The Royal Canadian Mounted Police; just saying their name brings the iconic image to mind: a tall man in scarlet, on a horse with his Stetson firmed on his head. This is probably the most recognized image of Canada after our flag, totem poles, canoes and zamboni machines.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police needs to look like Canada
The RCMP was created in 1873 – a Canadian institution that is now 137 years old. Over those years, it grew from policing on the Prairies, focused on cracking down on illegal whisky trading, and bringing law and order to the Klondike gold rush – to becoming a federal police force with jurisdiction in eight provinces and three territories, and operations directed at organized crime, terrorism, drugs, white-collar crimes and protecting the integrity of Canada’s national borders.
I was surprised to learn that their work isn’t just limited within Canada. During the 1990s, the RCMP significantly expanded its peacekeeping role in countries such as Haiti, Namibia, Kosovo and East Timor.
With such an expansive responsibilities across the country, the RCMP needs to boost its ranks by 5,000-7,000 and hire more women and people from diverse communities. All Canadian institutions should prioritize the need to reflect Canada’s changing population. Women have been shattering the glass ceiling over the past decades and now it’s time to extend a hand to Canada’s minority groups and encourage them to break their glass ceilings.
Earlier this week, Liberal Senators released a report with several recommendations on how to improve the RCMP. Many those recommendations echo the NDP’s proposals, including ways to improve leadership, accountability and morale at the RCMP.
The RCMP is facing some serious challenges. It needs to improve public confidence, and to bolster morale within the force. The NDP has identified five key improvements that need to be made. These include implementing full civilian oversight and allowing independent investigations into allegations of police wrongdoing; improving the leadership within senior management; and halting the closure of rural detachments and increase staffing levels to at least three members in all detachments.
To increase staff levels and include minorities and women, the RCMP should hire from those non-traditional groups.
A proud moment for Sikhs, not only in Canada but around the world, came when Baltej Singh Dhillon was allowed to serve as an RCMP officer with his turban in the 1990s. He started chipping away at the glass ceiling and now it is crumbling and allowing more fresh faces into the force.
Born in Malaysia and immigrated to Canada in the early 1980s, Mr. Dhillon had ambitions to become a lawyer. He volunteered in the community, helping the RCMP launch a Block Watch program. He was eventually recruited and hired by the force.
I wish the story was that simple. Sadly, it’s not. Although Mr. Dhillon met all the physical and psychological requirements to become an officer, the RCMP had a policy that would not allow turbans. Then-RCMP Commissioner Norman Inkster sided with Mr. Dhillon and started putting pressure on the federal government to change its policy.
As you can imagine, this created a storm of controversy. The ignorant opposed the change and believed the Stetson was an integral part of the uniform and that allowing the RCMP to change that would forever tarnish the face of our national icon.
Countless petitions were sent to MPs – both pro and con of the change. Heated and hostile debates took place all across the country from radio stations to kitchen tables.
Finally, on March 15, 1990, the federal Solicitor General, Pierre Cadieux, announced in the House of Commons that the policy would be amended to permit Sikhs the right to wear the turban while on active duty.
Today, these proud moments and victories continue but not at the rate of Canada’s growing diversity. The RCMP is a celebrated institution in this country – it’s about time it realized the glass floor beneath its feet no longer exists.
Author: Rupinder Kaur
