The Trudeau government has directed the new top Mountie to modernize and reform the RCMPB次元官网网址檚 culture, protect employees from harassment and workplace violence, and foster reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
The government also wants Commissioner Brenda Lucki to make the national police force representative of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 diverse population by embracing gender parity and ensuring that women, Indigenous members and minority groups are better reflected in positions of leadership.
B次元官网网址淚t is important that Canadians see themselves reflected in the people that police them,B次元官网网址� says a newly released mandate letter to Lucki from Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, the cabinet member responsible for the Mounties.
B次元官网网址淭he RCMP must be a modern organization that reflects Canadian values and culture, and has the trust, confidence and the enthusiastic support of the people they serve.B次元官网网址�
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The letter says another priority will be implementing measures to improve health and wellness in the RCMP after an auditorB次元官网网址檚 report found the force was failing to meet the mental-health needs of its members due to a lack of resources, poor monitoring and meagre support from supervisors.
Lucki, 53, took the reins of the storied police force on April 16, becoming the 24th RCMP commissioner and the first permanent female boss.
She inherits a force still grappling with ingrained problems of bullying and harassment.
A year and a half ago, her predecessor, Bob Paulson, delivered an apology to hundreds of current and former female officers and employees who were subjected to discrimination and harassment dating back as far as four decades.
The words of regret came as the force settled class-action lawsuits stemming from allegations that cast a dark pall over it.
Lucki is often asked if sheB次元官网网址檚 going to fix the problem, a question that makes her bristle because she doesnB次元官网网址檛 think things are necessarily broken.
B次元官网网址淧eople donB次元官网网址檛 come to work and say theyB次元官网网址檙e going to bully somebody or harass somebody. ItB次元官网网址檚 not that black and white. So we have to figure out what the root causes are and try to get to that,B次元官网网址� she said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
B次元官网网址淚 need every employee in the RCMP to own that, and have the courage not only to be accountable for themselves, but to have the courage to be accountable to others, for others, and say, thatB次元官网网址檚 unacceptable and take a stand. Because otherwise we wonB次元官网网址檛 change.B次元官网网址�
Asked if she has personally experienced bullying or harassment, she answered obliquely.
B次元官网网址淚 would be remiss if I didnB次元官网网址檛 say that not everything has been perfect. But I think in general IB次元官网网址檝e had a great career and I always say, whatever doesnB次元官网网址檛 kill you makes you stronger,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淪o I think it helps me be a better leader and more empathetic. Of course, IB次元官网网址檝e dealt with situations that werenB次元官网网址檛 completely comfortable, but IB次元官网网址檝e dealt with them.B次元官网网址�
At the same, Lucki stresses the importance of learning lessons from the forceB次元官网网址檚 experiences with harassment.
B次元官网网址淲e wonB次元官网网址檛 eliminate it, but we do need to educate people on that and make sure they know what is acceptable and unacceptable.B次元官网网址�
A desire to serve the public drew Lucki to policing. Her RCMP career of almost 32 years has been varied and full of challenges, including time in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Lucki was applauded for her efforts in northern Manitoba to improve the forceB次元官网网址檚 relationship with Indigenous communities, where one of the elders took her under his wing.
B次元官网网址淚 know that I learned a lot more than they learned from me.B次元官网网址�
Transparency, accountability and communicating clearly are the keys to building trust, she said. B次元官网网址漎ou canB次元官网网址檛 build a relationship overnight. It takes time to trust, it takes time to build those relationships.B次元官网网址�
Lucki has also worked with the United Nations in the fractured former Yugoslavia, and helped train and select units for a UN police mission in Haiti.
Since October 2016, she has served in Regina as the commanding officer of B次元官网网址淒epotB次元官网网址� Division, where cadets are put through their paces.
An avid golfer, she and her husband enjoy woodworking projects, though she once said theyB次元官网网址檙e mostly good at making sawdust.
Lucki holds a degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Alberta, and studied management and leadership at the University of ManitobaB次元官网网址檚 business school B次元官网网址� an educational background that can only help her run a sprawling police force of 18,500 officers responsible for everything from traffic duty to investigating terrorism.
B次元官网网址淚 want my employees to come to work every day and be proud of their organization,B次元官网网址� she said, eyeing the RCMPB次元官网网址檚 150th anniversary in 2023.
B次元官网网址淲e need to honour our past. We canB次元官网网址檛 live in it, but we need to honour it and learn from it and move forward. And I think if we do that, weB次元官网网址檙e going to be a force to be reckoned with.B次元官网网址�
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Jim Bronskill, The Canadian Press
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