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| {{Short description|Canadian federal police force}}
| | [[File:Mountie at the state funeral for Lincoln Alexander.jpg|thumb|Mountie at the state funeral for Lincoln Alexander]] |
| {{Redirect|Mountie||Mountie (disambiguation)}}
| | The '''Royal Canadian Mounted Police''' (RCMP), ({{lang-fr|Gendarmerie royale du Canada}} (GRC)), is the [[national]] [[police]] force of [[Canada]]. The force is also called the ''Mounties''. |
| {{Redirect|RCMP|the TV series|R.C.M.P. (TV series)}}
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| {{Redirect|Royal Mounted Police|the film|Giubbe rosse}}
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| {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2015}}
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| {{Infobox law enforcement agency
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| | agencyname = Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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| | nativename = {{nobold|{{lang|fr|Gendarmerie royale du Canada}}}}
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| | commonname =
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| | abbreviation = {{hlist|RCMP|{{lang|fr|GRC}}}}
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| | patch = Patch of the Royal Canadian Mountain Police.png
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| | patchcaption = Patch (i.e. shoulder flash) of the RCMP
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| | logo =
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| | logocaption =
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| | badge = Coat of arms of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.svg
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| | badgecaption = [[Heraldic badge|Badge]] of the RCMP<ref name="GG">{{cite web |url=http://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=2101&ShowAll=1 |title=RCMP heraldic badge |work=Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada |publisher=Office of the Secretary to the Governor General |access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
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| | flag = Flag of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.svg
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| | flagcaption = Flag (i.e. corps ensign) of the RCMP<ref name="ensign">{{cite web |url=http://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project-pic.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=2212&ProjectElementID=7745 |title=Corps ensign of the RCMP |work=Public Register of Arms, Flags and Badges of Canada |publisher=Office of the Secretary to the Governor General |access-date=2018-12-17}}</ref>
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| | motto = {{lang|fr|Maintiens le droit}}
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| | mottotranslated = (French for "Defend the law") <ref>{{cite web|last=General|first=The Office of the Secretary to the Governor|title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police [Civil Institution]|url=https://reg.gg.ca/heraldry/pub-reg/project.asp?lang=e&ProjectID=2101&ShowAll=1|access-date=2021-02-12|website=reg.gg.ca|date=November 12, 2020|language=EN}}</ref>
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| | mission =
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| | formed = {{Start date and age|1873|5|23}} (NWMP formed)<ref>{{cite web|last=Government of Canada|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|date=2020-01-24|title=History of the RCMP {{!}} Royal Canadian Mounted Police|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/history-rcmp|access-date=2021-11-02|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Infographic for Royal Canadian Mounted Police|url=https://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/ems-sgd/edb-bdd/index-eng.html#orgs/dept/295/infograph/intro|url-status=live|website=GC InfoBase|publisher=[[Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat]]}}</ref><br />{{Start date|1920|2|1}} (renamed to RCMP and absorption of Dominion Police)<ref>{{cite web|last=Government of Canada|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|date=2016-07-20|title=Historically relevant dates to the RCMP {{!}} Royal Canadian Mounted Police|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/historically-relevant-dates-rcmp|access-date=2021-11-02|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
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| | preceding1 = [[Royal North-West Mounted Police]] (RNWMP) (1873)
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| | preceding2 = [[Dominion Police]] (1868)
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| | employees = 30,092 (2019)
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| | volunteers = Approximately 1,600 auxiliary constables<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ccaps-spcca/auxil-eng.htm|title=Auxiliary Constable Program|access-date=2016-05-05|publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508061111/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ccaps-spcca/auxil-eng.htm|archive-date=May 8, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
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| | country = Canada
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| | constitution1 = [http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/R-10/index.html ''Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act'' (''RCMP Act'')]
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| | constitution2 = Various provincial police legislation
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| | police = Yes
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| | gendarmerie = Yes
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| | local = footnote
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| | overviewtype = Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
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| | overviewbody =
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| | headquarters = M. J. Nadon Government of Canada Building<br />73 Leikin Drive<br />[[Ottawa]], Ontario K1A 0R2<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/fs-fd/hq-dg-eng.htm |title=New RCMP National Headquarters Building: The M.J. Nadon Government of Canada Building |publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |access-date=2016-04-11 |date=2011-10-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408040635/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/fs-fd/hq-dg-eng.htm |archive-date=April 8, 2016 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
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| | sworn = {{Collapsible list|title=18,986<ref name="RCMP organisation"/> (Apr. 2019) |
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| * Commissioners: 1
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| * Deputy commissioners: 5
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| * Assistant commissioners: 28
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| * Chief superintendents: 57
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| * Superintendents: 187
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| * Inspectors: 322
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| * Corps sergeants major: 1
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| * Sergeants major: 7
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| * Staff sergeants major: 12
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| * Staff sergeants: 878
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| * Sergeants: 1,997
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| * Officers: 686
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| * Corporals: 11,266
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| * Constables: 11,913}}
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| | unsworn = {{Collapsible list|title=11,210<ref name="RCMP organisation" /> (Apr. 2019) |
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| * Public Service employees: 5,759
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| * Civilian members: 3,459}}
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| | electeetype = Minister
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| | minister1name = [[Marco Mendicino]]
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| | minister1pfo = [[Minister of Public Safety]]
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| | chief1name = [[Brenda Lucki]]
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| | chief1position = [[List of Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioners|Commissioner]]
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| | parentagency = [[Public Safety Canada]]
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| | child1agency =
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| | unittype =
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| | unitname =
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| | officetype = Division
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| | officename = {{Collapsible list |title=15<ref name="RCMP organisation" /> |
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| *National Division: [[National Capital Region (Canada)|National Capital Region]]|
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| *B Division: [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] |
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| *C Division: [[Quebec]] |
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| *D Division: [[Manitoba]] |
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| *E Division: [[British Columbia]] |
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| *F Division: [[Saskatchewan]] |
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| *G Division: [[Northwest Territories]] |
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| *H Division: [[Nova Scotia]] |
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| *J Division: [[New Brunswick]] |
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| *K Division: [[Alberta]] |
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| *L Division: [[Prince Edward Island]] |
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| *M Division: [[Yukon]] |
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| *O Division: [[Ontario]] |
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| *V Division: [[Nunavut]] |
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| *Depot Division: [[Regina, Saskatchewan]]; [[Innisfail, Alberta]]}}
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| | stationtype = Detachment
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| | stations = {{Collapsible list |title=712<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/detach/en |title=Find a detachment |publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|access-date=2016-05-07 |date=2016-05-06}}</ref> |
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| *{{AB}}: 119 |
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| *{{BC}}: 154 |
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| *{{MB}}: 88 |
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| *{{NB}}: 44 |
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| *{{NF}}: 43 |
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| *{{NT}}: 22 |
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| *{{NS}}: 53 |
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| *{{flag|Nunavut}}: 26 |
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| *{{ON}}: 16 |
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| *{{PE}}: 6 |
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| *{{QC}}: 14 |
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| *{{SK}}: 113 |
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| *{{YK}}: 14 }}
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| | lockuptype =
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| | lockups =
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| | vehicle1type = Vehicle
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| | vehicles1 = {{Collapsible list |title=8,677 |Cars: 5,600 |Trucks: 2,350 |Motorcycles: 34 |Snowmobiles: 481 |All-terrain vehicles: 181}}
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| | boat1type = Boats
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| | boats1 = 5
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| | aircraft1type = Fixed-wing
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| | aircraft1 = 26<ref name="TCFleet"/>
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| | aircraft2type = Helicopters
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| | aircraft2 = 8<ref name="TCFleet"/>
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| | animal1type =
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| | animals1 =
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| | person1name =
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| | person1reason =
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| | person1type =
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| | programme1 =
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| | activity1name = [[Mayerthorpe tragedy]]
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| | activity2name = [[Spiritwood Incident]]
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| | activity3name = [[Moncton shooting]]
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| | activity4name = [[2020 Nova Scotia attacks]]
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| | activitytype = incident
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| | anniversary1 =
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| | award1 = [[#Honours|Battle honours]]
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| | award2 = [[Canadian Newsmaker of the Year]] (2007)
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| | website = {{Official URL}}
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| | footnotes = While a federal agency, the RCMP also serves as the local law enforcement agency for various provincial, municipal, and First Nations jurisdictions.<ref name="About the RCMP">{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/index-eng.htm |title=About the RCMP |publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |date=April 26, 2016 |access-date=May 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727001750/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/index-eng.htm |archive-date=July 27, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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| The '''Royal Canadian Mounted Police''' ('''RCMP'''; {{lang-fr|Gendarmerie royale du Canada}}; '''{{lang-fr|GRC|label=none}}'''), often known as the '''Mounties''', are the [[federal police|federal and national police service]] of Canada, providing law enforcement at the federal level. The RCMP also provide provincial policing in eight of Canada's provinces (all except Ontario and Quebec) and local policing on a contract basis in the three territories ([[Northwest Territories]], [[Nunavut]], and [[Yukon]]) and more than 150 municipalities, 600 [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous]] communities, and three international airports. The RCMP do not provide active provincial or municipal policing in [[Ontario]] or [[Quebec]].<ref name="About the RCMP"/> However, all members of the RCMP have jurisdiction as a [[peace officer]] in all [[provinces and territories of Canada]].<ref>''[https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-r-10/latest/rsc-1985-c-r-10.html Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act]'', RSC 1985, c R-10, s 11.1.</ref> Despite the name, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are no longer an actual [[mounted police]] service, with horses only being used at ceremonial events.
| | == Unique organization == |
| | RCMP is [[wikt:unique|unique]] in the world because it is a [[national]], [[Federation|federal]], [[province|provincial]] and [[municipality|municipal]] policing organization:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/index-eng.htm |title=RCMP |access-date=2010-03-25 |archive-date=2017-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727001750/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/index-eng.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
| | * RCMP is the federal police for all of Canada. |
| | * RCMP serves as the police for the three Canadian [[territory|territories]] |
| | * RCMP serves in all ten Canadian [[provinces]], although its role is limited in [[Ontario]] and [[Quebec]] as both provinces have their own provincial police services. |
| | * RCMP provides police services for more than 190 municipalities |
| | * RCMP is the police for 184 [[wikt:native|native]] [[community|communities]] -- the [[First Nations]],<ref>[http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/tresors/ethno/etb0170e.shtml First Nations]</ref> [[Inuit]]<ref>[http://inuitcircumpolar.com/index.php?auto_slide=&ID=374&Lang=En&Parent_ID=¤t_slide_num= Inuit]</ref> and [[Métis]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Métis |url=http://www.umanitoba.ca/law/newsite/kawaskimhon_factums/FINALWrittenSubmissionsofFederalCrown_windsor.pdf |access-date=2010-03-25 |archive-date=2009-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326043230/http://www.umanitoba.ca/law/newsite/kawaskimhon_factums/FINALWrittenSubmissionsofFederalCrown_windsor.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
| | * RCMP ensures security at three [[international]] [[airport]]s. |
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| As Canada's national police service, the RCMP are primarily responsible for enforcing federal laws throughout Canada, whereas general law and order including the enforcement of the [[Criminal Code (Canada)|''Criminal Code'']] and applicable provincial legislation is constitutionally the responsibility of the provinces and territories. Larger cities may form their own municipal police departments.
| | The RCMP/''GRC'' wording is [[wikt:protected|protected]] under the Canadian Trade-marks Act.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/T-13/bo-ga:s_1::bo-ga:s_2?page=2 |title=Canada Trade-marks Act |access-date=2010-03-25 |archive-date=2011-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605043258/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cs/T-13/bo-ga:s_1::bo-ga:s_2?page=2 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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| The two most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec, maintain provincial forces: the [[Ontario Provincial Police]] and the [[Sûreté du Québec]]. The other eight provinces contract policing responsibilities to the RCMP, which provides front-line policing in those provinces under the direction of the provincial governments. When [[Newfoundland]] joined the confederation in 1949, the RCMP entered the province and absorbed the [[Newfoundland Ranger Force]], which patrolled most of Newfoundland's rural areas. The [[Royal Newfoundland Constabulary#Operations|Royal Newfoundland Constabulary]] patrols urban areas of the province. In the territories, the RCMP is the sole [[territorial police force]]. Many municipalities throughout Canada contract to the RCMP. Thus, the RCMP polices at the federal, provincial, and municipal level. In some areas of Canada, it is the only police force.
| | == History == |
| | [[File:Six Months in the Wilds of the North-West.gif|thumb|right|Northwest Mounted Policeman -- [http://www.lac-bac.gc.ca/cin/026019-119.01-e.php?uid=62548&uidc=Negative1 Canadian Illustrated News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313080140/http://www.lac-bac.gc.ca/cin/026019-119.01-e.php?uid=62548&uidc=Negative1 |date=2007-03-13 }}, 13 February, 1875.]] |
| | The Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP), was founded 1873. The Mounties were [[wikt:create|created]] to [[wikt:establish|establish]] authority and to make [[wikt:accommodations|accommodations]] with the native population in the west before [[wikt:settler|settlers]] began to arrive.<ref>Wolkomir, Richard. "Mounties forever, but these days rarely on horseback," [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ ''Smithsonian.''] February 1989, pp. 81-82.</ref> The smaller Dominion Police was founded in 1868 to protect federal government buildings. |
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| The RCMP is responsible for much of Canada's security and policing. Under their federal mandate, the RCMP police throughout Canada, including Ontario and Quebec (albeit on smaller scales there). Federal operations include: enforcing federal laws including [[White-collar crime|commercial crime]], counterfeiting, drug trafficking, border integrity (excluding border control responsibilities exercised by the [[Canada Border Services Agency]]), organized crime, and other related matters; providing counter-terrorism and domestic security; providing [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police Protective Policing|protection services]] for the [[Monarchy of Canada|Canadian monarch]], [[Governor General of Canada|governor general]], [[Prime Minister of Canada|prime minister]], their families and residences, and other [[Minister of the Crown|ministers of the Crown]], visiting dignitaries, and diplomatic missions; and participating in various international policing efforts. | | The Mounties were given the right to use the term ''Royal'' by King [[Edward VII of the United Kingdom|Edward VII]] in 1904. Their name was changed to the Royal Northwest Mounted Police (RNWMP). |
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| | The modern RCMP was created when the RNWMP merged with the smaller Dominion Police in 1920. |
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| Under provincial and municipal contracts the RCMP provides front-line policing in all areas outside of Ontario and Quebec that do not have an established local police force. There are detachments located in small villages in the [[Northern Canada|far north]], remote [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] [[Indian reserve|reserves]], and rural towns, but also larger cities such as [[Surrey, British Columbia]] (population 580,360).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.surrey.ca/business-economy/business-data/population-estimates-projections|title = Population Estimates & Projections | City of Surrey|date = December 11, 2019}}</ref> There, support units investigate for their own detachments as well as smaller municipal police forces. Investigations include major crimes, homicides, forensic identification, collision forensics, police dogs, emergency response teams, explosives disposal, and undercover operations. Under its National Police Services branch the RCMP supports all police forces in Canada via the [[Canadian Police Information Centre]], [[Criminal Intelligence Service Canada]], Forensic Science and Identification Services, [[Canadian Firearms Program]], and the [[Ontario Police College|Canadian Police College]].
