physical abuse.

On June 14, 2010, legislation was tabled in the House of Commons of Canada to amend the RCMP Act and establish a new civilian review body to replace the CPC.

Bill C-38 builds upon the existing powers of the CPC, bringing civilian review of the RCMP into line with other modern review bodies. It responds to recommendations made by Justice O'Connor, the Brown Task Force and key stakeholders.

Reference

• Commission for Public Complaints against the RCMP website