Scandals, sagging morale, and role ambiguity in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: the end of a Canadian institution as we know it?

Abstract

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), an iconic and highly respected Canadian institution, has come under extreme criticism in recent years, leaving its future existence in question. This paper reviews the pivotal problems that led the RCMP to this state of crisis, using four recent scandals that have particularly eroded its reputation to illustrate. It suggests that signs of the malaise have been present for some time, but downplayed or missed due to the RCMP’s stellar reputation. The authors bolster their contention with data collected a number of years ago demonstrating that a sample of 129 RCMP constables perceived themselves to be less in control, to have less workplace social support, and experienced greater levels of psychological distress than a control group of 60 municipal constables. They conclude that the RCMP will have to undertake immediate and significant reform to regain its respected role in Canadian society.