| | The word ''mounted'' suggests that the police ride horses. Before 1920, horses were their main method of travel. However, today the RCMP do not ride horses except at special events. |
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| ==History== | | == Uniform == |
| | [[File:United Way pancake breakfast - Chilliwack-38 (29639300705).jpg|thumb|RCMP constable during United Way pancake breakfast - Chilliwack-38]] |
| | The RCMP are famous for their uniform. The "Review Order" (also "Red Serge") uniform is worn mostly at special events, such as parades. The uniform consists of a red tunic with a large brown belt,(formally known as a “Sam Browne”), a light brown hat, dark blue breeches (trousers) with a yellow stripe and riding boots. |
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| ===Founding===
| | On an ordinary day at work, RCMP officers instead wear a grey shirt, dark blue trousers, ankle boots and a peaked cap (the type worn by most police officers elsewhere). In the winter they may wear a thicker coat, heavier boots and a fur cap. |
| {{Main|North-West Mounted Police#history}}
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| [[File:Royal Northwest Mounted Police trooper (13310121115).jpg|thumb|Trooper of the North-West Mounted Police {{circa|1900}}]]
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| After Canada purchased [[Rupert's Land]] and the [[North-Western Territory]] from the [[Hudson's Bay Company]] in 1870, Prime Minister [[John A. Macdonald]] began planning a permanent force to patrol the territory. Reports from army officers surveying the territory led to the recommendation that a mounted force of between 100 and 150 mounted riflemen could maintain law and order. The prime minister first announced the force as the "North West Mounted Rifles". Macdonald received his inspiration for the creation of the force from the [[Royal Irish Constabulary]] (RIC), the [[Paramilitary|quasi-military]] police force of [[History of Ireland (1801–1923)|Ireland]] from 1822 to 1922.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jim Herlihy|url=https://archive.org/details/royalirishconsta00herl/page/87|title=The Royal Irish Constabulary|publisher=Four Courts Press|year=1997|isbn=1-85182-343-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/royalirishconsta00herl/page/87 87–91]|url-access=registration}}</ref>
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| The force was renamed the [[North-West Mounted Police]] (NWMP) when formed in 1873,<ref>p.52 Sendzikas, Aldona ''Stanley Barracks: Toronto's Military Legacy'' Dundurn Press Ltd., 01/01/2011</ref> following the passage of the ''Mounted Police Act'' in [[Parliament of Canada|Parliament]].<ref>{{cite book| last1= Horrall| first1= Stanley W.| year= 1973| title= The Pictorial History of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police| publisher= McGraw-Hill Ryerson| location= Toronto, Canada| isbn= 9780070773660| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/pictorialhistory00horr}}</ref> The NWMP was established by the Canadian government to maintain order in the newly-acquired [[Northwest Territories]], with many volunteers from the paramilitary force serving in the [[Second Boer War]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Axster|first1=Sabrina|last2=Danewid|first2=Ida|last3=Goldstein|first3=Asher|last4=Mahmoudi|first4=Matt|last5=Tansel|first5=Cemal Burak|last6=Wilcox|first6=Lauren|year=2021|title=Colonial Lives of the Carceral Archipelago: Rethinking the Neoliberal Security State|url=https://academic.oup.com/ips/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ips/olab013/6292359|journal=International Political Sociology |volume=15|issue=3|pages=415–439|doi=10.1093/ips/olab013|accessdate=July 3, 2021}}</ref> Many NWMP recruits were RIC veterans, and the force recruited outside of Canada "in large numbers".<ref name="Axster_etal_2021">{{cite journal|last1=Axster|first1=Sabrina|last2=Danewid|first2=Ida|last3=Goldstein|first3=Asher|last4=Mahmoudi|first4=Matt|last5=Burak Tansel|first5=Cemal|last6=Wilcox|first6=Lauren|date=2021|title=Colonial Lives of the Carceral Archipelago: Rethinking the Neoliberal Security State|journal=International Political Sociology|volume=15|issue=3|pages=10, 11|doi=10.1093/ips/olab013|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web|title=The RCMP was created to control Indigenous people. Can that relationship be reset?|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5381480/rcmp-indigenous-relationship/|access-date=2020-08-25|website=Global News}}</ref> Officials in the United States raised concerns that an armed force along the border was a prelude to a military buildup.
| | == Ranks == |
| | The ranks of the RCMP are, from highest to lowest: |
| | * Commissioner |
| | * Deputy Commissioner |
| | * Assistant Commissioner |
| | * Chief superintendent |
| | * Superintendent |
| | * Inspector |
| | * Corps sergeant major* |
| | * Sergeant major* |
| | * Staff Sergeant major* |
| | * Staff sergeant |
| | * Sergeant |
| | * Corporal |
| | * Constable |
| | * Cadet* |
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| The force added "royal" to its name in 1904, after having been awarded the title for military service in the Second Boer War. It merged with the [[Dominion Police]], the main police force for all points east of Manitoba, in 1920 and was renamed the "Royal Canadian Mounted Police". The new organization was charged with federal law enforcement in all the provinces and territories, and immediately established its modern role as protector of Canadian national security, as well as assuming responsibility for national [[counterintelligence]].
| | Ranks marked with an asterisk (*) are only found in a few parts of the RCMP and are usually not part of the chain of command. For most staff sergeants, their superior is an inspector and not a staff sergeant major. While "Cadet" is a term used for RCMP trainees at depot it is not an official rank. |
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| As part of its national security and intelligence functions, the RCMP infiltrated ethnic or political groups considered to be dangerous to Canada. This included the [[Communist Party of Canada]], but also a variety of Indigenous, minority cultural and nationalist groups.<ref name="Axster_etal_2021" /> The force was also deeply involved in immigration matters, and especially deportations of suspected radicals. They were especially concerned with [[Ukrainian Canadian|Ukrainian]] groups, both nationalist and socialist.<ref>Hewitt, Steve. "Policing the Promised Land: The RCMP and Negative Nation-building in Alberta and Saskatchewan in the Interwar Period", ''The Prairie West as Promised Land'' ed. R. Douglas Francis and Chris Kitzan (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2007), 318-320.</ref> The [[Chinese Canadian|Chinese community]] was also targeted because of disproportionate links to [[opium den]]s. Historians estimate two percent of the Chinese community was deported between 1923 and 1932, largely under the provisions of the ''Opium and Narcotics Drugs Act''.<ref>Hewitt, 322</ref>
| | == References == |
| | {{reflist|2}} |
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| Besides the RCMP's new responsibilities in intelligence, drug enforcement, and immigration, the force also assisted numerous other federal agencies with tasks such as enforcing attendance of [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous children]] at [[Indian residential schools]], designed to assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture.
| | == Sources == |
| | * Wolkomir, Richard. "Mounties forever, but these days rarely on horseback," [http://www.smithsonianmag.com/ ''Smithsonian.''] February 1989, pp. 78-89. |
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| [[File:RCMP 1935 postcard.jpg|thumb|upright|Mountie, c.1935]]
| | == External links == |
| In 1935, the RCMP, collaborating with the [[Regina Police Service]], crushed the [[On-to-Ottawa Trek]] by sparking the Regina Riot, in which one city police officer and one protester were killed. The trek, which had been organized to call attention to conditions in relief camps, therefore failed to reach Ottawa, but nevertheless had political reverberations. The RCMP also had four officers killed in Saskatchewan and Alberta that year in the [[1935 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Killings]].
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| The RCMP employed [[special constable]]s to assist with [[Strikebreaker|strikebreaking]] in the interwar period. For a brief period in the late 1930s, a volunteer militia group, the [[Legion of Frontiersmen]], were affiliated with the RCMP. Many members of the RCMP belonged to this organization, which was prepared to serve as an auxiliary force. In later years, special constables performed duties such as policing airports and, in some Canadian provinces, the courthouses.
| | * [http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/fr-rf/prefix_e.cfm List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" – Heritage Canada.] |
| | | * [http://www.militaryheritage.com/nwmp.htm History and Uniform of the North-West Mounted Police, 1873 to 1904] |
| Nineteen thirty-two saw the men, vehicles and vessels of the Customs Preventive Service, National Revenue, absorbed by the RCMP. This created the Marine Section and the Excise Section.<ref>McIntosh, Dave. ''The Collectors: A History of Canadian Customs and Excise'' (Published by NC Press in association with Revenue Canada, Customs and Excise, 1984)</ref> The acquisition of the RCMP [[schooner]] ''[[St. Roch (ship)|St. Roch]]'' facilitated the first effective patrol of Canada's Arctic territory. It was the first vessel to navigate the [[Northwest Passage]] from west to east (1940–1942), the first to navigate the passage in one season (from Halifax to Vancouver in 1944), the first to sail either way through the passage in one season, and the first to circumnavigate North America (1950).<ref>Kelly, Nora and William. ''The Royal Canadian Mounted Police – A Century of History 1873–1973''. (Edmonton, Hurtig Publishers. 1973) pp 199-200.</ref>
| | * [http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ The official website of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police] |
| | | * [http://gazette.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061207204355/http://www.gazette.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ |date=2006-12-07 }} |
| Counterintelligence work was moved from the RCMP's [[Criminal Investigation Department]] to a specialized intelligence branch, the [[RCMP Security Service]], in 1939.
| | * [http://www.cpc-cpp.gc.ca/ The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP] |
| | | *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071128102720/http://www.rcmpwatch.com/ RCMP Watch] |
| ===Post-war===
| | * [http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/wanted-recherches/index-eng.htm RCMP Wanted list] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100217050501/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/wanted-recherches/index-eng.htm |date=2010-02-17 }} |
| On April 1, 1949, Newfoundland joined in full confederation with Canada and the [[Newfoundland Ranger Force]] amalgamated with the RCMP.
| | * [http://www.rcmpheritagecentre.com/ RCMP Heritage Centre] |
| | | * {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcwTAjVTpgl3tXMszFyLSUg|title=Courage in Red|publisher=YouTube}} |
| Following the 1945 defection of [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] cipher clerk, [[Igor Gouzenko]], and his revelations of espionage, the RCMP Security Service implemented measures to screen out "subversive" elements from the public sector.<ref>Reg Whitaker, "Left-Wing Dissent and the State: Canada in the Cold War Era." In C. E. S. Franks, ''Dissent and the State'', Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1988, 195. {{ISBN|0-19-540742-3}}</ref>
| | * [http://www.mounted-police.00books.com/ RCMP North-West Mounted Police in Literature and History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022062231/http://mounted-police.00books.com/ |date=2007-10-22 }} |
| | | * [http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hon/lineduty-exerfonc/honour-honneur-roll-tableau-eng.htm RCMP Honour Roll] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831000203/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hon/lineduty-exerfonc/honour-honneur-roll-tableau-eng.htm |date=2010-08-31 }} |
| In June 1953, the RCMP became a full member of the [[International Criminal Police Organization]] (Interpol).<ref>[https://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/Americas/Canada Canada: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180224053039/https://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/Americas/Canada |date=February 24, 2018 }}, [[Interpol]]</ref>
| | {{authority control}} |
| | | [[Category:Government agencies of Canada]] |
| In [[Regina, Saskatchewan]], on July 4, 1973, Queen [[Elizabeth II]] approved a new badge for the RCMP, in recognition of which the force presented the sovereign with a tapestry rendering of the new design.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/queenandcommonwealth/MicroObject.asp?row=31&themeid=451&item=31| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608145813/http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/queenandcommonwealth/MicroObject.asp?row=31&themeid=451&item=31| url-status=dead| archive-date=June 8, 2011| last=The Royal Collection| title=e-Gallery > Exhibitions > Queen & Commonwealth > Gifts > Badge of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police| publisher=Queen's Printer| access-date=July 26, 2009| ref=CITEREF_The_Royal_Collection_2009}}</ref>
| | [[Category:Law enforcement agencies]] |
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| ==== RCMP Security Service ====
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| {{Main articles|RCMP Security Service}}
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| The RCMP Security Service was a specialized political intelligence and counterintelligence branch with national security responsibilities, replaced by the [[Canadian Security Intelligence Service]] (CSIS) in 1984, following revelations of illegal [[covert operation]]s relating to the [[Quebec sovereignty movement|Quebec separatist movement]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080425205414/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004009 "Inquiry Into Certain Activities of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Royal Commission of,"] ''Canadian Encyclopedia.'' Retrieved August 26, 2007.</ref> The service is not part of the RCMP, but is its own entity.
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| In the late 1970s, revelations surfaced that the RCMP Security Service force had in the course of their intelligence duties engaged in crimes such as burning a barn and stealing documents from the separatist [[Parti Québécois]]. This led to the [[Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the RCMP]], better known as the "McDonald Commission", named for the presiding judge, Justice David Cargill McDonald. The commission recommended that the force's intelligence duties be removed in favour of the creation of a separate intelligence agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The RCMP and CSIS nonetheless continue to share responsibility for some law enforcement activities in the contemporary era, particularly in the anti-terrorism context.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Shore|first1=Jacques|last2=Crane|first2=Brian|last3=Wilson|first3=John D.|date=2017|title=Interjurisdictional Information Sharing and National Security: A Constitutional and Legislative Analysis|url=https://commentary.canlii.org/w/canlii/2017CanLIIDocs355|journal=McGill Law Journal|volume=62:1|pages=207–239|doi=10.7202/1038712ar|via=CanLII}}</ref>
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| ===Modern era===
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| [[File:Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Sunset Ceremony 2012.jpg|thumb|Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Sunset Ceremony 2012]]
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| In 1993, the [[Special Emergency Response Team]] (SERT), were transferred to the [[Canadian Forces]] (CF), creating a new unit called [[Joint Task Force 2]] (JTF2). The JTF2 inherited some equipment and the SERT's former training base near [[Ottawa]].
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| In 2006, the [[United States Coast Guard]]'s Ninth District and the RCMP began a program called "Shiprider", in which 12 Mounties from the RCMP detachment at Windsor and 16 US Coast Guard boarding officers from stations in Michigan ride in each other's vessels. The intent was to allow for seamless enforcement of the international border.<ref>PA1 John Masson, "Territorial Teamwork", Coast Guard Magazine 2/2006, pp. 26–27</ref>
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| On December 6, 2006, [[List of Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioners|RCMP Commissioner]] [[Giuliano Zaccardelli]] resigned after admitting that his earlier testimony about the [[Maher Arar]] terrorist case was inaccurate. The RCMP's actions were scrutinized by the [[Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar]]. In the aftermath of the Arar affair, the commission of inquiry recommended that the RCMP be subject to greater oversight from a review board with investigative and information-sharing capacities.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Cheung|first=Carmen K.|date=2014|title=Oversight and Accountability of Canada's National Security Agencies: A Framework for Discussion|url=https://commentary.canlii.org/w/canlii/2014CanLIIDocs252|journal=The Canadian Bar Review|volume=92:1|pages=19–30|id=2014 CanLIIDocs 252|via=CanLII}}</ref> Following the commission of inquiry's recommendations, the [[41st Canadian Parliament|Harper government]] tabled amendments to the ''RCMP Act'' to create the [[Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police|Civilian Review and Complaints Commission]].<ref name=":1" />
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| Two officers were found guilty of perjury and sentenced to jail for their actions in the 2007 [[Robert Dziekański taser incident]] in Vancouver.
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| In 2007, the RCMP was named [[Canadian Newsmaker of the Year|Newsmaker of the Year]] by [[The Canadian Press]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2007/12/25/4739958-cp.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071226200125/http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2007/12/25/4739958-cp.html|url-status=dead|title=Canoe.ca News December 25, 2007|archive-date=December 26, 2007}}</ref>
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| On June 3, 2013, the RCMP renamed its 'A' Division to National Division and tasked it with handling corruption cases "at home and abroad".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.macleans.ca/2013/06/03/rcmp-national-division-a-renamed-a-division-to-take-on-corruption/|title=RCMP National Division, a renamed A Division, to take on corruption|date=2013-06-03|magazine=[[Maclean's]]|access-date=2013-10-25}}</ref>
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| The RCMP also has an aviation security division, the [[Sky Marshal]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/gazette/vol70n3/air-eng.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626092154/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/gazette/vol70n3/air-eng.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 26, 2012|title=Gazette magazine – The Canadian Air Carrier Protective Program – Royal Canadian Mounted Police|date=June 26, 2012}}</ref>
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| ===Notable cases===
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| * The American stagecoach robber [[Bill Miner]] was captured by the RCMP in 1906.<ref name="famous">{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/famous-cases-events-and-people|title=Famous cases, events and people | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 17, 2014|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
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| * Albert Johnson, known as the [[Mad Trapper of Rat River]], was killed in a shoot-out with the RCMP in 1932.<ref name="famous"/>
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| * RCMP officers in Saskatchewan arrested the perpetrator of the [[Shell Lake murders]] in 1967.
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| * Anarchist militants known as the [[Squamish Five]] were arrested by the RCMP in 1983.
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| * In 1992, a senior RCMP officer [[Claude Savoie (policeman)|Cladue Savoie]] was exposed as corrupt, causing a major scandal that ended with Savoie shooting himself in his Ottawa office.<ref name="Boisvert">{{cite news |last1=Boisvert |first1=Yves |title=Un suicide opportun |access-date=8 May 2022 |url=https://www.lapresse.ca/debats/chroniques/yves-boisvert/201201/18/01-4487254-un-suicide-opportun.php|publisher=La Presse |date=18 January 2012}}</ref>
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| * The suspected driver of the reconnaissance vehicle involved in the 1996 [[Khobar Towers bombing]] fled to Canada where he was arrested by the RCMP in the winter of 1997 and was extradited to the United States.
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| * Four RCMP officers were fatally shot during an operation in Alberta in March 2005: the [[Mayerthorpe tragedy]] was the single worst multiple killing of RCMP officers since the killing of 3 officers in Kamloops British Columbia by a mentally ill assailant in June 1962. Prior to that the RCMP had not felt such a loss since the [[North-West Rebellion]].<ref name="CBC">[http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/03/04/myrol-rcmp050304.html CBC] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520085355/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2005/03/04/myrol-rcmp050304.html |date=May 20, 2007 }}</ref>
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| * In July 2007, two RCMP officers were shot and succumbed to their injuries in the [[Spiritwood Incident]] near [[Mildred, Saskatchewan]].
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| * Three RCMP officers were murdered during the [[Moncton shooting]] in New Brunswick in June 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/three-canadian-officers-killed-spray-gunfire-n123136|title=Three Canadian Officers Killed in Spray of Gunfire|author=Gil Aegerter|work=NBC News}}</ref>
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| * The perpetrator of the [[2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, Ottawa]] was shot and killed at the scene by the RCMP.
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| * RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson was killed while responding to a [[2020 Nova Scotia attacks|mass shooting]] that left over 20 people dead in [[Nova Scotia]] in April 2020.
