Canada Rape Culture via RCMP Part IV



Former RCMP Officer Krista Carle, has taken her own life. She suffered horrible sexual harassment from male RCMP officers until she finally died, as a result of this trauma, early this month.

Former RCMP Officer Krista Carle, has taken her own life.Former RCMP Officer Krista Carle, has taken her own life. Photo:submitted
Rob Creasser, a former RCMP officer and group spokesman for the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada, told Canadian Press’s Camille Bains that Carle’s suicide won’t be the last if changes aren’t made soon.

by Melissa Hemingway Feminine-Perspective Staff

The GRC/RCMP by Tenue de Canada with Milosh-Andrich.The GRC/RCMP by Tenue de Canada with Milosh-Andrich.

Outrage against survivors who have complained about their sexual harassment  and general mistreatment within Canadian Policing is becoming a ground swell of male-police hatred against women. Complainants are experiencing continued harassment in the form of anonymous phone calls, social media harassment and more.

But despite these random attacks the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) organisation says it has taken steps to fix the problems.

RCMP Promises Remedial Action

According to an agreement in a class action sexual harassment suit against the RCMP  known as the Merlo | Davidson Settlement :

  • The parties jointly announce the nature of the agreement approved by the Government of Canada.
  • The RCMP agrees to implement the following measures:
    • The Commissioner of the RCMP makes an official apology to the victims
    • The RCMP adopts measures to change the organizational culture of the force
    • The RCMP creates a scholarship fund to recognize exceptional accomplishment in the fight against harassment
    • The RCMP creates a national advisory council and regional committees to deal with all cases of harassment and intimidation related to gender within the RCMP
  • The creation of a claims process for employees and former employees considered to have been victims of harassment or discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation as part of their employment
  • The Claims process is to be undertaken by an Independent Assessor appointed by the Court.

The filing of claims in this class action concluded on May 22 of this year.

A court ordered apology from the RCMP and a potential $100-million settlement is the result of this class action. The settlement covers all women harassed while working for the RCMP, starting in September 1974 when the RCMP first began accepting female recruits.

 

RCMP Schedule E – Change Initiatives

(June 20, 2018 Status Update)

Initiative Current Status
1 Treasury Board (TB) Directives and the RCMP Commissioner’s Standing Orders include provisions that prohibit harassment, require supervisors and managers to enforce those directives and orders, and provide for sanctions and other consequences for breaches of the expected standard of behavior, failure to enforce, or for any retaliatory conduct against any person working within the RCMP who has reported harassment. The Directives and Standing Orders were updated, as per the terms of the settlement agreement.
2 The RCMP will establish support resources to assist supervisors in resolving harassment problems within their units. The Informal Conflict Management Program (ICMP) was created in June 2014, and launched an in-class course for employees on “Resolving Conflict Effectively”. As of March 2017, over 4000 employees had completed this training. A framework has been put in place to measure the overall effectiveness of this training moving forward. The National Early Intervention System (NEIS) was launched in January 2016 to help supervisors proactively identify members at an early stage who may benefit from interventions to address issues which may be impacting their work performance or wellness. The NEIS uses a data-based management tool that scans incidents, such as public complaints or harassment allegations, and produces a notification if a member has exceeded a certain threshold of activity over a specific period of time. The goal is to address issues early on through guidance, support and additional training, using a non-disciplinary approach. Early intervention and enhanced training can help mitigate and prevent negative behaviours, and can also contribute to a harassment and discrimination free workplace. A Business Intelligence Solution was released in February 2018 to improve the effectiveness of the NEIS.
3 The RCMP will continue to review its harassment policy in line with Treasury Board Policy and Directives, and applicable legislation and jurisprudence. A major overhaul of harassment policies and procedures was undertaken in 2014, and a further update was completed in Spring of 2018 to ensure decision makers in harassment cases consider whether a mandated investigation is required. The current RCMP harassment policy uses Treasury Board’s definition of harassment, and the RCMP stays informed of new harassment developments with TB Policy and Directives and applicable legislation and jurisprudence.
4 The RCMP has set a goal to make the proportion of women in Regular Member positions equal to at least 30% by 2025. In addition, the RCMP will set a goal to make the proportion of women in officer and executive positions at all levels equal to at least 30% by 2025. If these goals are met, the RCMP will continue to set reasonably attainable goals to reach gender parity (including parity of meaningful workplace opportunities). If goals are not met, the RCMP will continue to strive to meet these goals, and will receive advice from the Gender and Harassment Advisory Committees, to be established in accordance with this Agreement as set out below, on recommended changes, including further appropriate goals and parity of meaningful workplace opportunities. This is an ongoing long-term initiative, and the RCMP will continue to review its efforts. The RCMP continues to track the number of women applicants, and is committed to increasing the number of women in regular member, officer, and executive positions through current initiatives. While recognizing target goals/setting is the result of many processes, the RCMP is also using Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) to identify the impacts of policies and programs on diverse people, including women, to address barriers to increased diversity. A GBA+ of the recruiting process was completed in early 2018. Implementation of the results will begin in 2018, aimed at increasing interest and diversity of applicants. As of April 2018 women represented:

  • 39.1% of the total workforce in the RCMP;
    • 21.6 % Regular Members;
    • 51.7% Civilian Members; and
    • 78.1% Public Service Employees.

