Annex A: Findings and recommendations of the Federal Policing mandate review review
Annual Report 2023
Findings
F1.
Federal Policing is an essential component of Canada’s security and intelligence community. It has a unique and broad mandate that includes investigating threats to national security and transnational and serious organized crime, protecting key federal and designated officials, supporting international operations, such as peace-keeping, and maintaining key policing relationships, both among our allies and with international institutions.
F2.
Federal Policing’s ability to manage its budget and maintain operations has only been possible as a result of unfilled vacancies in the program since 2016. Federal budgetary resources also are consistently displaced to fund other organizational priorities, primarily Contract Policing.
F3.
Federal Policing’s approaches to recruitment and training do not sufficiently support the Federal mandate. Federal Policing has struggled to source all the skills, education and experience required to conduct increasingly complex and specialized investigations in the modern criminal threat environment.
F4.
Federal Policing lacks effective and consistent direction over federal investigative units throughout the country. Federal Policing’s Prioritization Committee reviews new projects without an understanding of current investigations and expenditures in all Divisions, limiting Federal Policing’s ability to track major projects or to direct resources to the highest threats from a national perspective.
F5.
Federal Policing’s problems with data integrity and information management undermine effective decision-making and support to operations. The RCMP has an ineffective governance system which lacks standardized methods or approaches for data analytics. Of the information that is entered into the various data systems, many include incomplete records, outdated reporting, inconsistencies, incorrect data and missing information. Moreover, compliance among Federal Policing units throughout the country with direction to address these problems is near zero. This undermines Federal Policing’s ability to prioritize its work, attribute actual costs to investigations, and enable its intelligence units to make linkages among investigations or identify emerging issues.
F6.
Federal Policing does not have performance measures that account for success outside of charges laid. Federal Policing investigations are complex and can involve assistance or other activities that do not have arrest or charges as a goal. Current measures do not include relevant context or provide enough scope for complex outcomes.
F7.
The RCMP recognizes the problems facing its Federal Policing mandate. The RCMP cannot effect the necessary changes alone. The Minister must take a greater role with respect to issues such as governance, priorities, and organizational direction.
Recommendations
R1.
The Minister of Public Safety provide clear and regular direction to the RCMP to strengthen Federal Policing, including in areas of governance; financial controls; human resources, recruiting and training; and information management. In each of these areas, this direction should include the Minister’s expectations, clear interim and final objectives, and clear performance measures.
R2.
The Government recognize that Federal Policing resources are insufficient to fulfil its various mandates and put in place measures to ensure Federal resources are appropriated fully to Federal priorities.
R3.
The Government ensure that Federal Policing has the sufficient level of autonomy to fulfill its mandates and implement any organizational changes necessary to do so.
R4.
As part of its deliberations, the Government consider amendments to the RCMP Act, including to define police independence and provide reporting obligations for the Federal Policing mandate (similar to the CSIS Act).
R5.
Federal Policing develop appropriate performance measures that better reflect the complexity of its operations and outcomes. These measures should be fully supported internally by data collection, analysis and reporting.
Status
As of December 31, 2023, the government has not provided a status update regarding the implementation of these recommendations.