Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (
RCMP or more commonly known as
Mounties; ) is both the
federal police force and the
national police of
Canada.
|
The RCMP are renowned for the Red Serge tunic with Stetson hat, and the Musical Ride and Equitation. |
The RCMP acts as the federal (national) police for all of Canada, enforcing certain federal laws. It also has contracts with Canada's three
territories and eight of its
provinces to serve as their provincial/territorial police force. Most of Canada's provinces, while constitutionally responsible for law and order, prefer to sub-contract policing to the RCMP. They consequently operate under the direction of the provinces in regard to provincial and municipal law enforcement. The exceptions are
Ontario,
Quebec, and parts of
Newfoundland and Labrador, which have retained their own provincial police forces. Additionally, many towns and cities throughout Canada also contract the RCMP to serve as their municipal police force. The RCMP is the largest police force in Canada;
as of April 2005, the RCMP had an on-strength establishment of 22,557 personnel
[Organization of the RCMP].
The RCMP was created as the
North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1873,
given the "Royal" title in 1904, becoming the
Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP). In 1920, it was renamed to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Force when the RNWMP was merged with the
Dominion Police. Among themselves, the Mounties universally refer to their organization as "The Force", and members of the force are referred to as "Members".
It has been theorized that the international popularity of the force lies in it being representative of a symbol of the balance of civilization and the frontier. That is, the RCMP is a police force that operates in the seemingly wild frontier, but operates under the behest of a central, if somewhat removed, bureaucratic authority back in the settled regions. In addition, the existence of the RCMP in Canada and the complete lack of any analogous organization in the
Western United States during the frontier period has often been cited as both a cause and effect of cultural differences between Canada and the United States.
The RCMP are possibly the most widely recognised symbol of Canada internationally, both for good and ill. Canadians in general and members of the Force in particular are proud of the international reputation of the RCMP for probity and integrity; on the other hand, Canada appears to have the reputation in the U.S.A. and the UK for an excess of order and decorum, and in that context the RCMP is both a help and a hindrance, depending on whether that image is thought desirable. In general, however, Canadians scorn their American and British friends' attitudes in this regard and delight both in the image of the RCMP and in their country's reputation for civility and order.
A multi million dollar
RCMP Heritage Centre is scheduled to open in May 2007 in
Regina, Saskatchewan at the
RCMP Training Academy, to celebrate the past, present and future links that the force has with Canada.
The RCMP was created as the
North West Mounted Police (
NWMP) on
May 23,
1873, by Sir
John A. Macdonald, the first
Prime Minister of Canada, with the intent of overthrowing indigenious resistance to Canadian Imperialism (and asserting Canadian sovereignty over) the
North-West Territories (which then included modern day
Alberta,
Nunavut,
Saskatchewan, and most of modern
Manitoba). This need was particularly urgent with reports of American whisky traders, in particular those of
Fort Whoop-Up, causing trouble in the region, culminating in the
Cypress Hills Massacre. The force was initially to be called the North West Mounted Rifles, but that was rejected as too military in nature, Macdonald fearing that this could antagonize both the
First Nations and the Americans. Acting on a suggestion in his cabinet, Macdonald had the force wear red uniforms. The force was organized like a
British cavalry regiment and still maintains some of the traditions of those units, like the well known Canadian
Musical Ride, to this day.
Initial activities
The initial force, commanded by
Colonel George Arthur French, set out from Fort Dufferin, Manitoba on
July 8 1874 on a march to what is now Alberta. The group comprised of 22 officers, 287 men â€" called Constables and Sub-Constables â€" 310 horses, 67 wagons, 114 ox-carts, 18 yoke of oxen, 50 cows and 40 calves
[Diary of Commissioner George Arthur French, August 20, 2005]. An account of the journey was recorded in diary of
Henri Julien, an artist from the Canadian Illustrated News, who accompanied the expedition.
[The Diary of Henri Julien]Modern historians have theorized that failure of the 1874 "March West" would not have ended the Canadian federal government's vision of settling the country's western plains, but would have delayed it for many years. In particular, a failure would have encouraged the
Canadian Pacific Railway to seek a route for its transcontinental railway that went through the well-mapped and partially settled valley of the
North Saskatchewan River, touching on
Prince Albert,
Battleford and
Edmonton. There would have been no economic reason for the creation of cities like
Brandon,
Regina,
Moose Jaw,
Swift Current,
Medicine Hat and
Calgary. That, in turn, would have tempted American expansionists to make a play for the Canadian
prairies' flat, empty southern regions. In effect, the history of Canada would have been radically different had French and his men failed.