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| ==History of the RCMP uniform==
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| [[File:Canada Day 2015 on Saint Catherine Street - 063.jpg|thumb|RCMP in dress uniform Canada Day 2015 on Saint-Catherine Street, Montreal]]
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| The RCMP are famous for their distinctive dress uniform, or "review order", popularly known as the "Red Serge." It has a high collared [[Scarlet (color)|scarlet]] tunic, [[midnight blue]] [[breeches]] with yellow leg stripe, [[Sam Browne belt]] with white sidearm [[lanyard]], [[oxblood]] [[riding boots]] (possibly with spurs), brown felt [[campaign hat]] (wide, flat brimmed) with the characteristic "Montana crease", and brown gloves (with brown leather gauntlets for riders). Members wear the review order during the [[Musical Ride]], an equestrian drill in which mounted members show their riding skills and handling of the cavalry lance. On normal duties, the RCMP uses standard police methods, equipment, and uniforms. The RCMP uses horses for ceremonial operations such as escorting the governor general's open [[landau (carriage)|landau]] to the opening of Parliament.
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| ===Tunic===
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| The [[Red Serge|Red Serge tunic]] that identified the NWMP and later the RNWMP and RCMP, is the standard British military pattern. In the original version, worn from 1873 to 1876, it was based on the civilian [[Norfolk jacket]].<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Ross|pages=[https://archive.org/details/royalcanadianmou00ross_483/page/n21 21]–22|title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1873-1987|url=https://archive.org/details/royalcanadianmou00ross_483|url-access=limited|isbn=0-85045-834-X|date=March 24, 1988}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">[http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/hnud-nhut/nwmp-pcno-uni-eng.htm North-West Mounted Police Uniform - Royal Canadian Mounted Police] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002012524/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/hist/hnud-nhut/nwmp-pcno-uni-eng.htm |date=October 2, 2013 }}. Rcmp-grc.gc.ca (2011-08-12). Retrieved on 2014-04-12.</ref> Originally kitted from [[militia]] stores, the NWMP later adopted a standard style that emphasized the force's British heritage and differentiated it from the blue American military uniforms. In 1904, dark blue shoulder straps and collars replaced the uniform's scarlet facings<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Ross|page=[https://archive.org/details/royalcanadianmou00ross_483/page/n36 36]|title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1873–1987|url=https://archive.org/details/royalcanadianmou00ross_483|url-access=limited|isbn=-0-85045-834-X|date=March 24, 1988}}</ref> when King Edward VII granted the force "Royal" status for its service in the [[Second Boer War]]. Today, RCMP personnel under the rank of inspector wear blue "[[gorget]]" patches on the collar, while officers from inspector to commissioner wear solid blue collars and blue pointed-sleeve cuffs.
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| Members once wore a white [[haversack]] on top of this jacket and white [[Gauntlet (glove)|gauntlets]],<ref name="ReferenceA"/> which contrasted with the red tunic. The modern dress uniform replaces these easily dirtied items with brown leather riding gloves and carrying pouches on the belt.
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| ===Hat===
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| {{unreferenced section|date=October 2020}}
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| Although the NWMP contingent at [[Queen Victoria]]'s [[Diamond Jubilee]] wore the campaign hat, it became official only in 1904.
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| [[File:0 Chapeau en feutre de la gendarmerie royale du canada.JPG|thumb|The famous felt hat.]]
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| A campaign hat is a broad-brimmed [[felt]] or straw hat, with a high crown, pinched symmetrically at the four corners (Montana crown).
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| The hat is most commonly worn as part of a uniform by such agencies as the RCMP, the [[New Zealand Army]], [[National Park Service|United States Park Rangers]], and Scouts. The RCMP did not adopt it until about 1904. The original primary summer headdress was the white British foreign service helmet, also known as a [[pith helmet]]. This was an impractical choice for the [[Western Canada|Canadian west]],{{why|date=March 2021}} and RCMP members wore a Stetson type hat on patrol and around camp. [[Sam Steele]] is often credited with introducing the Stetson-type hat, and when he left the force to command [[Strathcona's Horse]] in South Africa, his unit adopted the Stetson. During winter, members wore a [[Canadian military fur wedge cap]] or [[Busby (military headdress)|busby]].
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| ===Breeches===
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| The NWMP wore [[buff (colour)|buff]] or steel grey breeches until they adopted dark blue breeches with yellow-gold strapping (stripes) in 1876.<ref>{{cite book|first=David|last=Ross|page=[https://archive.org/details/royalcanadianmou00ross_483/page/n26 26]|title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police 1873-1987|url=https://archive.org/details/royalcanadianmou00ross_483|url-access=limited|isbn=0-85045-834-X|date=March 24, 1988}}</ref> Members often exchanged kit with U.S. cavalry units, and while some believe this was the source for the breeches, the NWMP considered adopting blue breeches with a white strap. Dark blue with yellow-gold strapping is a British cavalry tradition, and most cavalry (later armoured) regiments' dress uniforms feature yellow stripes.
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| ===Boots===
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| Black riding boots changed to the modern brown style called "Strathcona boots" or informally as "high browns" and the original crossbelts changed to the brown Sam Browne type. The brown colour of the boots and belt the RCMP wear with the Red Serge are from members who applied coats of polish, often during training at Depot Division.
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| ===Spurs===
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| The RCMP's original spurs, known as "long shank spurs", were solid nickel. Their owners occasionally had their regimental number engraved on the inside, and some replaced the [[rowel]] with a US [[buffalo nickel]]{{citation needed|date=May 2016}} to complement the Mounted Police capbadge and avoid using a Canadian coin that would deface the monarch. The RCMP last issued long shank spurs in 1968.
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| === Sidearms ===
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| Sidearms are standard now, but were often not worn in the early years.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}}
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| === Operational uniform ===
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| [[File:RCMP in regular uniform.jpg|thumb|right|upright|RCMP in everyday uniform]]
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| The operational uniform is a grey shirt, dark blue trousers with gold stripping, regular patrol boots called "ankle boots", regular duty equipment, and a [[peaked cap|regular policeman's style cap]]. Members on operational duty wear a blue [[Gore-Tex]] open-collar jacket (patrol jacket), while [[Sergeant-major|sergeants major]] and certain [[non-commissioned officer]]s (NCOs) involved in recruit training or media relations wear a dark blue jacket (blue serge). Depending on their duties, officers wear white shirts and the patrol jacket or blue serge. During the summer, officers wear a short-sleeved shirt. Winter dress is a long-sleeved shirt. A tie is worn on occasion for events such as testifying in court. In colder weather, members may wear heavier boots, winter coats (storm coats) and a muskrat fur cap or wool toque.
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| In 1990, Baltej Singh Dhillon became the RCMP's first [[Sikh]] officer to be allowed to wear a [[turban]] instead of the traditional [[Campaign hat#Royal Canadian Mounted Police|Stetson]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/1990-sikh-mounties-permitted-to-wear-turbans|title=1990: Sikh Mounties permitted to wear turbans|publisher=CBC Archives|access-date=3 February 2017}}</ref> On March 15, the federal government, despite protests, decided they would allow Sikhs to wear [[Dastar|their religious headgear]] while on duty as RCMP officers, as had been the practice for Sikh members of [[Canadian Forces]] for decades.
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| === Decorations ===
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| The monarch awards the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police Long Service Medal]] to members who have completed 20 years' service. A clasp is awarded for each successive 5 years to 40 years. Members also receive a service badge star for each five years' service, which is worn on the left sleeve. There are specialist insignia for positions such as first aid instructor and dog handler, and pilot's wings are worn by aviators. [[Sharpshooter]] badges for proficiency in pistol or rifle shooting are each awarded in two grades.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/unif/badge-insigne-eng.htm|title=Badges and Insignia|publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|access-date=3 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013215827/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/unif/badge-insigne-eng.htm|archive-date=October 13, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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| ==Women in the RCMP==
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| In the 1920s, Saskatchewan provincial pathologist [[Frances Gertrude McGill]] began providing forensic assistance to the RCMP in their investigations.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.thewhig.com/2013/04/23/canadas-sherlock-holmes-of-forensic-science|title=Canada's 'Sherlock Holmes of Forensic Science'|website=The Kingston Whig-Standard|access-date=2018-05-25}}</ref> She helped establish the first RCMP forensic laboratory in 1937,<ref>{{Cite book|title=The encyclopedia of Saskatchewan.|date=2005|publisher=University of Regina, Canadian Plains Research Centre|others=University of Regina. Canadian Plains Research Centre.|isbn=0889771758|location=Regina|page=584|oclc=57639332}}</ref> and later served as its director for several years. In addition to her forensic work, McGill also provided training to new RCMP and police recruits in forensic detection methods.<ref name=":0" /> Upon her retirement in 1946, McGill was appointed honorary surgeon to the RCMP, and continued to act as a dedicated consultant for the force up until her death in 1959.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/dr-frances-mcgill-was-saskatchewans-answer-to-sherlock-holmes|title=Dr. Frances McGill was Saskatchewan's answer to Sherlock Holmes|date=2017-06-19|work=Regina Leader-Post|access-date=2018-05-25}}</ref>
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| On May 23, 1974, RCMP Commissioner [[Maurice Nadon]] announced that the RCMP would accept applications from women as regular members of the force. Troop 17 was the first group of 32 women at [[RCMP Academy, Depot Division|Depot]] in Regina on September 18 and 19, 1974 for regular training. This first all-female troop graduated from Depot on March 3, 1975.
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| [[File:RCMP-female-officer.jpg|thumb|right|upright|RCMP officer, 2011]]
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| After initially wearing different uniforms, female officers were finally issued the standard RCMP uniforms. Now all officers are identically attired, with two exceptions. The ceremonial dress uniform, or "walking-out order", for female members has a long, blue skirt and higher-heeled slip-on pumps plus small black clutch purse (however, in 2012 the RCMP began to allow women to wear trousers and boots with all their formal uniforms.<ref>Moore, Dene. (2012-08-16) [https://vancouversun.com/life/fashion-beauty/Female+Mounties+earn+right+wear+pants+boots+with+formal+uniforms/7102550/story.html?__lsa=067d-6627 Female Mounties earn right to wear pants and boots with all formal uniforms] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106183314/http://www.vancouversun.com/life/fashion-beauty/Female+Mounties+earn+right+wear+pants+boots+with+formal+uniforms/7102550/story.html?__lsa=067d-6627 |date=November 6, 2018 }}. Vancouversun.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.</ref>) The second exception is the official maternity uniform for pregnant female officers assigned to administrative duties.
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| The following years saw the first women attain certain positions.
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| * 1981: corporal, musical ride
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| * 1987: foreign post
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| * 1990: detachment commander
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| * 1992: commissioned officer
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| * 1998: assistant commissioner
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| * 2000: deputy commissioner
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| * 2006: interim commissioner<ref>{{cite news|date=July 16, 2007|title=William Elliott sworn in as RCMP commissioner|publisher=[[CBC News]]|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/william-elliott-sworn-in-as-rcmp-commissioner-1.668804|access-date=June 13, 2018|quote=...the organization's first chief not to have served on a police force.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Andrew Mayada|date=December 15, 2007|title=RCMP commissioner promises sweeping changes|publisher=[[CanWest News Service]]|url=http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=38a04926-a29d-4a23-91fd-173d1e03dec1|url-status=dead|access-date=July 30, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217152327/http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=38a04926-a29d-4a23-91fd-173d1e03dec1|archive-date=December 17, 2007|quote=Elliott was appointed the first civilian commissioner in the RCMP's history|df=mdy-all}}</ref>{{NoteTag|note=[[Beverley Busson]] was the first woman to have held the top position in the force, albeit on an interim basis. She served as the interim commissioner from December 15, 2006, to July 6, 2007. The first female commissioner, [[Brenda Lucki]] was appointed on March 9, 2018, and was officially sworn into office on April 16, 2018.}}
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| * 2018: permanent commissioner<ref>{{cite web|date=March 9, 2018|title=Prime Minister announces new Commissioner Designate of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police|url=https://pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2018/03/09/prime-minister-announces-new-commissioner-designate-royal-canadian|website=Prime Minister of Canada}}</ref>
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| ==Military status==
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| {{Infobox military unit
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| |unit_name = Royal Canadian Mounted Police<br />''Gendarmerie royale du Canada''
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| |image = Guidon Royal Canadian Mounted Police.JPG
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| |image_size = 150px
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| |caption = [[Colours, standards and guidons|Guidon]] of the RCMP
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| |dates=1873–present
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| |country = Canada
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| |allegiance =
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| |branch =
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| |type = Dragoons
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| |role =
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| |size = 15 divisions
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| |command_structure =
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| |commander1 =[[Brenda Lucki]]
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| |commander1_label =Commissioner
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| |garrison = RHQ—Ottawa
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| |ceremonial_chief = [[Elizabeth II|The Queen]]
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| |ceremonial_chief_label = Commissioner-in-chief
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| |colonel_of_the_regiment = [[Charles, Prince of Wales|The Prince of Wales]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&pageId=26&id=4824|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404120748/http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&pageId=26&id=4824|url-status=dead|title=PM announces charitable donations on behalf of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall|archive-date=April 4, 2013}}</ref>
| |
| |colonel_of_the_regiment_label = Honorary commissioner
| |
| |commander4 = [[Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex|The Earl of Wessex]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/united_kingdom-royaume_uni/media/media_2009_05_03.aspx?lang=eng|title=All The Queen's Horses: fourth RCMP steed crosses Atlantic to join Royal Mews|access-date=January 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927061509/http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/united_kingdom-royaume_uni/media/media_2009_05_03.aspx?lang=eng|archive-date=September 27, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| |
| |commander4_label = Honorary deputy commissioner
| |
| |commander5 = [[Anne, Princess Royal|The Princess Royal]]<ref>{{citation| url=https://gatewaygazette.ca/royal-highness-princess-royal-becomes-honorary-rcmp-deputy-commissioner/| title=Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal Becomes Honorary RCMP Deputy Commissioner| date=November 12, 2014| publisher=Gateway Gazette| access-date=26 May 2021}}</ref>
| |
| |commander5_label = Honorary deputy commissioner
| |
| |nickname = The "Mounties"
| |
| |patron =
| |
| |motto = ''Maintiens le droit'' (Defending the law, Maintain the right)<ref name="motto3"/><ref name=motto2>{{cite web |last=Vancouver |first=The |url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/editorial/story.html?id=187ee3b4-48ef-4035-a1d6-1525188b686a |title=New commissioner for RCMP must restore faith in the famed force |publisher=Canada.com |date=December 7, 2006 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823024426/http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/editorial/story.html?id=187ee3b4-48ef-4035-a1d6-1525188b686a |archive-date=August 23, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=Motto2019>{{cite web |last1=Government of Canada |first1=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |title=Tipstaff {{!}} Royal Canadian Mounted Police |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/tipstaff |website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca |access-date=27 April 2019 |date=19 April 2018}}</ref>
| |
| |colors =
| |
| |identification_symbol_2 = [http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb309/hammersfan_01/Tartans/RCMP.gif RCMP]
| |
| |identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan
| |
| |identification_symbol =
| |
| |identification_symbol_label = Shoulder flash
| |
| |identification_symbol_4 = RCMP/GRC
| |
| |identification_symbol_4_label = Abbreviation
| |
| |march =
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| |mascot =
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| |battles =
| |
| |notable_commanders =
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| |anniversaries =
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| |decorations =
| |
| |battle_honours = see [[#Honours|Battle honours]]
| |
| }}
| |
| Although the RCMP is a civilian police force, in 1921, following the service of many of its members during the [[World War I|First World War]], King [[George V]] awarded the force the status of a regiment of [[dragoon]]s, entitling it to display the [[battle honour]]s it had been awarded.
| |
| | |
| ===Service in wartime===
| |
| During the Second Boer War, members of the North-West Mounted Police were given [[Leave of absence|leaves of absence]] to join the 2nd Battalion, [[Canadian Mounted Rifles]] (CMR) and [[Strathcona's Horse]]. The force raised the Canadian Mounted Rifles, mostly from NWMP members, for service in South Africa. For the CMR's distinguished service there, King Edward VII honoured the NWMP by changing the name to the "Royal Northwest Mounted Police" (RNWMP) on June 24, 1904.
| |
| | |
| During the First World War, the Royal Northwest Mounted Police (RNWMP) conducted [[Border#Jurisdictional borders|border]] patrols, [[surveillance]] of enemy [[Alien (law)|alien]]s, and enforcement of [[national security]] regulations within Canada. However, RNWMP officers also served overseas. On August 6, 1914, a [[Squadron (army)|squadron]] of volunteers from the RNWMP was formed to serve with the Canadian Light Horse in France. In 1918, two more squadrons were raised, A Squadron for service in France and [[Flanders]] and B Squadron for service in the [[Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force]].
| |
| | |
| In September 1939, at the outset of the Second World War, the Canadian Army had no military police. Five days after war was declared the Royal Canadian Mounted Police received permission to form a provost company of force volunteers. It was designated "No. 1 Provost Company (RCMP)", and became the [[Canadian Provost Corps]]. Six months after war was declared its members were overseas in Europe and served throughout the [[World War II|Second World War]] as [[Canadian Forces Military Police|military police]].
