Angus Reid Public Opinion has released the results of a poll on Canadians’ confidence in the RCMP. It shows British Columbians’ faith in the force has “plummeted” on the eve of the 2010 Olympic Games, which the Mounties are entrusted with safeguarding. Among the Angus Reid findings:
A majority of Canadians (57%) say their confidence in the internal operations and leadership of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has stayed the same over the last two years. One-in-twenty (5%) say their confidence has increased, and one-in-three (32%) say it has decreased.
Two groups of Canadians appear particularly disappointed with the RCMP. Almost half of respondents aged 55 and over (45%) say their confidence in the internal operations and leadership of the RCMP has decreased.
In British Columbia, where the death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski and its ensuing inquiry has been a major topic of conversation, three-in-five respondents (61%) say their views on the RCMP have worsened.
Angus Reid’s analysts note that, nationally, confidence in the RCMP remains better than for municipal police forces and the criminal courts. But they add:
“In British Columbia, the Dziekanski case has clearly changed perceptions, providing the force with its lowest rating by far in any region, just a few weeks before the Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver and Whistler.”
The full report, with detailed tables and methodology, is here as a PDF.
David Beers is editor of The Tyee.
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DPL
2 years ago
After recent performance and
After recent performance and lying about it, backed by their supervisors, does anyone have any reason to actually believe the horsemen? Just listen to their PR guy Shields and understand that the name of the game is deny everything. On radio yesterday somebody was interviewing him and kep calling him Inspector, so sometimes even the interviewer is way out to lunch. We have too many of them in this provicne and its becasue they don't cost as much as other police forces, at least last time I looked. So we get second best. I wonmder if Sgt Pepper is still teaching the team?
Van Isle
2 years ago
As an organization, the RCMP
As an organization, the RCMP is dysfuncional. They have rogue-cops that should have been kicked out long before they became a problem. They have a lot of good cops who don't get the backing of their superiors, get frustrated and quit. A lot of the higher ups are more concerned about the force's image and myth. My father at one time was a civilian employee with the force and have had many friends and acquaintences who were members. Because of that, I've never really had any faith in the outfit, but only in certain individual members themselves.
alive
2 years ago
ego-maniacs
One might question why people join RCMP?
My feeling is that it is individuals who have a need to assert themselves!
This quasi military organization is set up with the idea that they represent all that is good and idealistic, and anyone who is not a member somehow is suspect.
Over the years this attitude has made the force into an entity with tunnelvision, where anyone connected with the RCMP automatically is rigth and there is not need to even doubt their word.
I had a courtcase years ago where two such members lied under oath, and smirked at me when they left the stand.
It was a simple matter of alleged speeding in a vehicle that (according to factory specs.) was unable to reach the speed they claimed to have clocked me at.
The judge was in a dilemma, not wanting to call the officers liars.
So he ruled that probably I had exceeded the posted limit but not the speed claimed.
That cost me a $60 fine and thought me a lesson about our esteemed police force.
I am sure you could fill a harddrive with cases of a similar nature.
The result is that a majority of citizens here in BC have no faith in the RCMP or the system that allows them to act as if they were Gods choosen servants.
Sask Resident
2 years ago
Dziekanski
The entire Dziekanski affair started and reached a peak due to the Vancouver airport and Immigration Canada, yet the media and everyone else has let them off the hook. Immigration kept Dziekanski in limbo long enough to make a movie about it, no wonder Dziekanski was upset. And where was Immigration? Too busy letting more Tamil Tigers in to plan terror attacks against Sri Lanka?
The RCMP aren't angels but mainly young people with insufficient training and insufficient supervision trying to do their best. Also Mounties are now getting shot a lot (Kimmirut, Mayerthorpe, Hay River, Mildred, etc.) so take fewer chances.
Perhaps it is time for BC and Alberta to have provincial police forces and allow the RCMP to handle federal issues.
Groucho
2 years ago
LCD!
The RCMP needs to relearn how to serve. Instead of being arrogant flouters of the law, they should be going out of their way to maintain good face.
Open the door for a lady, have a smile instead of a scowl, be courteous in traffic unless its an emergency, hold yourself to a higher standard...
Our RCMP used to be the shining model of police forces everywhere because they used to act like that (this is not to say that they used to be perfect). Now, as a whole, they instead reach for the rank of the lowest common denominator.
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RC
2 years ago
The Future is Tomorrows Past
Those who forget or do not know the past are doomed to repeat the same mistakes and horrors!
Quite the opening premise.
It came to me when I heard a commercial on the radio. I do not recall it verbatim however the gist is as follows:
It was a police commercial with respect to drinking and driving. Sounds innocuous as we all know the impacts of drinking and driving on oneself and on others when things go wrong . I believe most would agree that drinking and driving is "not a good thing".
However the commercial took a very ominous aspect when it stated that the public had a duty to report all drivers they suspected of drinking and driving and to call 911 to report them.
The point.
For those who lived through the second "world war" and for those that know the history of the years preceding and during the war may recall the propaganda machine put in place to deceive a complacent public . A propaganda machine that was so efficient it has sons and daughters turning in each parents, grandparents, friends, relatives and anyone else they considered in one of the categories named by the propaganda machine.
And yes it was their duty as a good citizen to turn in these people that were considered to be a danger to the wellbeing of the country.
The suffering and death that resulted from the actions of the good citizens were unimaginable and are part of the history of second "world war".
This was by no means a one of strategy. If you go back into history you will find this strategy was used time after time on a complacent public and resulted in the same suffering and death. ("Spanish Inquisition")
Oh yah, and it seems that one of the first targets is the rewriting of history and the burning of books.
If you are curious, check out the medical view on people with disabilities starting in about 1935/38 in Germany. An excellent example of that which I speak
Rhonda
2 years ago
RCMP
The RCMP, have become a shame for Canadian citizens. the worst shame of all, is the governing bodies, who, dismiss the RCMP atrocities. Some Canadians no longer want the RCMP as an icon for Canada. Most people in BC, want the RCMP disbanded, they don't want the RCMP contract to be renewed. Their murders are ignored by Braidwood, who is useless. But like the HST, the RCMP, will be forced on the citizens of BC, who are sickened by the RCMP committing atrocities. They are no different than the, Nazi Brown Shirts. However, with Canada, becoming a fascist country, the RCMP, will fit in just fine.
castle
2 years ago
RCMP should start making a
RCMP should start making a good image for themselves if they do not want people harping on them. Custom essays and articles have proven time and again how a bad reputation can ruin a company or organization. They really should learn from he companies who experienced it firsthand or they might find themselves being replaced by another force.