The NWMP's early activities included containing the whisky trade and enforcing agreements with the First Nations peoples. To that end, the
commanding officer of the force arranged to be sworn in as a
justice of the peace, which allowed for magisterial authority in the Mounties' jurisdiction. In the early years, the force's dedication to enforcing the law on the First Nations peoples' behalf impressed them enough to encourage good relations. In the summer of 1876,
Sitting Bull and thousands of
Sioux were fleeing the US Military to southern
Saskatchewan, and
James Morrow Walsh of the NWMP was charged with maintaining control in the large Sioux settlement at
Wood Mountain. Walsh and Sitting Bull became good friends, and the peace at Wood Mountain was maintained. In 1885, the NWMP helped to quell the
North-West Rebellion led by
Louis Riel.
Klondike Gold Rush and after
In
1894, concerned about the influx of American miners and the liquor trade, the Canadian government sent inspector
Charles Constantine to report on conditions in the
Yukon. Constantine correctly forecast a coming gold rush and urgently recommended sending of a force to enforce Canadian sovereignty and collect customs duties. He returned the following year with a force of 20 men. The force distinguished itself during the
Klondike gold rush (started in
1896) under the command of Constantine and his successor in
1898, the more famous
Sam Steele. The NWMP made the Klondike gold rush one of the most peaceful and orderly such affairs in history. The NWMP not only enforced criminal law, but also collected customs duties, established a number of rules such as the "ton of goods" requirement for prospectors to enter the Yukon to avoid another famine, mandatory boat inspections for those wanting to travel the
Yukon River, and created the "Blue ticket" used to expel undesirables from the Klondike. The Mounties did tolerate certain illegal activities such as
gambling and
prostitution, which they would have been unable to control in any case. Also, the force did not succeed in its attempt to establish order and Canadian sovereignty in
Skagway, Alaska at the head of the
Lynn Canal, and instead created the customs post at the summit of the
Chilkoot Pass. Ironically, the force's dissolution was being discussed around that time in
Parliament, but the Mounties' conduct so impressed the prospectors during the gold rush that the force became famous around the world and its survival was ensured.
In
1903 jurisdiction was extended to the
Arctic coast,
Alberta and
Saskatchewan in
1905, and in
1912 to northern
Manitoba.
During the
Second Boer War, the force raised the Canadian Mounted Rifles, mostly from NWMP members, for service in
South Africa. For the CMR's distinguished service there,
Edward VII honoured the NWMP by changing the name to the
Royal North West Mounted Police (
RNWMP) on
June 24,
1904.
In
1919 the RNWMP was used to repress the
Winnipeg General Strike, when officers fired into a crowd of strikers, killing two and causing injuries to thirty others.
Creation of the RCMP
|
RCMP patrolling with sled dogs, 1957. |
On
February 1,
1920, the RNWMP was merged with the
Dominion Police and was renamed the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with responsibility for federal law enforcement in all provinces and territories.
In 1935, the RCMP, collaborating with the
Regina city police, crushed the
On-to-Ottawa Trek, which had been organized to call attention to the need for decent treatment of the unemployed men in the relief camps.
Evolving responsibilities
In the 1920s, the RCMP assumed responsibility for national
counter-intelligence, which they retained for decades. However, by the late 1970s, it was discovered the 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, killing communist party members in Manitoba, and other abuses. This led to the
McDonald Commission â€" Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Activities of the RCMP, better known as the "McDonald Commission", named after the presiding judge, Mr Justice
David Cargill McDonald (died 1991). The Commission recommended that the force's intelligences duties be removed in favour of the creation of a separate intelligence agency, the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).
In 1932, men and vessels of the Preventive Service, National Revenue, are absorbed , creating the
RCMP Marine Section The acquisition of the RCMP
schooner 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 (1940â€"42), the first to navigate the Passage in one season (1944), and the first to circumnavigate
North America (1950).
In 1993, the RCMP's counter-terrorism duties, performed by the
Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), were transferred to the
Canadian Armed Forces, creating a new unit called
Joint Task Force Two (JTF2). JTF2 inherited some equipment and SERT's former training base near
Ottawa.