| |
| | |
| ===Honours===
| |
| The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were accorded the status of a regiment of dragoons in 1921. As a [[cavalry]] [[regiment]], the RCMP was entitled to wear battle honours for its war service as well as carry a [[Colours, standards and guidons|guidon]], with its first guidon presented in 1935.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/cav/RCMP.htm#colours|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013163025/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/na-canada/cav/RCMP.htm#colours|title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|archive-date=October 13, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/ottawa_heraldry/heraldist1.html|title=heraldist1|date=August 1, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010801174646/http://www.geocities.com/ottawa_heraldry/heraldist1.html|archive-date=August 1, 2001}}</ref> The RCMP mounted the [[Queen's Guard|King's Life Guard]] at [[Horse Guards Parade]] in 1937 leading up to the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] of King [[George VI]]. The RCMP mounted the [[Queen's Life Guard]] in May 2012 during celebrations of [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/9284116/Queen-guarded-by-Canadian-Mounties-today.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/the_queens_diamond_jubilee/9284116/Queen-guarded-by-Canadian-Mounties-today.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Queen guarded by Canadian Mounties today|first=Hannah|last=Furness|date=May 23, 2012|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| '''Battle honours'''
| |
| * North West Canada 1885
| |
| * South Africa 1900–1902
| |
| * The Great War: France and Flanders 1918, [[Siberia]] 1918–19
| |
| * The Second World War: Europe, 1939–1945
| |
| | |
| '''Honorary distinction:'''
| |
| * The badge of the Canadian Provost Corps (Military Police), presented September 21, 1957, at a [[Parliament Hill]] ceremony for contributions to the corps during the Second World War
| |
| | |
| ==Legacy==
| |
| In 1975, the RCMP dedicated a memorial beside the Fred Light Museum in [[Battleford]], Saskatchewan, consisting of a cemetery with gate, cairn and list of honour plaque to the members of the [[North-West Mounted Police]] (1873–1904) and the RCMP.<ref>{{National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials|id=4486|title=North-West Mounted Police and Battleford memorial: Memorial 47001-047 Battleford, SK|access-date=5 January 2017}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| ==Organization==
| |
| | |
| ===International===
| |
| The RCMP International Operations Branch (IOB) assists the Liaison Officer (LO) Program to deter international crime relating to Canadian criminal laws. The IOB is a section of the International Policing, which is part of the RCMP Federal and International Operations Directorate. Thirty-seven Liaison Officers are placed in 23 other countries and are responsible for organizing Canadian investigations in other countries, developing and maintaining the exchange of [[criminal intelligence]], especially national security with other countries, to provide assistance in investigations that directly affect Canada, to coordinate and assist RCMP officers on foreign business and to represent the RCMP at international meetings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ip-pi/pdf/iob-soi-eng.pdf|title=Fact Sheet: International Operations Branch|publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|access-date=April 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202213850/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ip-pi/pdf/iob-soi-eng.pdf|archive-date=December 2, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| |
| Liaison Officers are located in:
| |
| {{div col}}
| |
| *Africa & Middle East:
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Rabat, Morocco]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|South Africa}} [[Pretoria, South Africa]]
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| ** {{flagicon|Jordan}} [[Amman, Jordan]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[Dubai, U.A.E.]]
| |
| *Asia-Pacific:
| |
| ** {{flagicon|India}} [[New Delhi, India]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Islamabad, Pakistan]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Bangkok, Thailand]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong SAR]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|China}} [[Beijing, China]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Sri Lanka}} [[Colombo, Sri Lanka]]
| |
| * Europe:
| |
| ** {{flagicon|UK}} [[London, United Kingdom]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Belgium}} [[Mons (SHAPE), Belgium]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|France}} [[Paris, France]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Berlin, Germany]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[The Hague, Netherlands]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Gdynia, Poland]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Rome, Italy]]
| |
| *The Americas:
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Jamaica}} [[Kingston, Jamaica]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Mexico City, Mexico]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Colombia}} [[Bogotá, Colombia]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Venezuela}} [[Caracas, Venezuela]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Brasília, Brazil]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Dominican Republic}} [[Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic]]
| |
| ** {{flagicon|Trinidad and Tobago}} [[Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago]]
| |
| ** {{flagu|United States}}:
| |
| *** {{flagicon|Florida}} [[Miami, Florida]]
| |
| *** {{flagu|New York}} City
| |
| *** {{flagicon|Washington}} [[Seattle, Washington]]
| |
| *** {{flag|Washington, D.C.}}
| |
| {{div col end}}
| |
| | |
| The RCMP was a member agency in the [[Afghan Threat Finance Cell]], and RCMP officers were embedded with military units in Afghanistan.<ref name="KetkNbc2012-02-10">
| |
| {{cite news
| |
| |url=http://www.ketknbc.com/news/dea-afghanistan-unit-receives-prestigious-joint-chiefs-of-staff-award
| |
| |title=DEA Afghanistan Unit Receives Prestigious Joint Chiefs of Staff Award
| |
| |publisher=[[KETK NBC]]
| |
| |date=February 8, 2012
| |
| |quote=The ATFC began operations in mid-2009 and is a multi-agency organization led by DEA with the Treasury Department and Department of Defense as co-deputies. Additional personnel staff ATFC from the Department of Defense's CENTCOM, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Internal Revenue Service. In the past, the FBI and RCMP also were members. The ATFC's purpose is to attack insurgence funding and financing networks by providing threat finance expertise and actionable intelligence to U.S. civilian and military leaders. The RCMP have also participated in United Nations Peacekeeping operations, sending members to participate actively in various U.N. missions from the late 1980s including observer missions in Namibia, policing missions in Haiti and Kosovo, and CIVPOL operations in Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, and Sudan.
| |
| |url-status=dead
| |
| |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515174304/http://www.ketknbc.com/news/dea-afghanistan-unit-receives-prestigious-joint-chiefs-of-staff-award
| |
| |archive-date=May 15, 2013
| |
| |access-date=January 19, 2017
| |
| |df=mdy
| |
| }}
| |
| | |
| </ref>
| |
| | |
| ===National===
| |
| The RCMP is organized under the authority of the ''Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act'' (''RCMP Act''), an act of the [[Parliament of Canada]]. Pursuant to sections 3 and 4 of the ''RCMP Act'', the RCMP is a police force for Canada—namely, a federal police force.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canlii.ca/t/54310#sec3|title=''Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act'', RSC 1985, c R-10, ss 3–4}}</ref> However, section 20 of the ''RCMP Act'' provides that the RCMP may be used for law enforcement in provinces or municipalities if certain conditions are met.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canlii.ca/t/54310#sec20|title=''Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act'', RSC 1985, c R-10, s 20}}</ref> As explained by Justice [[Ivan Rand]] of the Supreme Court of Canada, "what is set up is a police force for the whole of Canada to be used in the enforcement of the laws of the Dominion, but at the same time available for the enforcement of law generally in such provinces as may desire to employ its services."<ref>''R v White'', [1956] SCR 154, [https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/scc/doc/1955/1955canlii48/1955canlii48.html 1955 CanLII 48] at 158.</ref>
| |
| | |
| Pursuant to section 5 of the ''RCMP Act'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://canlii.ca/t/54310#sec5|title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, RSC 1985, c R-10, s 5}}</ref> the agency is headed by the [[List of Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioners|commissioner of the RCMP]], who, under the direction of the [[Minister of Public Safety (Canada)|minister of public safety and emergency preparedness]], has the control and management of the force and all matters connected therewith. The RCMP is provided with a senior executive committee (SEC) which<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/rcmp-executive|title=RCMP executive | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=September 22, 2016|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| {{cquote|is the senior decision making forum established by the Commissioner for the development and approval of strategic, force-wide policies, pursuant to and consistent with the Commissioner's authority under section 5 of the RCMP Act. The role of [the] SEC is to develop, promote and communicate strategic priorities, strategic objectives, management strategies and performance management for the purpose of direction and accountability.}}
| |
| | |
| The commissioner is assisted by deputy commissioners in charge of:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/exec-cadre/index-eng.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924090217/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/exec-cadre/index-eng.htm|url-status=dead|title=RCMP Executive|archive-date=September 24, 2015}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| * Federal and international policing
| |
| * Specialized policing services
| |
| ** National police services
| |
| * Contract and Indigenous policing
| |
| * Human resources
| |
| * East
| |
| ** National Division (Formerly "A" Division)
| |
| ** National headquarters
| |
| ** Newfoundland and Labrador ("B" Division)
| |
| ** New Brunswick ("J" Division)
| |
| ** Nova Scotia ("H" Division)
| |
| ** Ontario ("O" Division)
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| ** Prince Edward Island ("L" Division)
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| ** Quebec ([[The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec|"C" Division]])
| |
| * West
| |
| ** Alberta ("K" Division)
| |
| ** British Columbia ([[RCMP "E" Division|"E" Division]])
| |
| ** Manitoba ("D" Division)
| |
| ** Northwest Territories ("G" Division)
| |
| ** Nunavut ("V" Division)
| |
| ** Saskatchewan ("F" Division)
| |
| ** Yukon ("M" Division)
| |
| | |
| ===Divisions===
| |
| | |
| The RCMP divides the country into [[police division|divisions]] for command purposes. In general, each division is coterminous with a province (for example, C Division is Quebec). The province of Ontario, however, is divided into two divisions: National Division (Ottawa) and O Division (rest of the province). There is one additional division{{spaced ndash}} Depot Division, which is the RCMP Academy at Regina, Saskatchewan, and the Police Dog Service Training Centre<ref name="dogs">{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pds/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625214312/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pds/|title=RCMP Police Dog Service Training Centre|date=January 2004|archive-date=June 25, 2008}}</ref> at [[Innisfail, Alberta]]. The RCMP headquarters are located in Ottawa, Ontario.
| |
| [[File:"N" Division, Stable Building.JPG|thumb|right|National Division building in [[Ottawa]]]]
| |
| * National Division (formerly A Division): [[National Capital Region (Canada)|National Capital Region]] (Ottawa, Ontario, and Gatineau, Quebec)<ref>[http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ottawa/index-eng.htm National Division – RCMP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713014434/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ottawa/index-eng.htm |date=July 13, 2009 }}. Rcmp-grc.gc.ca (2013-10-17). Retrieved on 2013-10-30.</ref>
| |
| * B Division: Newfoundland and Labrador<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/nl/home|title=RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * [[The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec|C Division]]: Quebec<ref name="The RCMP in Quebec">{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/qc/home|title=RCMP in Quebec | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * [[D Division]]: Manitoba<ref name="The RCMP in Quebec"/>
| |
| * [[RCMP "E" Division|E Division]]: British Columbia{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}
| |
| * F Division: Saskatchewan<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/sk/home|title=RCMP in Saskatchewan | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * G Division: Northwest Territories<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/nt/home|title=Northwest Territories | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * H Division: Nova Scotia<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/ns/home|title=RCMP in Nova Scotia | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * J Division: New Brunswick<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/nb/home|title=RCMP in New Brunswick | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * K Division: Alberta<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ab/index-eng.htm|title=RCMP in Alberta|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=March 1, 2011|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * L Division: Prince Edward Island<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/pe/home|title=RCMP in Prince Edward Island | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * M Division: Yukon<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcmp-grc.gc.ca/yk/index-eng.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205203123/http://rcmp-grc.gc.ca/yk/index-eng.htm|title=RCMP – Yukon (M Division)|archive-date=February 5, 2009}}</ref>
| |
| * O Division: Ontario<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/on/index-eng.htm|title=RCMP in Ontario|date=February 16, 2018|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * V Division: Nunavut<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/nu/home|title=RCMP in Nunavut | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=December 4, 2020|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * Depot Division at Regina and the Police Dog Service Training Centre<ref name="dogs"/> at Innisfail.
| |
| | |
| ===Detachments===
| |
| A detachment is a section of the RCMP which polices a local area. Detachments vary greatly in size. The largest single RCMP detachment is in the city of Surrey in [[British Columbia]], with over a thousand employees. Surrey has contracted with the RCMP for policing services since 1951.<ref>[http://surrey.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=70&languageId=1 Your Surrey RCMP], Royal Canadian Mounted Police (last modified March 31, 2016).</ref> The second-largest RCMP detachment is in [[Burnaby]], also in British Columbia.<ref>[https://www.ecomm911.ca/news-events/news-releases/2013/BurnabyRCMP.php Canada's second largest RCMP detachment integrates dispatch with E-Comm Regional communications centre] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309183820/https://www.ecomm911.ca/news-events/news-releases/2013/BurnabyRCMP.php |date=March 9, 2018 }} (press release), [[E-Comm]] (October 2, 2013).</ref> Conversely, detachments in small, isolated rural communities have as few as three officers. The RCMP formerly had many single-officer detachments in these areas,<ref>Renato Gandia, [http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/04/12/rcmp-pays-tribute-to-wives-who-supported-officers-posted-to-smallest-detachments RCMP pays tribute to wives who supported officers posted to smallest detachments] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806170922/http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/04/12/rcmp-pays-tribute-to-wives-who-supported-officers-posted-to-smallest-detachments |date=August 6, 2016 }}, ''Calgary Sun'' (April 12, 2013).</ref><ref name="SingleDetach">[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-s-single-officer-rcmp-detachments-to-be-closed-1.1258381 B.C.'s single-officer RCMP detachments to be closed], CBC News (September 28, 2012).</ref> but in 2012 the RCMP announced that it was introducing a requirement that detachments should have at least three officers.<ref name="SingleDetach"/>
| |
| | |
| === Personal Protection Group ===
| |
| | |
| The Personal Protection Group or PPG is a 180-member group responsible for security details for VIPs, the prime minister, and the governor general.<ref>[http://blueline.ca/articles/switched_on/ Switched on - Blue Line]. Blueline.ca. Retrieved on 2013-10-30.</ref> It was created after the [[André Dallaire#The break-in|1995 incident]] at [[24 Sussex Drive]].<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tightened-tactics-breed-dissent-in-harpers-security-detail/article4366007/ Tightened tactics breed dissent in Harper's security detail]. The Globe and Mail (2012-06-23). Retrieved on 2013-10-30.</ref>
| |
| | |
| Units under the PPG consists of:
| |
| | |
| *Prime Minister Protective Detail provides bodyguards to protect the [[Prime Minister of Canada|prime minister of Canada]] in Canada and abroad. This unit is based in [[Ottawa]] with operations at 24 Sussex Drive and [[Harrington Lake]] near [[Chelsea, Quebec]].
| |
| *Governor General's Protection Detail provides bodyguards to protect the [[Governor General of Canada|governor general of Canada]] in Canada and abroad. This unit is based in Ottawa with operations at [[Rideau Hall]].
| |
| *Very Important Persons Security Section (VIPSS) provides security details to VIP (including the [[Chief Justice of Canada|chief justice of Canada]], federal ministers, and diplomats) and others under the direction of the minister of public safety.
| |
| | |
| ==Personnel==
| |
| [[File:DHS unveils new Operational Integration Center 110324-G-JL323-030.jpg|thumb|An RCMP chief superintendent (foreground) attends the opening of an Operational Integration Centre, alongside representatives of US counterpart agencies.]]
| |
| | |
| {{As of|2019|04|01|df=US}}, the RCMP employed 30,196 men and women, including police officers, civilian members, and [[Public Service of Canada|public service employees]].<ref name="RCMP organisation">{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/organi-eng.htm|title=Organizational structure|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca|date=April 1, 2019|access-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228055017/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/organi-eng.htm|archive-date=February 28, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| Actual personnel strength by ranks:
| |
| | |
| * Commissioners: 1
| |
| * Deputy commissioners: 6
| |
| * Assistant commissioners: 28
| |
| * Chief superintendents: 57
| |
| * Superintendents: 187
| |
| * Inspectors: 322
| |
| * Corps sergeants major: 1
| |
| * Sergeants major: 8
| |
| * Staff sergeants major: 9
| |
| * Staff sergeants: 838
| |
| * Sergeants: 2,018
| |
| * Corporals: 3,599
| |
| * Constables: 11,913
| |
| * Special constables: 122
| |
| * Civilian members: 7,695
| |
| * Public servants: 3,403
| |
| * Total: 30,196
| |
| | |
| ===Regular members===
| |
| The term ''regular member'', or RM, originates from the ''RCMP Act'' and refers to the 18,988 regular RCMP officers who are trained and sworn as [[Law enforcement officer|peace officer]]s, and include all the ranks from constable to commissioner. They are the police officers of the RCMP and are responsible for investigating crime and have the authority to make arrests. RMs operate in over 750 detachments, including 200 municipalities and more than 600 Indigenous communities. RMs are normally assigned to general policing duties at an RCMP detachment for a minimum of three years. These duties allow them to experience a broad range of assignments and experiences, such as responding to [[Emergency telephone number|emergency (9-1-1) calls]], foot patrol, bicycle patrol, traffic enforcement, collecting evidence at crime scenes, testifying in court, apprehending criminals and plain clothes duties. Regular members also serve in over 150 different types of operational and administrative opportunities available within the RCMP, these include: major crime investigations, emergency response, forensic identification, [[Vehicular accident reconstruction|forensic collision reconstruction]], international peacekeeping, bike or marine patrol, explosives disposal and police dog services. Also included are administrative roles including human resources, corporate planning, policy analysis and public affairs.
| |
| | |
| ===Auxiliary constables and other staff===
| |
| Besides the regular RCMP officers, several types of designations exist which give them assorted powers and responsibilities over policing issues.
