By Greg Fry

$1.1B RCMP bullying and harassment lawsuit no surprise to retired Mountie

Jun 25, 2018 | 12:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — A new $1.1 billion lawsuit over bullying and harassment claims in the RCMP came as no surprise to a retired policeman in Kamloops.

The CBC reports the case alleges bullying and harassment and seeks compensation for “potentially tens of thousands of people.”

Rob Creasser is a retired member who spent 28 years with the force and is now the media liaison for the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada.

“Well, to be honest with you, I wasn’t surprised,” he told CFJC Today. “It’s been the history in the RCMP — especially recently with the settlement for the female members. But the system of labour relations in the RCMP has been so ineffective for decades that there’s really been no place for members to go to get anything redressed in any meaningful way.”

As a result, Creasser says members are starting to get their issues dealt with in court, though it’s expensive and lengthy.

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He calls working with the RCMP “a toxic workplace to live in,” adding it’s not a place that promotes open dialogue.

“If you complain about something that you think is wrong or you feel needs to be addressed, rather than having it addressed, you become addressed. And there’s been no protection for members for years in that regard.”

Consequently he says the best way to not make waves is by keeping your head down, which he notes “allows bad behaviour to flourish.”

So, what needs to change?

“First of all there has to be a change in how the RCMP is run by the federal government. I think that you need to distance the RCMP from the ruling party of the day. And what I mean by that is the current status of our commissioner, he or she is chosen by the prime minister and I don’t think that should be the case.”

Creasser believes a board of police chiefs or a similar body should shortlist candidates without interference from the Prime Minister’s Office. He also says the commissioner should not be reporting directly to the Minister of Public Safety.

Creasser says the RCMP should be independent of parliament, much like the Auditor General of Canada.

He adds unionizing the RCMP would also be a step forward though he says “politicians have been dragging their feet on the issue.”

Creasser says there have been “umpteen dozen reports, all good ones,” as to how the RCMP exists in Canada but says they are all sitting “on a bookshelf somewhere” collecting dust.

“So, if the federal government is going to commission reports and then not act on them, the Canadian public needs to hold them accountable for doing that.”