Review of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Federal Policing mandate
Annual Report 2023
22. On November 7, 2023, the Prime Minister tabled the Special Report on the Federal Policing Mandate of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Parliament. A revised version of the report was concurrently made available to the public on the Committee’s website. Footnote 8 The following is a summary of the review.
23. Through its Federal Policing mandate, the RCMP is one of Canada’s leading national security and intelligence organizations. It is responsible for investigating events in Canada and abroad related to national security, transnational and serious organized crime, financial crime and cyber crime. Footnote 9 It is also charged with protecting key federal and designated officials and supporting international operations. In sum, Federal Policing deals with some of the most serious threats to Canadians and Canadian interests.
24. While the RCMP has undergone several reviews over the years, no external independent review of its Federal Policing mandate was ever conducted. Accordingly, the Committee elected to review this mandate, consistent with subsection 8(1)(b) of the NSICOP Act. Specifically, it sought to examine Federal Policing’s programs, activities, structures, capabilities, authorities and accountabilities.
25. Federal Policing is essential to Canada’s national security, but the Committee’s review revealed that the RCMP faces several challenges in discharging this mandate. First, the Committee notes that Federal Policing’s budgetary resources are consistently displaced to fund other organizational priorities, primarily contract policing. Second, Federal Policing struggles to source all the skills, education and experience required to conduct the increasingly complex and specialized investigations needed in the modern criminal threat environment. Third, the RCMP lacks effective and consistent direction over federal investigative units throughout the country resulting in a persistent inability to track major projects and to effectively prioritize and direct resources. Finally, the RCMP lacks standardized methods or approaches for data analytics. Accordingly, poor data integrity and information management undermine effective decision-making and support to operations.
26. In sum, the RCMP Federal Policing program struggles with weak governance and prioritization of federal activities and investigations; poor data and data management; an intelligence function misaligned with federal requirements; and recruitment and training models ill-suited to its mandate. The RCMP clearly recognizes the problems facing its Federal Policing mandate. If fully implemented, its many initiatives in the areas of governance, data, prioritization, intelligence, recruitment and training should improve Federal Policing’s ability to fulfill its mandate. However, the Committee believes that more leadership and direction from the federal government is needed. This will help to ensure that Federal Policing is able to address the highest priority threats to Canadian national security and public safety.
27. The government has a responsibility to ensure that the various components of its security and intelligence community function effectively. On the basis of its review, the Committee believes that Federal Policing cannot function as effectively as it must to protect Canada and Canadians from the most significant national security and criminal threats. The government must act to ensure it does.