RCMP – Canada’s Version of the FBI Only More Colourful
RCMP is the acronym for Royal Canadian Mounted Police, while FBI is for Federal Bureau of Investigation. The RCMP already seems more colourful, and I haven’t even told you about them yet. So, let’s look at Canada’s very own RCMP.
History of the RCMP
The Dominion of Canada officially became a country in 1867, so it is very young compared to most other countries. Even though it was massive at that time, it wasn’t as large as it is now because not all provinces joined the confederation at the same time. As each province became part of Canada, it was responsible for policing within its own provincial boundaries. However, northern Canada, a vast land sparsely populated by Indigenous groups, was not given the same rights or responsibilities as the provinces. Therefore, it did not have access to its own police force.
The federal policing unit known as the Dominion Police did not have enough members to patrol Canada’s Northwest Territories, so the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was established in 1873. The modern-day RCMP considers 1873 its official birth year. The name was changed from the NWMP to the RCMP in 1920.
Qualifications to Become an RCMP Officer
The requirements to become an RCMP officer are similar to those of any other police force worldwide, with citizenship requirements considered.
- Must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status in Canada
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Must be proficient in English and/or French
- Must have a minimum of Grade 12 education or approved equivalent
- Must possess a valid, unrestricted driver’s licence
- Must meet the health and psychological standards
- Must meet the vision standards
- Must meet the hearing standards
- Must meet the necessary level of physical abilities
- Must be willing to work shift work, including weekends and holidays
- Must be of good character
- Must pass the RCMP training program, which includes, but is not limited to:
- applied police sciences
- handling and use of firearms
- defensive training
- police driving
- physical fitness
- pass the “Right Fit” Interview
The 26-week training program occurs at the RCMP Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan.
When I was about 13 years old, my friends and I would ride our bikes to the RCMP Academy, west on Dewdney Avenue, where it is still located, to watch the recruits train. In those days, I thought I wanted to be an RCMP officer when I grew up. However, the dreams of young people change, and I settled for several different, much less dangerous careers.
On-Duty Casualties of RCMP Officers
Being a police officer in any jurisdiction is a dangerous job, to be sure. At the beginning of any given shift, there is no way for an officer to know if they will be involved in a life-or-death situation or if they will ever see their loved ones again. And many RCMP officers have died in the line of duty. Accidents happen, but more often than not, they have been ambushed and murdered, trying to enforce the law and protect the community and the citizens they serve.
Since 1873, 238 officers of the NWMP and subsequent RCMP have died in the line of duty. It is interesting to note that in the early days, several drowned while attempting to cross rivers. Others have been killed in motor vehicle accidents or while at the scene of accidents. But many were murdered. Police and other law enforcement are needed to enforce the law and protect the public. However, it’s not as obvious why any individual would choose this line of work.
Responsibilities of the RCMP Today
First, let me clarify that even though “Mounted” appears in the RCMP’s name to refer to horses, RCMP officers no longer ride horses during their everyday job duties. They drive police cruisers like in any other police department, generally one officer to a cruiser. However, they are still fondly and casually called “Mounties”.
The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada. As such, it is the police service for eight of the ten provinces and all three territories. The exceptions are the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, each with its own provincial police services. The RCMP is also the police of jurisdiction in over 150 municipalities and about 600 Indigenous communities. The provinces are still responsible for policing within their provincial borders, so the RCMP, which is the national police force of Canada, provides local services under contract.
As the national police force, the RCMP is responsible for:
- Enforcing federal legislation
- Inter-provincial and international crime as related to Canada
- Border integrity
- Overseeing Canadian peacekeeping missions abroad involving police
- Managing the Canadian Firearms Program
- Managing the Canadian Police College
- Overseeing any other Canadian security issues nationally or internationally
Women in the Force
The RCMP first employed women as regular officers as recently as 1974. Before that, there were women on the force or associated with the force but never in the actual day-to-day policing that men were doing. In the beginning, women served only to supply meals to prisoners or assist in the bodily searches of female suspects or prisoners. Now, they are police officers in the complete sense of the word, male or female.
RCMP or SPS
As mentioned earlier, policing in Canada is ultimately the responsibility of each province. In the province of British Columbia, 63 cities or municipalities have contracted with the RCMP. In comparison, 12 cities or municipalities have their own police departments.
The RCMP is currently the police service in Surrey, BC, where I live, but only for about another two years. In October 2018, Doug McCallum was elected mayor of Surrey again after being defeated in 2005. Part of his platform this time was to replace the RCMP with the SPS (Surrey Police Service). And so, the long, involved process of transition began.
In October 2022, Doug McCallum was once again defeated, and Brenda Locke became the new mayor of Surrey. In 2018, she was on McCallum’s team and agreed to oust the RCMP in favour of a Surrey Police Service. Four years later, she changed her mind and wanted to stop the transition after millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money had already been spent.
This story has been going on for almost six years. There appears to be little to no concern for Surrey’s taxpayers, Surrey RCMP employees or their families, or the new hires for the SPS or their families. It’s a huge political mess. Recently, the provincial government stepped in to overrule Mayor Locke. The transition to the SPS will continue over the next two years or so as the cost of the transition continues day by day.
