Commentary
Since its creation, the RCMP has been an icon—sometimes shining, sometimes tarnished. But the objective here is not to review the force’s past but rather to look to its future role and mandate by asking if the way policing is currently set up in Canada is in the national interest. So, in looking at the future role of the RCMP, we should consider both the interests of the federal government and of the provinces and territories. The RCMP is charged with providing three baskets of services: federal policing, provincial/territorial and municipal policing in eight provinces and three territories, and a range of technical services available to all police forces in Canada. This has been the case for some decades now and the key issue is whether this arrangement suits the policing requirements for Canada for the future. I do not believe this to be the case and suggest that what today is required of the force is beyond its capacity to effectively deliver. Delivery of the three baskets of services is immeasurably more complex than it was a few decades ago, and it is unreasonable to ask one organization to do it all. …