| |
| | |
| Currently, there are:
| |
| * Community constables: Varies across Canada {{Citation needed|reason=Awaiting formal report for the RCMP. Current number reflects the sum of former ACCs and CSOs after their merger into the CC Program.|date=July 2018}}
| |
| * Reserve constables : Varies across Canada<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=23&languageId=1&contentId=32324|title=RCMP in British Columbia – Reserve Constables|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=November 7, 2013|website=bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * [[Auxiliary constable]]s: Varies across Canada<ref name="auxil"/>
| |
| * Special constables: 122<ref name="RCMP organisation"/>
| |
| * Civilian members: 7,590<ref name="RCMP organisation"/>
| |
| * Public servants: 3,497<ref name="RCMP organisation"/>
| |
| | |
| ;Community constables (CC):A designation introduced in 2014 as a replacement for the community safety officers and Indigenous community constables pilot programs.<ref name="ACC">{{cite web|url=https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/plcng/cnmcs-plcng/ndx/snpss-en.aspx?n=97|title=Index of Policing Initiatives|date=December 21, 2018|website=www.publicsafety.gc.ca}}</ref><ref name="CSO">{{cite web|url=http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/surrey-rcmp-s-community-safety-officer-program-chopped-1.884224|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907010436/http://www.thenownewspaper.com/news/surrey-rcmp-s-community-safety-officer-program-chopped-1.884224|url-status=dead|title=Surrey RCMP's Community Safety Officer program chopped|archive-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref> Community constables are armed, paid members holding the rank of special constables, with peace officer power.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/careers|title=Careers | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=June 6, 2016|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref> They are to provide a bridge between the local citizens and the RCMP using their local and cultural knowledge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.panow.com/node/430056|title=Community-level knowledge sought in new RCMP program|access-date=September 6, 2014|archive-date=September 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140907010241/http://www.panow.com/node/430056|url-status=dead}}</ref> They are mostly focused on crime prevention, liaisons with the community, and providing resources in the event of a large-scale event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/article/20140312/THOMPSON0101/303129998/-1/THOMPSON/community-constables-link-citizens-and-police|title=Community constables link citizens and police|work=Thompson Citizen|access-date=September 6, 2014|archive-date=March 15, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140315034654/http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/article/20140312/THOMPSON0101/303129998/-1/THOMPSON/community-constables-link-citizens-and-police|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| |
| | |
| ;Reserve constables (R/Cst.):A program reinstated in 2004 in British Columbia, it was later expanded to cover all of Canada in order to allow for retired, regular RCMP members and other provincially trained officers to provide extra manpower when shortages are identified.<ref name="RCMPNBVet">{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmpvetsnb.ca/ByLaws/Reserves/reserves.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605023220/http://www.rcmpvetsnb.ca/ByLaws/Reserves/reserves.php|archive-date=2009-06-05 |title=RCMP Reserve Program |publisher=Rcmpvetsnb.ca |date=January 1, 1995 |access-date=May 22, 2010}}</ref> R/Cst. are appointed under Section 11 of the ''Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act'' as paid part-time, armed officers with the same powers as regular members.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bc.cb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=154&languageId=1&contentId=32324 |title=RCMP Reserve Constables in B.C. |access-date=September 6, 2014 |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904074834/http://bc.cb.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=154&languageId=1&contentId=32324 |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, they are not allowed to carry force-issued sidearms and [[use of force]] options unless they are called upon to duty.<ref name="RCMPNBVet"/> They generally carry out community policing roles but may also be called upon if an emergency occurs.<ref name="RCMPNBVet"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.princegeorgecitizen.com/20091018999910699/local/news/retired-mounties-back-in-saddle.html|title=Retired Mounties back in saddle}}{{Dead link|date=July 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| |
| | |
| ;[[Auxiliary Constable#Royal Canadian Mounted Police Auxiliary|Auxiliary constables]] (A/Cst.):Volunteers within their own community, appointed under provincial police acts.<ref name="auxil">{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ccaps-spcca/auxil-eng.htm|title=Auxiliary Constable Program|access-date=September 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508061111/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ccaps-spcca/auxil-eng.htm|archive-date=May 8, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> They are not police officers and can not identify themselves as such. However, they are given peace officer powers when on duty with a regular member (RM). Their duties consist mainly of assisting RMs in routine events, for example cordoning off crime scene areas, crowd control, participating in [[Neighborhood watch|community policing]], assistance during situations where regular members might be overwhelmed with their duties (e.g., keeping watch of a backseat detainee while an RM interviews a victim). They are identified by the wording of "RCMP Auxiliary" on cars, jackets and shoulder flashes.
| |
| | |
| ;[[Special Constable#Canada|Special constable]]s (S/Cst.): Employees of the RCMP have varied duties depending on where they are deployed, but are often given this designation because of an expertise they possess which needs to be applied in a certain area. For example, an Indigenous person might be appointed a special constable in order to assist regular members as they police an Indigenous community where English is not well understood, and where the special constable speaks the language well. They still perform this role today in many isolated northern communities and the RCMP has 122 special constables who are active in the RCMP today, and they are drawn almost entirely from the same Indigenous communities that they serve.
| |
| | |
| :From the early years of policing in northern Canada, and well into the 1950s, local Indigenous peoples were hired by the RCMP as special constables and were employed as guides and to obtain and care for sled dog teams. Many of these former special constables still reside in the north to this day and are still involved in regimental functions of the RCMP.
| |
| | |
| ;Civilian members of the RCMP: While not delegated the powers of police officers, they are instead hired for their specialized scientific, technological, communications and administrative skills. Since the RCMP is a multi-faceted law enforcement organization with responsibilities for federal, provincial and municipal policing duties, it offers employment opportunities for civilian members as professional partners within Canada's national police force.
| |
| | |
| Civilian members represent approximately 14% of the total RCMP employee population, and are employed within RCMP establishments in most geographical areas of Canada. The following is a list of the most common categories of employment that may be available to interested and qualified individuals.
| |
| | |
| *Operations
| |
| ** Telecommunications operator ([[dispatcher]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/recruiting-recrutement/cm-mc/teleops-opstele-eng.htm |title=Telecommunications Operators |publisher=rcmp-grc.gc.ca |date=July 30, 2010 |access-date=September 1, 2010}}</ref>
| |
| * Scientific
| |
| ** [[Toxicology]]
| |
| ** [[Chemistry]]
| |
| ** [[Biology]] – [[DNA]]
| |
| ** [[Law]]
| |
| *Technical
| |
| ** Forensic identification services
| |
| ** Instrument technology
| |
| ** [[questioned document examination|Document examination]]
| |
| ** Counterfeit analysis
| |
| ** Firearms technology
| |
| ** Electronics technology
| |
| ** [[Information technology]]
| |
| ** [[Communication]]s
| |
| ** Computer systems development
| |
| ** [[Telecommunication]]s
| |
| ** Information services/public affairs
| |
| * [[Administration of business|Administrative]]
| |
| ** Policy development and analysis
| |
| ** Staff development and training
| |
| ** [[Human resource management]]
| |
| ** [[Translation]]
| |
| ** Police Records Information Management Environment (PRIME-BC)
| |
| | |
| ;Public service employees: Also referred to as public servants, PSes or PSEs, they provide much of the administrative support for the RCMP in the form of detachment clerks and other administrative support at the headquarters level. They are not police officers, do not wear a uniform, have no police authority and are not bound by the ''RCMP Act''.
| |
| | |
| ;Municipal employees:
| |
| Abbreviated as "ME" they are found in RCMP detachments where a contract exists with a municipality to provide front-line policing. MEs are not actually employees of the RCMP, but are instead employed by the local municipality to work in the RCMP detachment. They conduct the same duties that a PSE would and are required to meet the same reliability and security clearance to do so. Many detachment buildings house a combination of municipally and provincially funded detachments, and therefore there are often PSEs and MEs found working together in them.
| |
| | |
| ===Ranks===
| |
| {{See also|Police ranks in Canada}}
| |
| The rank system of the RCMP is partly a result of their origin as a [[paramilitary]] force. Upon its founding, the RCMP adopted the rank insignias of the [[Canadian Army]] (which in turn came from the [[British Army]]). Like in a military, the RCMP also has a distinction between commissioned and non-commissioned officers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/depot/orientation/prep-preparer/things-to-know-choses-a-savoir/ranks-grades-eng.htm|title=Ranks of the Force|website=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|date=May 21, 2015|access-date=25 January 2021}}</ref> The non-commissioned ranks are mostly based on military ranks (apart from constable). Non-commissioned officer ranks above staff sergeant resemble those that formerly existed in the Canadian Army, but have since been replaced by [[warrant officer]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uniforminsignia.org/?option=com_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&result=552|title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP¨) / Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) / Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC)|website=uniforminsignia.org}}</ref> The commissioned officer ranks, by contrast, use a set of non-military titles that are often used in Commonwealth police services. The number of higher ranks like chief superintendent and deputy commissioner have been added on and increased since the formation of the force, while the lower commissioned rank of sub-inspector has been dropped.
| |
| | |
| The numbers are current as of April 1, 2019:<ref>{{cite web |last1=Government of Canada |first1=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/organi-eng.htm |title=Organizational Structure |website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca |access-date=17 May 2019 |date=1 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228055017/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/about-ausujet/organi-eng.htm |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| |
| | |
| {| class="wikitable"
| |
| |-
| |
| ! colspan="6" |Commissioned officers
| |
| |-
| |
| !Commissioner
| |
| !Deputy commissioner
| |
| !Assistant commissioner
| |
| !Chief superintendent
| |
| !Superintendent
| |
| !Inspector
| |
| |-
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Commissaire}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Sous-commissaire}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Commissaire adjoint}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Surintendant principal}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Surintendant}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Inspecteur}}
| |
| |-
| |
| !Commr.
| |
| !D/Commr.
| |
| !A/Commr.
| |
| !C/Supt.
| |
| !Supt.
| |
| !Insp.
| |
| |-
| |
| !1
| |
| !6
| |
| !33
| |
| !55
| |
| !186
| |
| !331
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Commissioner insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Deputy Commissioner insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Assistant Commissioner insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Chief Superintendent insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Superintendent insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Inpsector insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |}
| |
| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/regular-member-annual-rates-pay|title=Regular Member – Annual Rates of Pay {{!}} Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|date=2012-09-14|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca|access-date=2019-07-17}}</ref> These are the official abbreviations for the commissioned and non-commissioned officers in the RCMP.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/rcmp-executive|title=RCMP executive | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=September 22, 2016|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/nb/commanding-officer|title=Commanding Officer | Royal Canadian Mounted Police|first=Royal Canadian Mounted Police|last=Government of Canada|date=June 21, 2016|website=www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca}}</ref>
| |
| {| class="wikitable"
| |
| ! colspan="6" |Non-commissioned officers
| |
| !|Constables
| |
| !Depot
| |
| |-
| |
| !Corps sergeant major
| |
| !Sergeant major
| |
| !Staff sergeant major
| |
| !Staff sergeant
| |
| !Sergeant
| |
| !Corporal
| |
| !Constable
| |
| !Cadet
| |
| |-
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Sergent-major du corps}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Sergent-major}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Sergent-major d'état major}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Sergent d'état-major}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Sergent}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Caporal}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Gendarme}}
| |
| !{{lang|fr|Cadet}}
| |
| |-
| |
| !C/S/M.
| |
| !S/M.
| |
| !S/S/M.
| |
| !S/Sgt.
| |
| !Sgt.
| |
| !Cpl.
| |
| !Cst.
| |
| !no abbreviation
| |
| |-
| |
| !1
| |
| !8
| |
| !10
| |
| !828
| |
| !2,037
| |
| !3,565
| |
| !11,859
| |
| !Varies
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Corps Sergeant Major insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Sergeant Major insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Staff Sergeant Major insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Staff Sergeant insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Sergeant insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Corporal insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Constable insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |[[File:RCMP Cadet Insignia.svg|center|frameless|150x150px]]
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| The ranks of inspector and higher are commissioned ranks and are appointed by the [[Queen-in-Council|Governor-in-Council]]. Depending on the dress, badges are worn on the shoulder as slip-ons, on shoulder boards, or directly on the [[epaulette]]s. The lower ranks are non-commissioned officers and the insignia continues to be based on pre-1968 Canadian Army patterns. Since 1990, the non-commissioned officers' rank insignia has been embroidered on the epaulette slip-ons. Non-commissioned rank badges are worn on the right sleeve of the scarlet/blue tunic and blue jacket. The constables wear no rank insignia. There are also 122 special constables, as well as a varying number of reserve constables, auxiliary constables, and students who wear identifying insignia.
| |
| | |
| The [[Bath star|star]], or "pip", used in the insignia of commissioned officers represents the military Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]]. The order's motto ({{lang|la|tria juncta in uno}}, "three joined in one", referring to the [[holy trinity]]) is inscribed in a band in the middle of it. The three crowns inset in the centre not only represent the Christian Trinity, but also the three former kingdoms that became the United Kingdom. The RCMP formerly had subaltern ([[junior officer]]) ranks that were indicated by one "pip" for a sub-inspector (equivalent to an army second lieutenant) to three "pips" for an inspector (equivalent to an army captain).<ref>p.38 Ross, David & May Robin ''The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (1873–1987)'' 1988 Osprey Publishing.</ref> A reorganization in 1960 changed the insignia to three "pips" for sub-inspectors<ref>pp.38-39 Ross, David & May, Robin ''The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (1873–1987)'' 1988 Osprey Publishing.</ref> and a crown for inspectors,<ref>pp.38-39 Ross, David & May, Robin ''The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (1873–1987)'' 1988 Osprey Publishing</ref> making the latter a [[field officer]] rank. The rank of sub-inspector was abolished in 1990, leaving the RCMP with no subaltern ranks.
| |
| | |
| A royal crown is used in the regimental cap badge and the insignia of senior commissioned officers. In 1955 [[St. Edward's Crown]] replaced the [[Tudor Crown (heraldry)|Tudor Crown]]. Although Queen Elizabeth II had adopted the redesign of the heraldic crown in 1953, it took some time to design, approve, and manufacture the new insignia.
| |
| | |
| The crossed [[Mameluke]] [[Kilij|sabre]] and [[Baton (military)|baton]] is the insignia for [[general officer]]s. In the RCMP it designates the commissioner (equivalent to an army general) and their subordinate deputy commissioners (equivalent to army lieutenant-generals). The assistant commissioners use the crown-over-three-pips insignia of an army [[Brigadier#British tradition|brigadier]].
| |
| | |
| The brass shoulder title pin on the epaulettes was changed from "RCMP" to "GRC-RCMP" in 1968. ({{lang|fr|GRC}} stands for {{lang|fr|Gendarmerie royale du Canada}}, the RCMP's French-language title). This was due to a 1968 ruling stating that all statutes had to be published bilingually in both English and French. As a law enforcement agency, the RCMP had to use ranks and titles in both languages. This was later reinforced by the [[Official Languages Act (Canada)|''Official Languages Act'']].
| |
| | |
| === Honorary positions ===
| |
| {| class="wikitable"
| |
| |+RCMP honorary titles
| |
| !Position
| |
| !Honorary holder
| |
| !Since
| |
| !Notes
| |
| |-
| |
| |Commissioner-in-chief
| |
| |Queen [[Elizabeth II]]
| |
| |May 10, 2012<ref name=":3">{{cite web|date=2012-09-06|title=RCMP and the Monarchy|url=http://www.rcmpveteransvancouver.com/rcmp-and-the-monarchy/|access-date=2021-04-16|website=RCMP Veterans' Association – Vancouver Division}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2012-06-01|title=Diamond Jubilee: Nobody's talking but RCMP has given Queen a horse for Diamond Jubilee|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/royals/2012/06/01/diamond_jubilee_nobodys_talking_but_rcmp_has_given_queen_a_horse_for_diamond_jubilee.html|access-date=2021-04-16|website=thestar.com}}</ref>
| |
| |In celebration of her [[Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Diamond Jubilee]]; formerly an honorary commissioner<ref name=":3" /> from 1953<ref name=":4">{{cite web|last=Heritage|first=Canadian|date=2018-01-18|title=Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/royal-family/queen.html|access-date=2021-04-16|website=aem}}</ref>
| |
| |-
| |
| |Honorary commissioner
| |
| |[[Charles, Prince of Wales]]
| |
| |May 10, 2012<ref name=":3" />
| |
| |Assumed the title of honorary commissioner when the Queen was granted commissioner-in-chief
| |
| |-
| |
| |Honorary commissioner
| |
| |[[Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex]]
| |
| |June 8, 2009<ref name=":5">{{cite news|date=June 8, 2009|title=Prince Edward concludes royal Alberta visit with canine gift to RCMP|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/prince-edward-concludes-royal-alberta-visit-with-canine-gift-to-rcmp-1.833865|url-status=live|website=CBC News}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=April 2021}}
| |
| |
| |
| |-
| |
| |Honorary deputy commissioner
| |
| |[[Anne, Princess Royal]]
| |
| |November 10, 2014<ref name=":6">{{cite web|title=Princess Anne praises slain Canadian soldiers as royal visit to Ottawa begins (with video)|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/princess-anne-comes-to-ottawa|access-date=2021-04-16|website=Ottawa Citizen}}</ref>
| |
| |
| |
| |}
| |
| Various members of the Canadian royal family have been granted honorary titles by the RCMP. Queen Elizabeth II, initially appointed honorary commissioner in 1953 was made commissioner-in-chief in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. Upon her new appointment, her son, Charles, Prince of Wales was made an honorary commissioner.<ref name=":4" /> Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex was made an honorary commissioner during a royal visit in 2009.<ref name=":5" />{{Better source needed|date=April 2021}} Anne, Princess Royal was made honorary deputy commissioner during a visit to Canada in 2014.<ref name=":6" />
| |
| | |
| ==Equipment and vehicles==
| |
| ===Land fleet===
| |
| [[File:G20 Toronto - RCMP Truck.jpg|thumb|RCMP truck at [[G20 summit|G20 Summit]] in [[Toronto]]]]
| |
| [[File:RCMP Ford CVPI near Canadian Parliament.jpg|thumb|[[Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor]] at [[Parliament Hill]] in [[Ottawa]]]]
| |
| | |
| The RCMP Land Transport Fleet inventory includes:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/land-terre/index-eng.htm |title=Land Transport |publisher=Rcmp-grc.gc.ca |date=November 14, 2006 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620013431/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/land-terre/index-eng.htm |archive-date=June 20, 2010 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
| |
| * [[Police car|Cars]]: 5,330
| |
| * Unmarked vehicles: 2,811
| |
| * Light [[Police truck|trucks]]: 2,090
| |
| * Heavy trucks: 123
| |
| * SUVs: 616
| |
| * [[Police motorcycle|Motorcycles]]: 34
| |
| * Small snowmobiles: 481
| |
| * All-terrain vehicles: 181
| |
| * Gas railway cars: 1
| |
| * Tractors: 27
| |
| * [[Police bus|Buses]]: 3
| |
| * Total: 11,697
| |
| | |
| ===Marine craft===
| |
| [[File:Toronto police boats on lake.JPG|thumb|RCMP-CCG vessel ''Simmonds'' with CCGS ''Cape Hurd'']]
| |
| The RCMP polices [[Canadian Internal Waters]], including the [[Territorial waters|territorial sea]] and contiguous zone as well as the [[Great Lakes]] and [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]]; such operations are provided by the RCMP's Federal Services Directorate and includes enforcing Canada's environment, fisheries, customs and immigration laws. In provinces and municipalities where the RCMP performs contract policing, the force polices freshwater lakes and rivers.