Recent Scandals
The RCMP is no longer the elite, universally respected entity it once was. It has spread itself too thin and has difficulty recruiting enough potential members to meet all its contracts.
In recent years, many scandals have plagued the force. There are investigations and class action lawsuits regarding sexual harassment within the force, with the blame going right to the top of the chain of command. There have also been several accusations of sexual harassment by individual members against the public. Members of the Indigenous community have concerns about racism and unfair treatment in posts in remote areas. The RCMP has had a long, illustrious history, but its reputation has been tarnished recently.
The Musical Ride
The musical ride is similar to synchronized swimming, except there is no water, but there are horses. Okay, so it’s nothing like synchronized swimming except for the synchronized part. The horses and riders are well-trained. It’s an impressive sight, with the horses looking like clones of each other and the riders the same in their red serge dress uniforms. Seeing it in person is much more spectacular, but the following video is good. So, please sit back and enjoy this short video of excerpts of Canada’s own RCMP performing their unique RCMP Musical Ride.
The above essay is for entertainment and English language study only. For suggestions on how to use this post to improve your English reading and listening comprehension, click here.
Vocabulary
- confederation – noun, a union or alliance of peoples, countries, labour unions, etc.; the joining of various territories to form the country of Canada (in this context)
- sparsely – adverb, thinly dispersed or scattered; few people in a very large area (in this context)
- recruit – noun; a person newly enlisted and not yet fully trained; new hire but still to be trained
- jurisdiction – noun; the administration of justice; a specific area (in this context)
- agency – noun; a government office providing a specific service; representing the government
- Indigenous – adjective; pertaining to, or concerned with the aboriginal inhabitants of a region; living in Canada or descendants thereof before the arrival of European settlers (in this context)
- legislation – noun; a law or series of laws; the law
- integrity – noun; soundness; unimpaired or uncorrupted condition; protection of the border (in this context)
- ultimately – adjective; lastly, finally; in the end
- transition – noun; a passing or change from one place, state, condition, etc., to another; a gradual change from the RCMP to the SPS (in this context)
- overrule – transitive verb; set aside (s decision, argument, proposal, etc.) by exercising a superior authority; to change the decision of another person
- elite – adjective; of or belonging to an elite; exclusive; special
- entity – noun; a thing with distinct and independent existence; a group (in this context)
- plagued – transitive verb; afflicted, tormented; bothered, influenced by
- class action lawsuit – noun; a single legal action brought on behalf of all members of a group with a common interest or grievance; a group lawsuit
- chain of command – noun; a hierarchical arrangement in an organization through which orders are carried out; at the top (in this context)
- accusations – noun; the act or process of accusing or being accused; accusing someone of something
- illustrious – adjective; distinguished, renowned; made an important difference
- tarnished – verb (tarnish); impair (one’s reputation, etc.); ruin or destroy a reputation
- synchronized – adjective; performed in unison by a team; performed in unison by a team
Comprehension Questions
- In what year did the Dominion of Canada become a country?
(a) 1767, (b) 1867, (c) 1967, or (d) 2067 - In what year was the North-West Mounted Police established?
(a) 1773, (b) 1873, (c) 1973, or (d) 2073 - Where did the NWMP patrol?
(a) British Columbia, (b) Ontario, (c) Quebec, or (d) the Northwest Territories - In what year did the North-West Mounted Police change its name to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police?
(a) 1720, (b) 1820, (c) 1920, or (d) 2020 - In what country must you be a citizen or permanent resident to apply to the RCMP?
(a) Canada, (b) the United States, (c) Russia, or (d) China - An RCMP applicant must be of good character.
True or False - Where is the RCMP Academy located?
(a) Vancouver, (b) Regina, (c) Toronto, or (d) Montreal - Do RCMP officers of today patrol on horseback?
Yes or No - When were women first employed as regular RCMP officers?
(a) 1774, (b) 1874, (c) 1974, or (d) 2074 - What colour is the RCMP dress uniform?
(a) red, (b) green, (c) blue, or (d) black
Resources
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Wikipedia – Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Government of British Columbia
And Now For Your Listening Enjoyment
Here’s Nelson Eddy singing “The Mounties” from the 1936 movie Rose Marie, costarring Jeanette MacDonald. I included this video more for the still shots of the Canadian wilderness and scenes of NWMP officers of the distant past and RCMP officers of the recent past. However, the song and music are rather dated.
Lyrics
"The Mounties"
Sung by Nelson Eddy (1936)
Music by Harry Akst
Lyrics by Sam Lewis and Joe Young
Far over the snow what are those voices?
(Over the snow)
They sing as they go.
What do those voices (call)
Look out for the Mounties
(Here come the Mounties)
We come somebody hide, somebody better hide!
On thru' the hail
Like a pack of angry wolves on the trail,
(We are after you) dead or alive
We are out to get you dead or alive
(And we'll get you soon.)
If you're the one
Better run, better run away
Son you are done
Throw your gun, throw your gun away
Here come the Mounties to get the man they're after now.
On thru' the hail
Like a pack of angry wolves on the trail,
(We are after you) dead or alive
We are out to get you dead or alive
(And we'll get you soon.)
If you're the one
Better run, better run away
Son you are done
Throw your gun, throw your gun away
Here come the Mounties to get the man they're after now.
