The commissioner of the RCMP says he wants Canada's national police force to come under civilian oversight and be granted greater independence from the federal government.
William Elliott, himself a civilian, said Thursday that the Mounties need a civilian oversight board to watch over its activities, and would like the force to be granted greater freedom when it comes to making financial and personnel decisions.
In an interview with CTV's Power Play, Elliott said that he hopes "to modernize the force and to change how it is that we are structured, to be more independent with respect to the administration of the force from government, and to have me and the force report to a board of management."
The changes are needed in order to reflect that the RCMP is "not just another government department," he said. "We are unique. We're in the business of front-line policing and we should be able to tailor our policies, our (human resources) and financial management to reflect that difference."
In 2007, a task force report recommended dozens of reforms to address deep-rooted problems, including that the RCMP report to a management board and that the force be granted more independence from Ottawa.
As part of the ambitious reforms, Elliott said he would like to make the RCMP's disciplinary system less bureaucratic and change the process for procuring equipment.
"Our current discipline system is very slow. The range of sanctions -- that is, how you can address inappropriate behaviour -- are quite limited and it takes way too long," he said.
The proposed changes would mean altering the RCMP Act, he said.
"Governance changes in and of themselves won't solve anything. But I think they can be both a catalyst and an enabler of change," Elliott said. "I think a board of management, for example, and increased flexibility will allow us to move farther faster."
NDP public safety critic Don Davies said he supported the proposed reforms because "any restructuring that leads to more civilian oversight, more accountability to the public and less opportunity for direct political interference, I think is a good thing."
Since Elliott took over three years ago, the RCMP has already undergone extensive changes, including among senior personnel.
A number of top Mounties have complained to federal officials, describing Elliott as an intimidating boss who disparages staff. Later, a "workplace assessment" found that some of its members were upset by the slow pace of reform.
With files from The Canadian Press