Modern era
On
March 3,
2005, four RCMP officers were shot dead during an operation to recover stolen property and investigate a possible
marijuana grow-op in
Rochfort Bridge, Alberta. Shooter Jim Roszko, 46, then shot and killed himself. It was the single worst multiple killing of RCMP officers since the
Northwest Rebellion. One of the four Mounties killed had been on the job for only seventeen days. The victims were:
*Const. Lionide (Leo) Nicholas Johnston, 34 â€" Mayerthorpe Detachment
*Const. Anthony Fitzgerald Orion Gordon, 28 â€" Whitecourt Town Detachment General Policing and Highway Patrol
*Const. Brock Warren Myrol, 29 â€" Mayerthorpe Detachment
*Const. Peter Christopher Schiemann, 25 â€" Mayerthorpe Detachment General Policing and Highway Patrol
[CBC]On
July 7,
2006, two RCMP officers were shot and killed near
Mildred, Saskatchewan. The killer,
Curtis Dagenais, 41, was missing until
July 18, when he turned himself in. The victims were:
*Const. Robin Cameron, 29 - Spiritwood Detachment
*Const. Marc Bourdages, 26 - Spiritwood Detachment
The RCMP has 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.
[Website and Support Hits the Streets"]In 2006, the
U.S. 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 Coast Guard boarding officers from stations in Michigan ride in each other's vessels. The intent is to allow for seamless enforcement of the international border. (PA1 John Masson, "Territorial Teamwork", Coast Guard Magazine 2/2006, pp. 26-27).
The RCMP in wartime
The Boer War
During the
Second Boer War, members of the North West Mounted Police were given
leaves of absence to fight with the 2nd
Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles and
Lord Strathcona's Horse.
The First World War
During the
First World War the Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP) conducted
border patrols,
surveillance of enemy
aliens, and enforcement of
national security regulations within Canada. However, RNWMP officers also served overseas. On
6 August 1914, a
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
SiberiaThe Second World War
In 1939, No. 1 Provost Company (RCMP),
Canadian Provost Corps, was raised for service in Europe. The unit served with distinction throughout the
Second World War.
Honours
Although it is a police force, the RCMP has the status of a
regiment of
dragoons, and as such is entitled to wear
battle honours for its war service as well as carry a
guidon. It was awarded this status in 1921, with its first guidon presented in 1935. As a regiment, the RCMP mounted the
King's Life Guard at
Horse Guards Parade in 1937 leading up to the
coronation of
King George VI.
Battle honours
*Early honours: Northwest Canada 1885, South Africa (Second Boer War) 1900â€"02
*The Great War:
France and
Flanders 1918,
Siberia 1918â€"19
*The Second World War:
Europe, 1939-45
Honorary distinction
*The badge of the Canadian Provost Corps¹
1. Presented 21 September 1957 at a Parliament Hill ceremony for contributions to the Corps during the Second World War.History of the uniform
|
Re-enactors portraying the NWMP K Troop. |
The RCMP are famous for their distinctive
Red Serge, a scarlet ceremonial uniform with a
Stetson hat with a wide flat brim which is worn on special occasions, and the
Musical Ride (a ceremony in which officers showcase their horse riding skills and uniform in the execution of a variety of intricate figures and
cavalry drills with music). On normal duties, the RCMP uses standard police methods, equipment, and uniforms. Horses are no longer used operationally by any unit.
The Red Serge tunic that identified initially the NWMP, and later the RNWMP and RCMP, is of the standard British military pattern. The NWMP was originally kitted out from
militia stores, resulting initially in several different styles of tunic, although the style later became standardized. This style was used to both to emphasize the British nature of the force and to differentiate it from the blue American military uniforms. The blue shoulder epaulets were added in the 1920s after it was granted its "Royal" status from the
British sovereign for its service in World War I, replacing gold-trimmed scarlet straps from the earlier uniforms. Currently, RCMP personnel under the rank of Inspector wear blue "gorget" patches on the collar, while officers from Inspector to Commissioner have solid blue collars, along with blue pointed sleeve cuffs.
Initially the NWMP wore buff trousers. Later dark blue trousers with yellow-gold strapping (stripes) were adopted. Members of the NWMP were known to exchange kit with US cavalry units along the border and it is suggested that this was the initial source for the trousers; however, blue trousers were considered early on, although with a white strap. Dark blue with yellow-gold strapping is another British cavalry tradition, and Canadian city police forces frequently wear dark blue trousers with a narrow red strap of infantry tradition.
