Fewer Than Half of Canadians Say RCMP Is Accountable: Survey

An RCMP police vehicle is shown in this April 28, 2023 file photo. Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press

Fewer than half of Canadians (46 percent) say that the RCMP is an “accountable organization,” according to in-house research that followed the resignation of former RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki.

“Overall attitudes towards the RCMP have improved somewhat over the past year, but are down from previous years,” said the research “Canadians’ Views Of RCMP Policing Services,” which was first obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter.

According to the survey, 46 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that the RCMP is an “accountable organization that takes responsibility.”

At the same time, a large majority (86 percent) assigned a high degree of importance to the RCMP’s role in keeping Canadians safe.

A majority of respondents (62 percent) said they are satisfied with how the RCMP fulfills its role in maintaining public safety, while one in four (24 percent) were dissatisfied. One in seven (14 percent) were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

According to Blacklock’s Reporter, the findings were drawn from questionnaires with 3,227 people nationwide. The RCMP paid Ekos Research Associates $92,501 for the study.

Brenda Lucki

The survey is dated April 19, a month following Ms. Lucki’s resignation on March 17. Earlier in-house research found fewer than half of Canadians considered Ms. Lucki to be effective.

“While Canadians have a high degree of confidence in the RCMP in general, they award lower marks when it comes to the calibre of its leadership,” said a 2018 version of the “Canadians’ Views” polling. Asked if they agreed with the statement, “The RCMP has effective national leaders,” 48 percent agreed, 19 percent disagreed, and 33 percent had no opinion.

The earlier poll did not identify Ms. Lucki by name. When asked for a reaction to the statement, “The RCMP is an open and transparent organization,” 63 percent of Canadians surveyed disagreed or had no opinion.

Canadians’ approval ratings regarding RCMP leadership followed a string of developments, such as a $1.1 billion class action lawsuit over alleged harassment of members, a public inquiry into RCMP misconduct in the Nova Scotia shooting rampage that left 22 dead, and police enforcement of a bank account freeze targeting Freedom Convoy supporters.

The Commons ethics committee twice censured the RCMP as evasive and uncooperative in concealing information from Members of Parliament. The committee last October faulted the Mounties for withholding evidence over their use of facial recognition technology. The committee again on November 24 censured the Mounties for withholding records on their use of spyware.

“The committee would like to note the lack of cooperation shown by the RCMP,” MPs wrote in a report “On-Device Investigative Tools Used By The Royal Canadian Mounted Police.”

“The committee is not satisfied with responses they provided to its questions.”