- Lawrence Herchmer
Lawrence William Herchmer (
25 April 1840 –17 February 1915 ) was a Canadian and British police commander and army officer, who was also employed as a farmer, brewer and civil servant. He served as the fifth Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police, [Now theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)] fromApril 1 ,1886 toJuly 31 ,1900 .Cite web
url=http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7440
title=HERCHMER, LAWRENCE WILLIAM
work=Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
accessdate=2008-07-30
author=S. W. Horrall
date=2000]According to biographer S. W. Horrall, although Herchmer gained a “reputation as a tyrant” during his tenure as commissioner, the force under his command became better organized, trained, and respected, with a marked improvement in "esprit du corps". Herchmer introduced the wide-brimmed hats (later adopted as official uniform), and the famous musical ride display of horsemanship.
Although a former military officer, he had not served in the police, and was a civilian at the time he was named as Commissioner of the force. [The news media described
William J. S. Elliott , appointed in 2007, but who had not served in the armed forces or the police, as the first civilian RCMP commissioner. [http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/07/16/elliott-rcmp.html CBC News] , [http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=38a04926-a29d-4a23-91fd-173d1e03dec1 CanWest] ] His family had connections withJohn A. Macdonald , first prime minister of Canada, who appointed him. He had the political backing to make many important changes to the administration and organization of the force.References
External links
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7440 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
* [http://www.rcmpmuseum.com/museum/Topic1/slide5.html RCMP Museum]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
