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RCMP
Anti-Corruption Unit
The
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in British
Columbia, Canada have formed a new Unit to investigate
allegations and manage intelligence related to
police corruption. The Anti-Corruption Unit,
comprised of seven senior investigators, was formed
to pro-actively address emerging concerns about
the power and influence of organized crime.
Investigators within the Unit possess a variety
of investigative experiences in drugs, major crime,
internal affairs and criminal intelligence.
Offences investigated include: Breach of Trust
by Public Officer, Obstruction of Justice, Misuse
of Data, Disclosure of Information for Criminal
Purposes, Bribery, Theft and Drug related offences.
The Anti-Corruption Unit has a Criminal Intelligence
Analyst and access to professional RCMP technical
surveillance and undercover resources, external
to the Unit itself. While Canada does not
have a strong tradition of police corruption,
the reality is that crime is a lucrative and sophisticated
business and no police organization is immune
to infiltration.
Corruption
related concerns were previously handled by local
personnel without a central contact point for
intelligence and expertise on corruption issues.
Corruption investigations are often complex and
require considerable resources, expertise, discipline
and control to remain covert and effective over
what is often a lengthy period. In recent
years an increased number of corruption related
concerns have surfaced, some of which have led
to lengthy investigations conducted by our Major
Crime Section, resulting in criminal charges.
The intelligence and information is now channelled
through the Division Major Crime Officer to the
Anti-Corruption Unit for follow up. Due
to the size of the
Anti-Corruption Unit and nature of some of the
incoming information some investigations are still
undertaken by other units in consultation with
Anti-Corruption investigators. This ensures
that there is a consistent approach to dealing
with concerns while still allowing a central unit
to be aware of the information.
Our
short experience has confirmed that criminal organizations
have a keen interest in cultivating sources of
police information. Information leaks can
compromise safety of informants and undercover
operators and the overall success of investigations.
A methodical, systematic investigative approach
is the key to resolving the question of whether
an employee is corrupt. As part of the anti-corruption
initiatives in the RCMP, the Anti-Corruption Unit
is conducting assessments, at the conclusion of
the criminal investigation, to determine the nature
and possible cause of corruption. This information
will then be incorporated into a training and
awareness program to ensure that other employees
of the RCMP are able to recognize and assess risks
that may lead to serious misconduct. One
of the leaders in the development and implementation
of this training in the RCMP is Chief Superintendent
John Neily who is currently on special assignment
with the Professional Standards Division of the
Toronto Police Service.
There are a number of other anti-corruption initiatives
operating in the RCMP, including the development
of a National Corruption Awareness Program, Moral
Reasoning and Ethics training. These programs
are being developed through the offices of Internal
Affairs, Learning and Development and the Ethics
Advisor. RCMP members from these areas are
also actively involved in establishing contacts
in other organizations world wide to assess strategies
and methods used in corruption prevention, investigation
and training.
Debbie
Chisholm
Staff Sergeant
RCMP
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