It may be tempting, when watching incidents of police brutality in the United States, to think the problem does not really exist in Canada. However, police misconduct and a lack of accountability do exist in Canada.
Videos recently surfaced of RCMP officers aggressively arresting a man in 麻豆精选 on May 30, 2020. One officer is seen striking him in the head. 麻豆精选鈥檚 RCMP superintendent Brent Mundle called it 鈥渃oncerning鈥� and 鈥渟hocking to many people.鈥� The incident is under review to 鈥渆nsure that all protocols and procedures were followed.鈥�
Earlier this month in New Brunswick, Chantel Moore, a 26 year old British Columbian, was fatally shot by police officers. Her family states that this is not the first time they鈥檝e lost a family member to police violence.
In Alberta, Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adam鈥檚 claims that in March, 2020, Wood Buffalo RCMP officers beat him and arrested him. Alberta鈥檚 Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating. The ASIRT investigates 鈥渟erious or sensitive鈥� matters that 鈥渕ay have resulted from the actions of a police officer.鈥� It does not accept complaints from the general public.
Remarkably, Alberta鈥檚 RCMP deputy commissioner denies that systemic racism exists.
Starlight Tours, R. v. Munson
In a decades long practice dating back to at least the 1970s, Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) members would arrest indigenous people, drive them to remote rural areas and abandon them on cold winter nights. The practice was known as 鈥渟tarlight tours.鈥�
In the early 2000s, inquests were held into a number of indigenous people who died outside Saskatoon of hypothermia. A National Film Board produced an award winning documentary. A Commission of Inquiry released a report regarding one such death.
Despite convictions and even prison sentences for related offenses, no SPS member has been convicted of murder connected to an indigenous person dying of hypothermia.
Merlo v. Canada
Two former RCMP employees, Janet Merlo and Linda Gillis Davidson, sued the RCMP, alleging that female officers experienced gender and sexual orientation-based bullying, discrimination, and harassment. This impacted their RCMP careers and caused physical and psychological damage, personal expense, and loss of income.
Their claims were certified as a class action. In Merlo v. Canada, the Federal Court approved a 2017 settlement. The estimated payout was $90 - $100 million. The claims dated back to September 16, 1974 鈥� the first date on which women were eligible to join the RCMP.
Tiller v. Canada
Cheryl Tiller, Mary-Ellen Copland and Dayna Roach pursued claims on behalf of certain female employees in non-policing roles within the RCMP who were subject to systemic gender or sexual orientation based harassment and discrimination similar to that in Merlo. In March, 2020, in Tiller v. Canada, the Federal Court approved a settlement. The estimated payout was $100 million.
O鈥橣arrell et al v Attorney General of Canada
Caroline O鈥橣arrell was a Staff Sergeant with the RCMP. She, her children and her former husband sued the RCMP for damages arising from her experiences with the RCMP鈥檚 Musical Ride between April 1986 and July 1987.
Ms. O鈥橣arrell claims that she was the victim of several incidents of harassment, assault and sexual assault, perpetrated by her RCMP Musical Ride colleagues.
She also claims that following the largest internal investigation ever conducted in Ottawa, the RCMP took no substantial action against her harassers, most of whom continue to work in the RCMP today.
Acknowledgment
Numerous reports have studied the pervasiveness of harassment and discrimination within the RCMP.
In 2016, then- RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson apologized for 鈥渟hameful conduct鈥� by the organization. He acknowledged a culture of 鈥渂ullying, intimidation, and general harassment鈥� within the RCMP.
In Summary
Those who survive police brutality and discrimination may experience long lasting effects in all areas of their lives, including employment and family relationships. Issues of entitlement and lack of accountability within our police forces ought to concern us all. Far reaching cultural and systemic changes are required.
The content of this article is intended to provide very general thoughts and general information, not to provide legal advice. Specialist advice from a qualified legal professional should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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