| |
| | |
| To meet these challenges, the RCMP operates the Marine Division, with five [[Robert Allan Ltd.]]–designed high-speed [[catamaran]] [[Police watercraft|patrol vessels]]; ''Inkster'' and the ''Commissioner''-class ''Nadon'', ''Higgitt'', ''Lindsay'' and ''Simmonds'', based on all three coasts and manned by officers specially trained in maritime enforcement. ''Inkster'' is based in Prince Rupert, BC, ''Simmonds'' is stationed on Newfoundland's south coast, and the rest are on the Pacific Coast.<ref name="rcmp-grc.gc.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/mari/index-eng.htm |title=Marine Services |publisher=Rcmp-grc.gc.ca |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622064451/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/mari/index-eng.htm |archive-date=June 22, 2010 }}</ref> ''Simmonds''<nowiki/>' livery is unique, in that it sports the RCMP badge, but is otherwise painted with [[Canadian Coast Guard]] colours and the marking ''Coast Guard Police''. The other four vessels are painted with blue and white RCMP colours.
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| | |
| The RCMP operates 377 smaller boats, defined as vessels less than {{convert|9.2|m|abbr=on}} long, at locations across Canada. This category ranges from [[canoe]]s and car toppers to rigid-hulled inflatables and stable, commercially built, inboard-outboard vessels. Individual detachments often have smaller high-speed [[rigid-hulled inflatable boat]]s and other purpose-built vessels for inland waters, some of which can be hauled by road to the nearest launching point.<ref name="rcmp-grc.gc.ca"/>
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| | |
| {| class="wikitable"
| |
| |+ '''RCMP ship fleet'''
| |
| |- style="background:#aabccc;"
| |
| !Ship name || Type || Class || Base || Specifications || Propulsion || Top speed || Builder || Year commissioned || Crew
| |
| |-
| |
| | [[Norman Inkster|''Inkster'']] || [[Patrol boat|Patrol vessel]] || n/a || [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert, BC]] || {{Convert|19.75|m|abbr=on}}<br />fast patrol aluminium catamaran || || {{convert|25|kn|abbr=on|lk=in}}+ || [[Allied Shipbuilders]] Limited of [[North Vancouver (city)|North Vancouver, BC]] || 1996 || 4
| |
| |-
| |
| | [[RCMP vessel Nadon|''Nadon'']] || [[Patrol boat|Patrol vessel]] || Commissioner Class PV (Raven Class) || [[Nanaimo|Nanaimo, BC]] || {{Convert|17.7|m|abbr=on}}<br />fast patrol catamaran || 2 × {{Convert|820|hp|abbr=on}} D2840 LE401 V-10 [[MAN Diesel]] engines || {{convert|36|kn|abbr=on}} || [[Robert Allan Ltd.]] || 1991 || 4
| |
| |-
| |
| | [[William Higgitt|''Higgitt'']] || [[Patrol boat|Patrol vessel]] || Commissioner Class PV || [[Campbell River, British Columbia|Campbell River, BC]] || {{Convert|17.7|m|abbr=on}}<br />fast patrol catamaran || 2 × {{Convert|820|hp|abbr=on}} D2840 LE401 V-10 [[MAN Diesel]] engines || {{convert|36|kn|abbr=on}} || [[Robert Allan Ltd.]] || 1992 || 4
| |
| |-
| |
| | [[Malcolm Lindsay|''Lindsay'']] || [[Patrol boat|Patrol vessel]] || Commissioner Class PV || [[Patricia Bay]], [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria, BC]] || {{Convert|17.7|m|abbr=on}}<br />fast patrol catamaran || 2 × {{Convert|820|hp|abbr=on}} D2840 LE401 V-10 [[MAN Diesel]] engines || {{convert|36|kn|abbr=on}} || [[Robert Allan Ltd.]] || 1993 || 4
| |
| |-
| |
| | [[Robert Simmonds|''Simmonds'']] || [[Patrol boat|Patrol vessel]] || Commissioner Class PV || South coast [[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] || {{Convert|17.7|m|abbr=on}}<br />fast patrol catamaran || 2 × {{Convert|820|hp|abbr=on}} D2840 LE401 V-10 [[MAN Diesel]] engines ||| {{convert|36|kn|abbr=on}} || [[Robert Allan Ltd.]] || 1995 || 4
| |
| |}
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| | |
| ===Aircraft fleet===
| |
| [[File:Pilatus PC-12-45, Royal Canadian Mounted Police AN0147718.jpg|thumb|RCMP [[Pilatus PC-12]]]]
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| | |
| As of December 2018 the RCMP had 34 [[Police aviation|aircraft]] (8 helicopters and 26 fixed-wing aircraft) registered with [[Transport Canada]].<ref name="TCFleet"/> The new Airbus H145 is still currently registered to Airbus. All aircraft are operated and maintained by the Air Services Branch.
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| | |
| {| class="wikitable"
| |
| |+ '''RCMP Fleet'''
| |
| |- style="background:#aabccc;"
| |
| !Aircraft||Number<ref name="TCFleet">{{TCregister|GOVERNMENT+OF+CANADA%2c+ROYAL+CANADIAN+MOUNTED+POLICE|Royal Canadian Mounted Police|2017-06-18}}</ref>||Variants||Notes
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[Eurocopter EC145|Airbus H145]]
| |
| |1<ref>{{cite press release |title=Airbus delivers Canada's first H145 to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police |url=https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2018/12/airbus-delivers-canada-s-first-h145-to-the-royal-canadian-mounte.html |website=Airbus |access-date=26 June 2019 |date=19 December 2018}}</ref>
| |
| |H145
| |
| |Helicopter, light twin-engine, 4-axis autopilot.
| |
| Serving the Lower Mainland of BC ("E" Division)
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil]]||6||[[Eurocopter AS350#AS350 B3|AS 350B3]]||Helicopter, AStar 350 or "Squirrel"
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[Cessna 206]]||5||[[Cessna 206#Cessna U206|U206G]], [[Cessna 206#Cessna 206H|T206H]]||Fixed wing, Stationair ([[Station wagon]] of the Air), [[general aviation]] aircraft
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[Cessna 208 Caravan]]||3||208, [[Cessna 208 Caravan#208B Grand Caravan|208B]]||Fixed wing, Caravan, short-haul regional [[airliner]] and utility aircraft
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]]||1||[[de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter#DHC-6 Series 300|300 Series]]||Fixed wing, 20-passenger [[STOL]] feederliner and utility aircraft, twin-engine.
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[Eurocopter EC120 Colibri]]||2||[[Eurocopter EC120 Colibri#Specifications (EC120 B)|EC 120B]]||Light helicopter, "Hummingbird"
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[Pilatus PC-12]]||16||[[Pilatus PC-12#PC-12/45|PC-12/45]], [[Pilatus PC-12#PC-12/47|PC-12/47]], [[Pilatus PC-12#PC-12/47E|PC-12/47E]]||Fixed wing, [[turboprop]] passenger and cargo aircraft
| |
| |-
| |
| |[[Quest Kodiak]]||1||100||Fixed wing, un-pressurized, turboprop-powered fixed-tricycle-gear, STOL
| |
| |}
| |
| | |
| ===Weapons and intervention options===
| |
| [[File:RCMP S&W 5946.JPG|thumb|RCMP issue Smith & Wesson Model 5946 service pistol with [[Hogue grip]]]]
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| [[File:RCMP X26.jpg|thumb|RCMP issue Taser International X-26 conducted energy weapon]]
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| * [[Smith & Wesson Model 5906|Smith & Wesson Model 5946]] (1992–present) – Standard full-sized service sidearm. It is stainless-steel, [[double-action]] only, with a {{cvt|4|in}} barrel and a double-column 15-round magazine.
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| ** [[Emergency Response Team (RCMP)|Emergency response team (ERT)]] and dog handler members were issued modified Model 5946s with magazine safeties removed until they were replaced with the SIG Sauer P226R.
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| * Smith & Wesson Model 3953 (1996–present) – Special issue compact sidearm for plainclothes members and commissioned officers. It can also be requested as a service pistol by members with small hands who cannot positively grip the larger Model 5946. It is similar to the Model 5946 except it has a shorter {{cvt|3.5|in}} barrel, a shortened grip, and a single-column eight-round magazine.
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| * [[SIG Sauer P226#P226 Rail|SIG Sauer 226R]] ([[9×19mm]] ) – Standard issue sidearm for ERT and dog-handler members. It replaced the modified Model 5946 that had been previously issued.
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| * [[Glock|Glock Model 19]] – Special issue sidearm for [[Sky marshal#Canada|Canadian Air Carrier Protective Program (CACPP)]] members.
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| * [[Heckler & Koch MP5]] – Adopted by the ERT
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| * [[Remington Model 700]]P ([[.308 Winchester]]) bolt-action rifle
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| * [[Remington 870]] 12-gauge shotgun
| |
| * [[Colt Canada C7 rifle]] ([[5.56mm NATO]])
| |
| * [[Colt Canada C7 rifle#C8|Colt Canada C8 carbine]] ([[5.56mm NATO]]) – Adopted by ERT
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| ** Colt Canada C8 IUR ([[Picatinny rail|integrated upper receiver]] ) 5.56mm NATO. The semi-automatic C8 IUR was adopted for general use in October, 2011,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://soldiersystems.net/2011/10/23/rcmp-adopts-c8-carbine/|title=RCMP Adopts C8 Carbine – Soldier Systems Daily}}</ref> but the first batch were not procured until 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1898328/under-fire-the-carbine/|title=Under Fire: The carbine|website=Global News}}</ref> The first RCMP Cadets began qualifying on the C8 IUR and receiving Active Shooter training in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/2056473/exclusive-rcmp-cadets-to-receive-carbine-and-active-shooter-training-this-summer/|title=EXCLUSIVE: All RCMP cadets now receiving carbine and active shooter training | Globalnews.ca|date=June 15, 2015|website=globalnews.ca}}</ref>
| |
| * [[Taser International]] M26, X26, and X26P. Following the [[Robert Dziekanski|Robert Dziekański incident]], all older M26 models and 60 faulty X26 models in stock were removed and destroyed in 2010 due to being outside of specifications.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/hundreds-of-faulty-rcmp-tasers-destroyed-or-pulled-1.503499|title=Hundreds of faulty RCMP Tasers destroyed or pulled|date=April 18, 2010|website=CTVNews}}</ref>
| |
| * [[Pepper spray|Oleoresin capsicum spray]]
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| * [[ASP, Inc.|ASP]] and Monadnock [[Expandable baton|expandable defensive batons]]
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| | |
| ====Past weapons and intervention options====
| |
| ;'''Rifles'''
| |
| * Canadian Arsenals Limited (CAL) [[C1 Rifle|C1A1]] – issued in [[7.62×51mm|7.62mm NATO]]. Canadian variant of the [[L1A1]] and [[FN FAL]] produced under licence by Canadian Arsenals Limited (CAL) (Long Branch). The RCMP's rifles were sourced from the testing batch of FALs received from [[Fabrique Nationale]] and had been rebuilt by CAL to meet C1A1 standards. Used from 1961 to 1969.
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| * [[Winchester Model 70]] Issued in [[.308 Winchester]]. Used from 1960–1973. This rifle was replaced by the Remington 700.
| |
| * [[Rifle No 4|Lee–Enfield No. 4 Mk 1]] – issued in [[.303 British]]. World War II surplus rifles used from 1947 to 1966. Replaced by CAL C1A1 and Winchester 70.
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| * [[Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III|Short Magazine Lee Enfield (SMLE) No. 1 Mk III]] – issued in [[.303 British]]. World War I surplus rifles used from 1919–1947.<ref name="calibremag.ca">{{cite web|url=https://calibremag.ca/the-guns-that-won-the-west-the-firearms-of-the-n-w-m-p/|title=THE GUNS THAT WON THE WEST: THE FIREARMS OF THE N.W.M.P.|first=Richard Van|last=Leersum|date=January 1, 2014}}</ref>
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| * [[Charger Loading Lee-Enfield|Lee-Enfield carbine (LEC)]] – issued in [[.303 British]]. Procured as military surplus from militia stores to replace the unsatisfactory Ross Rifle. Used from 1914 to 1920. This was the last general-issue rifle used by the NWMP. The RCMP that replaced it only issued rifles according to need.
| |
| * [[Ross rifle]] – issued in .303 British. The Ross Mk I was issued from 1905 to 1907 and the improved Ross Mk II was in testing from 1909 to 1912.<ref name="calibremag.ca"/> The Mk I design was accepted by the Canadian Militia in 1903. The NWMP looked at acquiring the Ross to replace the Winchester and Lee-Metford and ordered 1000. Production problems led to delays until 1904; the most glaring being that the finished product did not match their original specifications.<ref name="calibremag.ca"/> The NWMP demanded their contract carbines use a different set of iron sight (which later became standard on the Mk II) which delayed production for a further year.<ref name="calibremag.ca"/> The carbines received in 1905 were plagued with quality control problems that made them more fragile than the weapons they were to replace. After a constable suffered an eye injury in 1907 the Ross carbines were withdrawn.<ref name="calibremag.ca"/> When the improved Ross Mk II rifles arrived in 1909 the wary NWMP decided to test fire all of them fully before issuing them. A fire at the depot in Regina in 1911 destroyed almost all of the new rifles.<ref name="calibremag.ca"/> The NWMP then gave up on the Ross.
| |
| * [[Charger Loading Lee-Enfield|Magazine Lee-Enfield (MLE) Mk.I rifle]] – issued in .303 British; it was the first smokeless-powder weapon in NWMP service. Loaned to the NWMP from the Victoria and Winnipeg militias to replace a stolen cache of M1876 Winchesters. The NWMP "forgot" to give them back later. Used from 1902 to 1920.
| |
| * [[Lee–Metford|Lee-Metford carbine]] – issued in .303 British. The Metford rifling gave tighter groups when fired than the later Enfield, but the rifling wore out faster. Only 200 procured. Used from 1895 to 1914. Replaced by the Lee-Enfield carbine.
| |
| * [[Winchester Model 1876]] saddle [[carbine]]—issued in [[.45-75 Winchester]]. Popular for its handiness and rate of fire, but it was too fragile for the rough handling and use it received in the field. Used from 1878 until 1914.<ref>Petzal, David E. and Bourjaily, Phil, with Fenson, Brad. ''The Total Gun Manual'' (Canadian edition) (San Francisco: WeldonOwen, 2014) Note 44.<!--unpaginated--></ref> and replaced by the Lee-Enfield Carbine.
| |
| * [[Snider–Enfield]] Mark III cavalry carbine – issued in [[.577 Snider]]. Single-shot breach-loading conversion of an Enfield caplock muzzle-loader. Used from 1873 to 1878 and replaced by the Winchester Model 1876 lever-action rifle.
| |
| ;'''Service pistols'''
| |
| * [[Smith & Wesson Model 10|Smith & Wesson ''military and police'']] revolver—issued with {{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}} barrel, in [[.38 Special]]. It served more than forty years from 1954 to 1996. Plainclothes members carried a variant with a {{convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on}} barrel.