The wide flat brim
Stetson hat was not adopted officially until about 1904. Although the NWMP contingent at
Queen Victoria's
Diamond Jubilee wore the Stetson, it was an unofficial item of dress. The primary official headdress at the time was the white British foreign service helmet, also known as a
pith helmet. This was not particularly practical as headdress in the Canadian west, and 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
Lord Strathcona's Horse and took the regiment to South Africa he also adopted the Stetson for this unit.
Black riding boots were later changed to the modern brown style. The original crossbelts were later changed to the brown
Sam Browne type currently worn. The brown colour of the boots and belt worn with the Red Serge come from the individual member applying numerous coats of polish, often during their time in training at Depot Division.
Sidearms are standard now, but were often not worn in the early years.
The everyday uniform consists of a grey shirt with dark blue tie, dark blue trousers with gold strapping, regular patrol boots called "ankle boots", regular duty equipment, and a regular policeman's style cap. A blue "
Gore-Tex" open-collar jacket is worn by Constables, Corporals, Sergeants, and Staff Sergeants while a dark blue jacket, with a white shirt in place of the grey shirt, is worn by Sergeants Major, certain
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) usually involved in aspects of recruit training or media relations, and all officers from Inspector to Commissioner. Short sleeved shirts are worn in the summer by all members with Constables and NCOs not wearing the tie, and Officers wearing the tie year round. Winter dress consists of a long-sleeved shirt and tie for all members and, depending on the climate of the detachment area, heavier boots, jackets and a fur cap are worn.
In 1990,
Baltej Singh Dhillon became the first
Sikh officer in the RCMP to be allowed to wear a
turban instead of the traditional stetson. On March 15, the federal government, not without its protestors, decided that Sikhs may wear turbans while serving as RCMP officers.
Post-war
Since
World War II, the RCMP has played a number of roles at home and abroad.
Excluding
Ontario,
Quebec and
Newfoundland and Labrador, the RCMP performs provincial policing duties in Canada. The force is also the only local force for northern cities like
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories,
Whitehorse, Yukon and
Iqaluit, Nunavut.
The RCMP has also provided training overseas in
Iraq and other peace-keeping missions.
The RCMP divides the country into
divisions for command purposes. In general, each division is coterminous with a province (e.g., C Division is
Quebec). The province of
Ontario, however, is divided into two divisions: A Division (Ottawa) and O Division (rest of the province). There is one additional division â€" Depot Division, which is the
RCMP Training Academy. The RCMP headquarters are located in Ottawa, Ontario.
* British Columbia:
E Division* Alberta: K Division
* Saskatchewan: F Division
* Manitoba:
D Division* Ontario: O Division and A Division (National Capital Region Ottawa)
* Quebec: C Division
* Newfoundland and Labrador: B Division
* Nova Scotia: H Division
* New Brunswick: J Division
* Prince Edward Island: L Division
* Yukon Territory: M Division
* Nunavut: V Division
* Northwest Territories: G Division
*
"Depot" Division, RCMP Training Academy at
Regina, Saskatchewan: F Division
During the 1960s and 1970s, the RCMP had
special constables in its ranks. Unlike regular members, their duties were to police the airports and, in certain Canadian provinces, the court houses. This program was abolished in the 1980s or 1990s.
In the early years of policing in northern Canada, and well into the 1950s, local aboriginal people were hired by the RCMP as special constables and were employed as guides and to source 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, especially with Canada's declaration that 2005 be recognized as the "Year of the Veteran".
Ranks
The rank system of the RCMP illustrates their origin as a paramilitary force. The insignia were based upon the Canadian army of the time, which is almost identical to that of the current
British Army. Higher ranks have been increased over the years since the formation of the force, whereas the rank of
inspector, which was initially a
subaltern, is now a
field officer level, the lower officer ranks having been dropped. With the military introducing the
warrant officer, the RCMP non-commissioned officers were maintained using the older military style.
Queen Elizabeth II, as
Queen of Canada, is the Honorary Commissioner of the RCMP.