| |
| **In 1981, the standard loading was changed from a {{convert|158|gr|oz g|abbr=on}} .38 Special [[Full Metal Jacket bullet|full metal jacket]] (FMJ) ball round to a {{convert|158|gr|oz g|abbr=on}} .38 Special +P [[Wadcutter|semi-wadCutter]] [[hollowpoint bullet|hollow-point]] (SWCHP), a violation of the [[Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907|Hague Convention of 1899]] if used in a military context.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
| |
| * [[Colt New Service|Colt ''New Service'']] revolver — issued with 5.5 in (140 mm) barrel; 700 ordered in [[.455 Webley]] in 1904, with [[.45 Colt|.45 Long Colt]] versions being delivered from 1919; in all, over 3200 issued.<ref name="ReferenceB">Petzal and Bourjaily with Fenson. ''The Total Gun Manual'' (Canadian edition), Note 44</ref><ref name="calibremag.ca"/> 455 Webley was the British military service round and .45 Long Colt was the standard Canadian service round until both were replaced by the NATO-standard 9×19mm Parabellum post World War II. Used from 1904 to 1954.
| |
| * [[Enfield revolver|Enfield Mark II]] revolver—issued in [[.476 Enfield]], about 1080 Mark IIs obtained from Britain's [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]], after it was learned the Beaumont–Adams had been discontinued.<ref>Petzal and Bourjaily with Fenson, ''The Total Gun Manual'' (Canadian edition), Note 45</ref><ref name="calibremag.ca"/> The remaining .450 Adams ammunition, which was compatible with the .476 Enfield round, was issued until stocks were depleted. Used from 1882 to 1911.
| |
| * [[Beaumont–Adams revolver]]—first issue weapon, in [[.450 Adams]]. 330 Mark Is purchased from Britain's Ministry of Defence in 1873 and issued after delivery in 1874. Rough handling of the crates in transit, poor packing by the contractor who shipped the guns, and previous service wear made them unsuitable for service.<ref name="calibremag.ca"/> The constables sometimes had to manually turn the cylinders due to cracked feed hands or keep both hands on the grips for the springs to work due to loose screws.<ref name="gunsandammo.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/the-455-colt-new-service-and-the-rcmp/248811|title=The .455 Colt New Service and the RCMP|date=December 6, 2016|website=Guns and Ammo}}</ref> Later, these were to be replaced by 330 Enfield Mark IIs,<ref>Petzal and Bourjaily, Phil, with Fenson. ''The Total Gun Manual'' (Canadian edition), Note 44</ref> but many were stolen en route.<ref name="gunsandammo.com"/> Used from 1874 to 1888.
| |
| ;'''Pistols'''
| |
| Because of procurement problems with the Beaumont–Adams revolvers, constables sometimes carried their own sidearms chambered in a standard service caliber.
| |
| * [[Tranter (revolver)|Tranter]] revolver – chambered in .450 Adams, the standard service round. It was similar to the Beaumont-Adams revolver it was substituted for.
| |
| * [[Smith & Wesson Model 3]] revolver – chambered in [[.44 Russian]], a very powerful cartridge in its day. Thirty were purchased in 1874 by the NWMP to field-test the .44 Russian round for service. Its non-standard chambering and the difficulty to get ammunition for it led to its being withdrawn.
| |
| * [[Webley & Scott]] [[British Bull Dog revolver|Bull Dog]] revolver<ref>Phillips, Roger F., & Klancher, Donald J. ''Arms & {{sic}} Accoutrements of the Mounted Police 1873–1973'' (Bloomfield, ON: Museum Restoration Service, 1982), p.24.</ref> – chambered in [[.450 Adams]]. Its small size made it a handy backup pistol. Most were originally procured to arm NWMP constables assigned to protecting mail cars on trains. The constables would sometimes "absent-mindedly forget" to hand the pistols back afterwards.
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| | |
| ;'''Sidearms'''
| |
| * 1821 pattern light cavalry sabre – Originally part of a trove of old swords given by the Canadian Militia to the NWMP as weapons. They were returned to stores in 1880. Later issued to commissioned officers in 1882 as ceremonial sidearms and a sign of rank. This was later replaced by the M1896 light cavalry sabre.
| |
| * 1853 pattern cavalry sabre – Originally part of a trove of old swords given by the Canadian Militia to the NWMP as weapons. They were returned to stores in 1880. Later issued in 1882 to non-commissioned officers as ceremonial sidearms and a sign of rank. This was later replaced by the 1821 pattern sabre.
| |
| * 1896 pattern light cavalry sabre – Replaced the 1821 pattern sabre as the NWMP officer's ceremonial sword.
| |
| * 1908 pattern cavalry saber – Carried by the Mounted Police detachment sent to Siberia in 1918 during the Russian Civil War.
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| * Straightstick [[Baton (law enforcement)|baton]] manufactured in wood and plastic
| |
| * [[Weighted-knuckle glove|Sap gloves]] – Prohibited by RCMP policy. Not currently used.
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| | |
| ====Ceremonial weapons and symbols of office====
| |
| * [[Pattern 1908 and 1912 cavalry swords|1912 pattern cavalry officer's sword]] carried by officers. Blade is acid etched both sides with the monarch's crown, Canadian coat of Arms, royal cypher and RCMP badge.
| |
| * [[Pattern 1908 and 1912 cavalry swords|1908 pattern cavalry sword]] carried by NCOs on the Musical Ride
| |
| * [[Lance|Bamboo-shafted lance]] carried by members on horseback on the Musical Ride. The lance is used as a decorative item and is flourished during trick and formation riding. The pennant is red over white, the national colours of the Canadian flag. It represents the Pattern 1868 cavalry lance carried by the NWMP in the 1870s.
| |
| * [[Pace stick|Drill cane]]
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| * [[Swagger stick]]
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| * Commissioner's [[tipstaff]]
| |
| | |
| In 1973, [[Wilkinson Sword]] produced a number of commemorative swords to celebrate the RCMP centennial. None of these swords were ever used ceremonially, and were strictly collectibles. Wilkinson Sword also made a commemorative centennial [[tomahawk (axe)|tomahawk]] and miniature "letter opener" models of their centennial swords.
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| | |
| In 1973, [[Winchester Repeating Arms Company]] produced an RCMP commemorative centennial version of their [[Winchester Model 1894|Model 94]] rifle in [[.30-30 Winchester]], with a {{convert|22|in|mm|abbr=on}} round barrel. The [[Receiver (firearms)|receiver]], buttplate, and [[Forend (firearms)|forend]] cap (on the musket-style forend) were plated in gold. Commemorative medallions were embedded in the right-hand side of the [[Stock (firearms)|stock]], with an "MP" engraving. There was engraving on the barrel and receiver indicating the rifle was a centennial commemorative edition. Sights were open notch rear, with a flip-up rear ladder, graduated to {{convert|2000|yd|m|abbr=on}}. Two versions were produced, 9500 with serial numbers beginning "RCMP" for commercial sale, 5000 with the prefix "MP" sold only to serving RCMP members. In addition, ten presentation models were produced, serialled RCMP1P to RCMP10P.<ref>Petzal and Bourjaily with Fenson. ''The Total Gun Manual'' (Canadian edition), Note 45</ref>
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| | |
| ==Popular awareness==
| |
| [[File:Canadian flag carried by RCMP at the opening cermonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver (4355036201).jpg|thumb|right|Canadian flag carried by RCMP at the opening ceremonies of the [[2010 Winter Olympics]] in Vancouver]]
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| | |
| The Mounties have been immortalized as symbols of [[Culture of Canada|Canadian culture]] in numerous [[Cinema of the United States|Hollywood]] [[Northern (genre)|Northwestern]] movies and television series, which often feature the image of the Mountie as square-jawed, stoic, and polite, yet with a steely determination and physical toughness that sometimes appears superhuman. Coupled with the adage that the Mountie "always gets his man", the image projects them as fearsome, incorruptible, dogged yet gentle champions of the law. The RCMP's motto is actually the French ''Maintiens le droit'', which has been translated into the English "Defending the Law" or "Maintain the right".<ref name="motto">{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/fs-fd/badge-insigne-eng.htm |title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Badges and Insignia |publisher=Rcmp-grc.gc.ca |date=February 16, 2005 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706022634/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/fs-fd/badge-insigne-eng.htm |archive-date=July 6, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="motto3">{{cite web|url=http://www.quebec400.gc.ca/grc-rcmp-eng.cfm |title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |publisher=Quebec400.gc.ca |date=February 8, 2008 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080716032234/http://www.quebec400.gc.ca/grc-rcmp-eng.cfm |archive-date=July 16, 2008 }}</ref><ref name=Motto2019/> The Hollywood motto derives from a comment by a Montana newspaper, the ''Fort Benton Record'': "They fetch their man every time".<ref name="Fort Benton">[https://web.archive.org/web/20081201185546/http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar%2FLayout%2FArticle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1109976610322&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&DPL=IvsNDS%2F7ChAX Force's legacy endures], ''[[Toronto Star]]'', March 5, 2005</ref> The RCMP Sunset Ceremony ({{Lang-fr|Cérémonie du crépuscule}}) has taken place every summer since 1989 at the [[Musical Ride]] Centre in [[Ottawa]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-royal-canadian-mounted-police-presents-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-canadian-sunset-ceremonies-june-27-30-857655750.html |title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police presents the 30th anniversary of the Canadian Sunset Ceremonies, June 27–30 |date=June 26, 2019 |publisher=CNW Group Ltd. |access-date=December 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ottawatourism.ca/ottawa-insider/rcmp-musical-ride-sunset-ceremonies/ |title=RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies |publisher=Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority |access-date=December 6, 2019}}</ref> with it in recent years featuring the [[Ottawa Police Service Pipe Band]] and the [[Governor General's Foot Guards Band]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.todocanada.ca/city/ottawa/event/rcmps-canadian-sunset-ceremonies/ |title=RCMP's Canadian Sunset Ceremonies |website=todoCanada.ca|access-date=December 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=RCMP Heritage Centre – Sunset Retreat Ceremonies |url=https://rcmphc.com/en/sunset-retreat-ceremonies-2 |website=rcmphc.com}}</ref>
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| | |
| ===Early depictions===
| |
| | |
| In 1912, [[Ralph Connor]]'s ''Corporal Cameron of the North-West Mounted Police: A Tale of the MacLeod Trail'' appeared, becoming an international best-selling novel. Mounties fiction became a popular genre in both [[pulp magazine]]s and book form. Among the best-selling authors who specialized in tales of the Mounted Police were [[James Oliver Curwood]], [[Laurie York Erskine]], James B Hendryx, T Lund, Harwood Steele (the son of Sam Steele), and William Byron Mowery.
| |
| | |
| In other media, a famous example is the [[Radio drama|radio]] and [[Television program|television series]], ''[[Challenge of the Yukon|Sergeant Preston of the Yukon]].'' [[Dudley Do-Right]] (of ''[[The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show]]'') is a 1960s example of the comic aspect of the Mountie myth, as is [[Klondike Kat]], from [[Total Television]]. The [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical and Hollywood movie ''[[Rose Marie (1936 film)|Rose-Marie]]'' is a 1930s example of its romantic side. A successful combination were a series of ''[[Renfrew of the Royal Mounted]]'' boy's adventure novels written by Laurie York Erskine beginning in 1922 running to 1941. In the 1930s Erskine narrated a ''Sgt Renfrew of the Mounties'' radio show and a series of films with actor-singer James Newill playing Renfrew were released between 1937 and 1940. In 1953 portions of the films were mixed with new sequences of Newill for a ''Renfrew of the Mounted'' television series.
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| | |
| Bruce Carruthers (b.1901–d.1953), a former Mounted Police corporal (1919–1923), served as an unofficial [[technical advisor]] to Hollywood in many films with RCMP characters.<ref>Barr, William ''Red Serge and Polar Bear Pants" The Biography of Harry Stallworthy, RCMP'' University of Alberta Press 2004</ref> They included ''Heart of the North'' (1938), ''Susannah of the Mounties'' (1939), ''Northern Pursuit'' (1943), ''Gene Autry and The Mounties'' (1951), ''The Wild North'' (1952), and ''The Pony Soldier'' (1952).
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| | |
| ===Contemporary culture===
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| In 1959, the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] aired [[R.C.M.P. (TV series)|''R.C.M.P.'']], a half-hour dramatic series about an RCMP detachment keeping the peace and fighting crime. Filmed in black and white, in and around Ottawa by [[F. R. Crawley|Crawley Films]], the series was co-produced with the [[BBC]] and the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] and ran for 39 episodes. It was noted for its pairing of Québécois and Anglo officers.
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| Canadians also poke fun at the RCMP with [[Dave Broadfoot|Sergeant Renfrew]] and his faithful dog Cuddles in various sketches produced by the ''[[Royal Canadian Air Farce]]'' comedy troupe. On ''[[That '70s Show]]'' Mounties were played by [[Second City Television|SCTV]] alumni [[Joe Flaherty]] and [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]]. The British have also exploited the myth: the BBC television series ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]'' featured a group of Mounties singing the chorus in ''[[The Lumberjack Song]]'' in the [[lumberjack]] sketch.
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| The 1972–90 CBC series ''[[The Beachcombers]]'' features a character named Constable John Constable who attempts to enforce the law in the town of [[Gibsons, British Columbia]].
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| In comic books, the [[Marvel Comics]] characters of [[Alpha Flight]] are described on several occasions as "RCMP auxiliaries", and two of their members, [[Snowbird (comics)|Snowbird]] and the second [[Major Mapleleaf]] are depicted as serving members of the force. In the latter case, due to trademark issues, Major Mapleleaf is described as a "Royal Canadian Mountie" in the opening roll call pages of each issue of ''Alpha Flight'' he appears in.
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| [[Charles Bronson]] and [[Lee Marvin]] starred in the 1981 movie ''[[Death Hunt]]'' that fictionalized the RCMP pursuit of [[Albert Johnson (criminal)|Albert Johnson]].
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| In the early 1990s, Canadian [[Professional wrestling|professional wrestler]] [[Jacques Rougeau]] utilized the [[List of professional wrestling terms#G|gimmick]] of "The Mountie" while wrestling for the [[WWE|WWF]]. He typically wore the Red Serge to the ring, and carried a [[Cattle prod|shock stick]] as an illegal weapon. As his character was portrayed as an [[Heel (professional wrestling)|evil]] Mountie, the RCMP ultimately won an injunction preventing Rougeau from wrestling as this character in Canada, though he was not prevented from doing so outside the country. He briefly held the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental Championship]] in 1992.
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| The 1998 [[swan song]] of [[Nick Berry]]'s time on UK drama ''[[Heartbeat (British TV series)|Heartbeat]]'' features his character, Sergeant Nick Rowan, transferring to Canada and taking the rank of constable in the Mounties. The special telemovie was titled ''Heartbeat: Changing Places.''
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| The 1994–98 TV series ''[[Due South]]'' pairs Mountie Constable Benton Fraser with streetwise American detective Ray Vecchio cleaning up the streets of Chicago. It mainly derives its entertainment from the [[stereotype|perceived differences]] in attitude and culture between these two countries' police forces. Fraser is depicted as honest and polite to a fault, even refusing to carry a loaded sidearm when "assisting" Detective Vecchio, but almost superhuman in his abilities for thwarting crime.
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| A pair of Mounties staff the RCMP detachment in the fictional town of [[Lynx River]], Northwest Territories, in the CBC series ''[[North of 60]].'' The series, which aired from 1992 to 1998, is about events in the mostly indigenous community, but the Mounties feature prominently in each episode.
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| Another TV series from the 1990s, ''[[Bordertown (1989 TV series)|Bordertown]]'' features an NWMP corporal paired with a [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. marshal]] securing law and order on a frontier U.S.–Canada border town. In the ABC TV mini-series ''[[Answered by Fire]]'', at least three mounties are featured. Mounties also appear in the TV series ''[[When Calls the Heart]]'' (Hallmark Channel).
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| The 1987 [[Brian De Palma]] film ''[[The Untouchables (film)|The Untouchables]]'' features cooperation between the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury Department]] task force, led by [[Eliot Ness]], and the Mounties against liquor smuggling across the [[Canada–United States border]].
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| The 1995 album ''[[C'est Cheese]]'' by Canadian musical comedy group [[The Arrogant Worms]] includes "The Mountie Song", which tells the story of a dissatisfied Mountie.
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| In his 1999, album ''[[Soiree]]'' Newfoundland musician A. Frank Willis included "Savage Cop in Savage Cove" which was based on a true story and went on to become a big hit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tidespoint.com/music/afrankwillis.shtml|title=Newfoundland music books food videos images arts crafts|access-date=October 25, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918111453/http://www.tidespoint.com/music/afrankwillis.shtml|archive-date=September 18, 2012|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
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| [[Conan O'Brien]] brought his [[Late Night with Conan O'Brien|late night show]] to Toronto in February 2004. O'Brien spent a day as a Royal Canadian Mountie at the [[Canada–United States border]].
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| From 2011, the [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] fantasy drama series ''[[The Listener (TV series)|The Listener]]'' regularly features characters who work for the Integrated Investigative Bureau, a fictional division of the RCMP that brings together various specialists, officers and civilian consultants to work on high-profile or federal cases. Although characters in the employ of the IIB are rarely, if ever, depicted wearing uniform, they are often addressed by their ranks – two main characters are Sergeant Michelle McClusky and Corporal Dev Clark.
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| In the 2021 IMDBtv series [[Leverage Redemption]] it is revealed characters Elliot Spencer, Sophie Devereaux, Parker and Breanna Casey will not do jobs in Canada because of the RMCP, who want them for various crimes. The four claim the RCMP is the most dangerous police force in the world, will put you down politely and never forget a face, and that Mounties hate being called "Dudley Do-Right."
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| ===Mountie merchandise and trademark===
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| There are products and merchandise that are made in the image of the RCMP, like Mounties statues or hats. Before 1995, the RCMP had little control over these products.
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| The Royal Canadian Mounted Police received an international licence on April 1, 1995, requiring those who use the RCMP to pay a licensing fee. Proceeds from the fees are used for community awareness programmes.<ref>{{cite news|last=Farnsworth |first=Clyde H. |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CEEDE133CF937A35751C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |title=For the Mounties, Justice Is Now a Licensing Fee—New York Times |newspaper=New York Times |date=February 4, 1995 |access-date=May 22, 2010}}</ref> Those that do not pay the licensing fee are legally unable to use the name of the RCMP or their correct uniforms, though a film such as ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'' used the name "Royal Mounted Canadian Police" and the character in the ''[[Dudley Do-Right (film)|Dudley Do-Right]]'' film did not wear accurate insignia.
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| Through a Master Licensing Agreement (MLA) with the RCMP, the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police Foundation|RCMP Foundation]] is responsible for managing the commercial use of the RCMP name, image, and protected marks.<ref>Royal Canadian Mounted Police, "[https://web.archive.org/web/20071023111746/http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Royal_Canadian_Mounted_Police]", Retrieved July 28, 2011</ref> The foundation issues selected companies a royalty-based agreement allowing them to produce and market high-quality official RCMP merchandise. [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney Co. (Canada) Ltd.]] was contracted to aid in the initial set up of the licensing program<ref>CBC Digital Archives "[http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/crime-justice/mounties-on-duty-a-history-of-the-rcmp/disney-scores-right-to-market-mountie-products.html]", Retrieved July 28, 2011</ref> but Disney never owned or controlled any of the RCMP's protected marks.
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| Following the expiration of the Disney contract in 2000, all responsibilities and activities were taken over by the executive director and his staff, reporting to the foundation president and board of directors. In 2007, through a decree signed by Commissioner Beverley Busson, the operating name was changed to the "Royal Canadian Mounted Police Foundation".
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| The [[RCMP Heritage Centre]] is a multi-million dollar museum designed by [[Arthur Erickson]] that opened May 2007 in Regina, Saskatchewan, at the RCMP Academy, Depot Division. It replaced the old RCMP museum and is designed to celebrate the role of the force in Canada's history.
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| ===RCMP bands===
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| [[File:Cornemuse 2.jpg|thumb|Although the official band of the RCMP has disbanded, several small RCMP pipe bands such as this one still remain.]]
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| [[File:Canada. Mounties Band, Yukon, 1901.jpg|thumb|A Mounties Band in [[Yukon]], 1901.]]
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| The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Band ({{Lang-fr|La Musique de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada}}) was the RCMP's central musical ensemble. It was considered one of the best professional bands assembled in Canada.<ref name =RCMP-Band/><ref name="Altissimo"/> Although it was an official regimental band, the members worked in the band as a secondary job. It is generally considered to have begun in 1938, though there were various police bands in the RCMP that flourished at the time, leading the [[Canadian government]] granting approval for the creation of a full-time central band in December 1958, with its headquarters in the capital of [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Luscombe |first1=Stephen |title=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |url=https://www.britishempire.co.uk/forces/armyunits/canadiancavalry/rcmpbands.htm |website=www.britishempire.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="Altissimo">{{cite web |title=The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Band |url=https://militarymusic.com/blogs/military-music/13516489-the-royal-canadian-mounted-police-band |website=Altissimo! }}</ref> Appearances made by the band included [[Expo 86]] and the [[Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings|Commonwealth Conference]] in [[Vancouver]], the [[Calgary Winter Olympics]] in 1988, as well as the visits of [[Soviet President]] [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] and Queen [[Elizabeth II]] in 1990.<ref name=Altissimo/><ref name =RCMP-Band>{{cite web |title=History |url=https://rcmpband.ca/history/ |website=RCMP Band |date=26 April 2014}}</ref> It was dissolved in 1994 due to government budget cuts.
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| In its 55 year existence, it operated as a voluntary regimental band, with its members working with it as a secondary job apart from their other duties in the RCMP. Members of the band wore the RCMP's notable [[Red Serge]] as part of their [[full dress uniform]] and adopted drill seen in [[Canadian military bands]] and bands in the [[British Army]]. Its longest serving director was Superintendent Edwin Joseph Lydall who served from 1948 to 1968.<ref>{{cite web |title=ONTARIO – Ottawa – Miscellaneous Obituaries – 130 |url=http://canadianobits.com/ontario/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/427 |website=canadianobits.com}}</ref>
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| Today, instead of brass and reed bands, the RCMP sports eight regional pipe bands across the major cities of the 10 provinces. The first of these bands were established in 1992 in [[Alberta]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pd-ct/index-eng.htm |title=RCMP Community Bands of Pipes and Drums |publisher=RCMP |access-date=December 7, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827022204/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/pd-ct/index-eng.htm |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The following are the locations of the regional volunteer pipe bands:
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| *[[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]]
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| *[[Moncton]]
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| *[[Montreal]] (part of [[The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Quebec|"C" Division]])
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| *[[Ottawa]]
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| *[[Winnipeg]]
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| *[[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] (part of "F" Division)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://rcmpregina.tripod.com/id12.html |title=Band Information: A Community Partnership |publisher=RCMP Regina Pipes and Drums|access-date=December 7, 2019}}</ref>
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| *[[Edmonton]]
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| *[[Vancouver]] (part of [[RCMP "E" Division|"E" Division]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmppipeband.com/history_bc.htm |title=History — "E" Division |publisher=RCMP "E" Division Pipe Band (British Columbia)|access-date=December 7, 2019}}</ref>
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| These bands act as "garrison bands" for the provincial division, and attend parades, police ceremonies, and public events.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rcmppipeband.ca/ |title=Pipes, Drums and Dancers: Nova Scotia |access-date=December 7, 2019}}</ref>
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| ===RCMP tartan===
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| [[File:RCMP Tartan.png|thumb|The RCMP Tartan]]
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| The RCMP has since 1998 had its own distinctive [[tartan]]. The creation of the tartan was the result of a committee created in the early 1990s to create a tartan by its 125th anniversary. Upon approval from commissioner Phillip Murray, the tartan was registered with the [[Scottish Tartans Society]] and presented to the agency by [[Anne, Princess Royal]] during her [[Royal tours of Canada by the Canadian Royal Family|royal visit to Canada]] in 1998. The tartan appeared for the first time by a RCMP pipe band at the [[Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo]] in July and August 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/tartan |title=Tartan |date=April 19, 2018 |publisher=Royal Canadian Mounted Police |access-date=December 7, 2019}}</ref>
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| ==Controversies and criticism==
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| {{Further|List of controversies involving the Royal Canadian Mounted Police}}
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| American historian Andrew Graybill has argued that the RCMP historically resembled the [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]] in many ways. He argues that each protected the established order by confining and removing [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Indigenous peoples]]; tightly controlling the mixed blood peoples (the African Americans in Texas and the [[Métis]] in Canada); assisting the large-scale ranchers against the small-scale ranchers and farmers who fenced the land; and breaking the power of labour unions that tried to organize the workers of industrial corporations.<ref>Andrew R. Graybill, ''Policing the Great Plains: Rangers, Mounties, and the North American Frontier, 1875–1910'' (University of Nebraska Press, 2007) [https://www.amazon.com/Policing-Great-Plains-Mounties-1875-1910/dp/0803260024/ excerpt and text search]</ref>
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| The RCMP have been involved in training and logistically supporting the [[Haitian National Police]] since 1994, a controversial matter in Canada considering allegations of widespread human rights violations on the part of the HNP. Some Canadian activist groups have called for an end to the RCMP training.<ref name="Haiti">[https://web.archive.org/web/20041021054518/http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/news/cida_rcmp_e.htm RCMP Website] and [https://archive.today/20070802045522/http://www.rabble.ca/news_full_story.shtml?x=44206 "Haiti Support Hits the Streets"]</ref> The RCMP has also provided training overseas in [[Iraq]] and other peace-keeping missions.
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| In October 2016, the RCMP issued an apology for harassment, discrimination, and sexual abuse of female officers and civilian members. Additionally they set aside a $100 million fund to compensate these victims. Over 20,000 current and past female employees that were employed after 1974 are eligible.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Harris|first1=Kathleen|title=RCMP could pay up to $100M to female employees who were sexually harassed, abused|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-paulson-compensation-harassment-1.3793785|website=CBC News|access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref>
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| In 2019, ''[[The Guardian]]'' revealed that RCMP commanders had advocated the use of "lethal overwatch"—i.e., officers equipped with firearms—while clearing protesters to grant [[TC Energy]] access to the lands of the [[Wetʼsuwetʼen|Wet'suwet'en]] [[First Nations in Canada|First Nation]] in order to construct the [[Coastal GasLink Pipeline]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/20/canada-indigenous-land-defenders-police-documents|title=Exclusive: Canada police prepared to shoot Indigenous activists, documents show|last=Parrish|first=Jaskiran Dhillon Will|date=2019-12-20|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-12-22|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
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| Chief [[Allan Adam]] of the [[Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation]] was arrested by two RCMP officers on March 10, 2020 in [[Fort McMurray]], [[Alberta]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Porter|first1=Catherine|last2=Bilefsky|first2=Dan|date=2020-06-13|title=Video of Arrest of Indigenous Leader Shocks Canada|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/12/world/canada/Allan-Adam-athabasca-police.html|access-date=2020-06-13}}</ref> After several minutes of Chief Adam yelling and posturing at officers, the officers tackled him and punched him in the head whilst struggling with him on the ground. Chief Adam was later charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a peace officer, but the charges were subsequently dropped.<ref>{{Cite news|last=[[The Canadian Press]]|date=2020-06-24|title=Charges dropped against First Nations Chief Allan Adam in violent arrest|work=[[CBC News]]|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/allan-adam-athabasca-chipewyan-first-nation-arrest-rcmp-assault-1.5624976|access-date=2020-06-24}}</ref> After watching the video of the arrest, Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] said, "[w]e have all now seen the shocking video of Chief Adam's arrest and we must get to the bottom of this".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cecco|first=Leyland|date=2020-06-12|title=First Nations chief shown being punched by Canadian police in video|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/12/canadian-police-punch-first-nations-chief-canada-video-chief-allan-adam|access-date=2020-06-12|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Tunney|first=Catharine|date=2020-06-12|title=Trudeau has 'serious questions' after watching video of Chief Adam's arrest|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-adam-arrest-video-1.5609446|access-date=2020-06-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2020-06-11|title=Full dashcam video of Chief Allan Adam's arrest|url=https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1749767747520|website=CBC News}}</ref> Following the revelation of Chief Adam's arrest—as well as several other recent instances in which RCMP officers had assaulted or killed Indigenous people<ref>{{Cite news|date=2020-06-13|title=Chantel Moore's family calls for justice, public inquiry during healing walk|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/healing-walks-chantel-moore-1.5610194|access-date=2020-06-13}}</ref>—RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki stated, after initially demurring on the question, that [[Institutional racism|systemic racism]] exists in the RCMP: "I do know that systemic racism is part of every institution, the RCMP included", she said.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Tasker|first=John Paul|date=2020-06-12|title=Systemic racism exists in the RCMP, Commissioner Brenda Lucki says|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/brenda-lucki-systemic-racism-rcmp-1.5610355|access-date=2020-06-13}}</ref> One day earlier, Prime Minister Trudeau had also stated that "[s]ystemic racism is an issue right across the country, in all our institutions, including in all our police forces, including in the RCMP."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Tunney|first=Catharine|date=2020-06-11|title=Systemic racism exists in RCMP, Trudeau argues — after commissioner says she's 'struggling' with the term|work=CBC News|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-systemic-racism-lucki-trudeau-1.5607622|access-date=2020-06-13}}</ref>
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| In April 2020, the RCMP was strongly criticized for its response to the [[2020 Nova Scotia attacks]], the deadliest rampage in Canadian history,<ref name="AP">{{cite news |last=Gillies |first=Rob |url=https://apnews.com/7c9a33ae52420e0ddbfb5275898a7e79 |title=16 killed in shooting rampage, deadliest in Canadian history |date=April 19, 2020 |access-date=April 19, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419202425/https://apnews.com/7c9a33ae52420e0ddbfb5275898a7e79|archive-date=April 19, 2020|website=AP News}}</ref> as well as their lack of transparency in the criminal investigation. [[CBC News]]' television program ''[[The Fifth Estate (TV program)|The Fifth Estate]]'' and online newspaper ''[[Halifax Examiner]]'' analyzed the timeline of events, and both observed a myriad of failures and shortcomings in the RCMP response.<ref name=TheFifthEstate>{{cite news|url=https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/longform/nova-scotia-shooting-13-deadly-hours|title=13 deadly hours|publisher=CBC News|last1=McMillan|first1=Elizabeth|last2=Mayor|first2=Lisa|date=November 22, 2020|access-date=November 23, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Growing criticism over how Nova Scotia RCMP warned public about killer|url=https://globalnews.ca/video/6850607/growing-criticism-over-how-nova-scotia-rcmp-warned-public-about-killer/|publisher=Global News|date=April 21, 2020|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='An epic failure': The first duty of police is to preserve life; through the Nova Scotia massacre, the RCMP saved no one|url=https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/featured/an-epic-failure-the-first-duty-of-police-is-to-preserve-life-through-the-nova-scotia-massacre-the-rcmp-saved-no-one/|publisher=Halifax Examiner|last=Palango|first=Paul|date=July 18, 2020|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> A criminologist criticised the RCMP's response as "a mess" and called for an overhaul in how the agency responds to active shooter situations, after they had failed to properly respond to other such incidents in the past.<ref name=Global.Aftermath>{{cite news|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7514276/nova-scotia-shooting-victim-families-struggle-heal/|title=Emotional aftermath: families of victims in Nova Scotia shooting struggle to heal|publisher=Global News|last1=Leffler|first1=Brennan|last2=Lord|first2=Ross|date=December 12, 2020|access-date=December 14, 2020}}</ref>
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| In June 2021, [[Privacy Commissioner of Canada]] Daniel Therrien found that the RCMP had broken Canadian privacy law through hundreds of illegal searches using [[Clearview AI]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Boutilier|first=Alex|date=June 8, 2021|title=RCMP broke privacy laws in using controversial Clearview AI facial recognition tools, watchdog says|work=[[Toronto Star]]|url=https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2021/06/10/rcmp-broke-privacy-laws-in-using-controversial-clearview-ai-facial-recognition-tools-watchdog-says.html|access-date=June 8, 2021}}</ref>
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| ==See also==
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| * [[Canada Border Services Agency]]
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| * [[Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police]], the civilian complaints review body
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| * ''[[Courage in Red]]'', a 13-part documentary about the RCMP
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| * [[Emergency Response Team (RCMP)]]
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| * [[List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage]]
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| * [[RCMP Technical Security Branch]]
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| ==Notes==
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| {{Reflist|group=note}}
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
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| ==External links==
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| *{{Official website}}
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| * [https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/resources/1025 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Reports 1929-1948] at Dartmouth College Library
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| {{Law enforcement agencies in Canada}}
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| {{Government Departments of Canada}}
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| {{Canadian Newsmaker of the Year}}
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| {{Police}}
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| {{Subject bar |portal= |commons=yes |commons-search=Category:Royal Canadian Mounted Police |species= |species-search= |n=yes |n-search=Category:RCMP |wikt= |wikt-search= |b= |b-search= |q= |q-search= |s=yes |v= |v-search= |voy= |voy-search= |d=yes |d-search=Q335175}}
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| {{Portal bar|Canada|Law}}
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| {{Authority control}}
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| {{Coord|45.42|-75.66|type:landmark_region:CA|display=title}}
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| [[Category:Royal Canadian Mounted Police| ]]
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| [[Category:Federal departments and agencies of Canada]]
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| [[Category:Public Safety Canada]]
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| [[Category:Canadian intelligence agencies]]
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| [[Category:Government agencies established in 1920]]
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| [[Category:Legal history of Canada]]
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| [[Category:1920 establishments in Canada]]
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| [[Category:Gendarmerie]]
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| [[Category:Organizations based in Canada with royal patronage]]
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| [[Category:Organizations based in Ottawa]]
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| [[Category:Uniformed services of Canada]] | |
| [[Category:Federal law enforcement agencies of Canada]] | |
| [[Category:Nunavut law]]
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| [[Category:Northwest Territories law]]
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| [[Category:Yukon law]]
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| [[Category:National symbols of Canada]]
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| [[Category:National police forces]]
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| [[Category:Mounted police]]
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