The ranks of the RCMP, in English and French with their insignia, are:
|
Superintendent Larsen in full 1959 dress. |
| Name of rank in English | Name of rank in French | Number | Insignia | | Commissioner | Commissaire | 1 |  | Rcmp-commissioner.jpg |
|
| Deputy Commissioner | Sous-commissaire | 7 |  | Rcmp-depcommissioner.jpg |
|
| Assistant Commissioner | Commissaire adjoint | 24 |  | Rcmp-asstcommissioner.jpg |
|
| Chief Superintendent | Surintendant principal | 52 |  | Rcmp-chiefsuperintendent.jpg |
|
| Superintendent | Surintendant | 143 |  | Rcmp-superintendent.jpg |
|
| Inspector | Inspecteur | 346 |  | Rcmp-inspector.jpg |
|
| Corps Sergeant-Major | Sergent-major du corps | 1 |  | Rcmp-corpssergeantmajor.jpg |
|
| Sergeant-Major | Sergent-major | 6 |  | Rcmp-sergeantmajor.jpg |
|
| Staff Sergeant-Major | Sergent-major d'état major | 5 |  | Rcmp-staffsergeantmajor.jpg |
|
| Staff Sergeant | Sergent d'état-major | 742 |  | Rcmp-staffsergeant.jpg |
|
| Sergeant | Sergent | 1,616 |  | Rcmp-sergeant.jpg |
|
| Corporal | Caporal | 2,928 |  | Rcmp-corporal.jpg |
|
| Constable | Gendarme | 10,136 |
The ranks of Inspector and higher are commissioned ranks and are appointed by the
House of Commons. Depending on the dress, badges are worn on the shoulder as slip-ons, on shoulder boards, or directly on the
epaulettes. The lower ranks are non-commissioned officers and the insignia continues to be based on British 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 Special Constables, Auxiliary Constables, and Students who wear identifying insignia.
The current number in each rank is identified in the third column. Several provinces have indicated increasing the numbers. Number of others are listed below:
* Special Constables 82
* Civilian members 2,605
Civilian Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are not delegated the powers of a police officer. They are 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 challenging and rewarding 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.Scientific
*
Toxicology*
Chemistry *
Biology -
DNA *
Law Technical
*
Fingerprint Technology * Instrument Technology
* Document Examination
* Counterfeit Analysis
*
Firearms Technology *
Electronics Technology *
Information Technology*
CommunicationsComputer Systems Development
*
Telecommunications*
Information Services/Public Affairs*
Administrative*
Policy Development & Analysis *
Staff Development & Training *
Human Resource Management *
Translation * Public servants 3,867
* Total 22,557
The Mounties have been immortalized as symbols of
Canadian culture in numerous
Hollywood movies, which often feature the image of the Mountie as square-jawed, stoic, and polite, and with the motto that the Mountie "always gets his man." (In actual fact, the RCMP's motto is
Maintiens le droit,
French for "Uphold the law".) The Hollywood motto derives from a comment by the Montana newspaper, the
Fort Benton Record: "They fetch their man every time."
[Force's legacy endures, Toronto Star, March 5, 2005] A famous example is the
radio and
television series,
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. The
Broadway musical and Hollywood movie
Rose-Marie is a 1930s example of its romantic side. Canadians also poke fun at the RCMP with
Sergeant Renfrew and his faithful dog Cuddles in various sketches produced by the
Royal Canadian Air Farce comedy troupe. 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 famous
lumberjack sketch.
Ren and Stimpy also parodied the Mounties in the episode
Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen. More recently, the 1994â€"98 TV series
Due South paired a Mountie with a streetwise American detective cleaning up the streets of
Chicago, mainly deriving its entertainment from the perceived differences in attitude between these two countries' police forces. A pair of Mounties staffed 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, was about events in the native community of the town, but the Mounties featured prominently in each episode. The Mounties also briefly appeared in an episode of
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, when after a mind taking battle between Mentok and Shado, the entire jury in the courtroom seems to have turned into Mounties. In the ABC TV series
Answered By Fire, there are at least three mounties featured.
*
RCMP Training Academy*
RCMP Recruiting*
List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage*
FBI*
Federal Agency of Investigation (Mexico)*
ReginaProvincial police forces fulfilling the duties of the RCMP in their respective provinces
*
Ontario Provincial Police*
Sûreté du Québec*
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary*
The official website of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police*
The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP*
RCMP Wanted list*
Proceedings of the Special Senate Committee on the Anti-terrorism Act on both RCMP and CSIS
*
RCMP Museum*
Society of the Military Horse*
Informational site for Mounted Police