GBA+ considerations resulted in a procedural change to the Officer Candidate Program (OCP) in October 2017. This has contributed to in an increase in women applicants to OCP from 17% to 29% in under 1 year.

  • 32.3% of executives/equivalents across all categories of employee in the RCMP:
    • 22.1% Regular Member Executive equivalents (Superintendent level and higher);
    • 41.2% Civilian Member Executives; and
    • 62.7% Public Service Employee Executives.
5 The RCMP will take steps to improve the design and content of its recruitment materials to include more women, as well as more broadly inclusive language. The RCMP will solicit from all persons working within the RCMP input on all of its recruitment resources on a regular basis. The RCMP careers website was overhauled in fiscal year 2015-2016. The updates included updated language, and a new “common look and feel” to reflect the guidelines implemented by the Government of Canada. Ongoing internal messaging is distributed to seek employee assistance with recruiting and invites employee feedback. The 2017-2018 recruiting campaign ran during the last quarter of the fiscal year. The current advertising campaign highlights diverse men and women in various policing specializations. A GBA+ review of the recruiting process was completed in early 2018. Implementation of the results of the GBA+ will begin in 2018, aimed at increasing interest and diversity of applicants.
6 The RCMP will continue to communicate and publicize

  1. a clear, written harassment policy to all persons working within the RCMP, and make this policy readily available and accessible at all times; and
  2. that input from persons working within the RCMP on the effectiveness of the harassment policy is encouraged.
A major overhaul of harassment policies and procedures was undertaken in 2014, and a further update was completed in Spring 2018. Input is obtained regularly via teleconferences and an annual symposium with practitioners from across the Force. In the Spring 2018, an information pamphlet that encompasses the elements of the harassment process was distributed to Harassment Advisors to reinforce a deeper understanding and awareness. A link to a Workplace Reporting System landing page, which includes links to employee resources and contacts on conflict, harassment, workplace violence and conduct, is prominently placed on the national internal home page.
7 The RCMP will regularly communicate updates, news, and decisions affecting the organization and its membership to all persons currently working within the RCMP. National Communications Services (NCS) works with each business line, providing communications advice and support, and facilitating the sharing of information across the organization for each sector. NCS also works with each major client group annually to develop communication plans for significant events, awareness campaigns and ongoing business. All provinces/territories have designated communications resources who relay information to employees within their region. Urgent updates are distributed through the chain of command.
8 The RCMP will post its policies, including those concerning recruitment, hiring, transfers, promotions, qualifications, evaluations, leaves of absence, mentoring, collegiality, and harassment on its internal website. All policies referred to are currently posted on the internal RCMP website and updated as required.
9 Subject to Government of Canada and Treasury Board requirements, the RCMP will make ongoing efforts to improve the design of its website. The RCMP will continue to receive feedback and suggestions in writing directly from persons working within the RCMP. Content renewal of the website is continuous based on employee feedback. Improvements were made in 2017 on the search engine, contacts, navigation and homepage elements.
10 The RCMP will continue to update promotion policies and materials, and will consider, among other things, whether they: An initial review of the promotion process was completed, which will be enhanced by GBA+ in 2018. This will ensure:

  • Inclusive language is used throughout the promotion process that does not discriminate in favour of one gender or sexual orientation over another; and
  • Processes do not present barriers to diverse groups.
10 (a) make clear the RCMP and its leadership believe people of all genders and sexual orientation are equally capable of working in the RCMP and having positions and should therefore expect to be promoted at proportional rates;
10 (b) use language that reflects the belief that women are equally capable and meritorious of promotion as men;
10 (c) make clear that promotions will be based on objective and relevant measures of merit, taking into account the operational needs and requirements of the RCMP;
10 (d) communicate that persons working within the RCMP will also be evaluated, in part, based on how respectfully and fairly they treat others in their workplace; and Currently, a member who fails to treat others fairly and respectfully or whose disrespectful behaviour has resulted in a code of conduct investigation may be ineligible for promotion, as determined by the conduct authority or the Delegated Manager of Human Resources. Further work to be commenced on this initative in 2018.
10 (e) continue to provide that the RCMP will evaluate and nominate individuals for awards and recognition using its established committee process. The RCMP understands that recognizing merit and achievement serves to create a positive work environment. The RCMP has a long-standing awards and recognition program. Current policies and procedures demonstrate that employee recognition is everyone’s responsibility, and encourage nominations for various formal, informal and external awards. Recipients can be any level or category of employee. A communications strategy focussed on employee recognition reinforces this to all employees. In January 2018, the RCMP moved from the Awards of Distinction (administered by the Mountie Shop) to the greater public service awards program called iBoutique. This new program has been well-received by employees to date.
11 The RCMP will take steps to strengthen and support anti-harassment training during Cadet Training Program (CTP). The RCMP recently enhanced the training for facilitators of the CTP by adding sessions on human rights, harassment, discrimination and bias awareness. The RCMP has included training scenarios and information in the CTP on how to deal with harassment in the workplace since 1994 with revisions being made on a regular basis as needed and the Acknowledgement of Professional Responsibilities document being added in 2014. The training scenarios were recently updated to include real incidents that have occurred in the workplace, and to allow for discussion on the correlation between power imbalances and harassment (particularly sexual harassment). An evaluation was conducted on the overall effectiveness of these training scenarios. The results indicated that cadets who completed the training had an accurate and comprehensive understanding of harassment; however, improvements to the training continue to be made to better help cadets understand how to deal with workplace conflict and harassment when the harasser is in a position of authority. This enhanced curriculum will be piloted to Troops by the end of June 2018.
12 The RCMP will provide mandatory training on harassment for all persons working within the RCMP in accordance with the current views on best practices. The RCMP is committed to enforcing the mandatory completion of the course. Completion of the course will be a consideration for any potential promotion or advancement in the RCMP. The mandatory Respectful Workplace course is currently being reviewed in support of Bill C-65 and its implications on harassment prevention. Relevant policy centres will provide the RCMP’s Learning and Development Branch with the list of required changes in 2018.
13 The RCMP commits to further developing the respectful workplace component in the supervisor and management development program, including training on inclusive leadership, accountability, and bias awareness training. Since its inception in 2012, the Executive/Officer Leadership Development Program (EODP) has included a module on the topic of “diversity and inclusion”, which was later updated as “inclusive leadership”. A section on GBA+ was added in June 2017. In April 2018, a module on “Being an Inclusive Leader and Supporting an Inclusive Workplace”, which includes sections on accountability and bias awareness, was incorporated into the Management Development Program (MDP). The content of the Supervisor Development Program (SDP) has been reviewed. The concept of inclusive leadership is currently threaded throughout the in-class modules and is regularly reinforced as a best practice in exercising effective supervision and becoming a respected leader. When the SDP is updated in 2019, a stand-alone module on inclusive leadership will be considered that is aligned to the content included in the MDP and EODP. A new Foundations of Leadership pilot training course has been created as the first level of our leadership training program. The course is anticipated to be delivered to regular members in Fall 2018. The content on inclusivity will allow employees to:

  • Build a common understanding of leadership best practices in the RCMP across diverse backgrounds and experiences;
  • Enhance bias awareness and professional responsibilities; and
  • Build relationships and have difficult conversations with those who hold backgrounds and views that are different from their own.
14 The RCMP will regularly review its harassment training in accordance with Treasury Board Policy and Directives, and applicable legislation and jurisprudence. The mandatory Respectful Workplace course is currently being reviewed in support of Bill C-65 and its implications on harassment prevention. Relevant policy centres will provide the RCMP’s Learning and Development Branch with the list of required changes in 2018.
15 The RCMP will establish and maintain, subject to the Public Service Labour Relations Act, SC 2003, c 22, s 2, including but not limited to the unfair labour practice provisions, and any applicable collective agreements:

  1. National Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee that will serve as an advice giving forum to the Commissioner or his or her delegate on matters involving issues of gender, sexual orientation, harassment, equity, and inclusivity;
  2. in each Division, a local Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee that will serve as an advice giving forum to the Commanding Officer of the Division or his or her delegate on matters described in (a); the relevant content of the advice received will be reported annually to the National Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee.
The RCMP developed and launched a process for employees to apply to participate on a Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee (GHAC). All committee members were selected by the Commissioner in 2017. Terms of Reference (ToRs) have been created for the National and Divisional GHACs. As per the terms of the settlement agreement, the ToRs outline:

  • the composition of the committee;
  • the role of the committee; and
  • the schedule of meetings.

The National GHAC was formed in 2017. The committee’s first meeting was held on April 5, 2018, and was chaired by Commissioner Brenda Lucki. Sixteen Divisional GHACs were also formed in 2017, and held their first meetings in early 2018. The GHACs will provide advice to the Commissioner and Commanding Officers matters related to gender, sexual orientation, harassment, equity and inclusivity. Guest speakers and advisors will be made available to committees as required. The recommendations that have been provided by the GHACs to date have been actioned by the committee secretariat. The specific recommendations and actions taken will be outlined in the committees’ annual reports and the RCMP’s response, which will be published in June of 2018.

16 The National Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee will be named by the Commissioner and will be composed of 8 to 12 individuals who will be 75% persons currently working within the RCMP who are reflective of the diverse composition of the RCMP and 25% RCMP managers. There will be a process established whereby persons currently working within the RCMP can put their name forward and be selected by the Commissioner to serve on the committee. The National Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee will meet at least annually, and whenever deemed necessary by the Committee, with the consent of the Commissioner or his or her delegate, and together with all other items for discussion, will receive and consider the reports of the Divisional Committees. The National Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee will issue a written Annual Report which will be publicly available. Minutes of meetings will not be made public subject to applicable laws which may require disclosure. The RCMP will provide a written Response to the Annual Report, which Response will be publicly available.
17 The Divisional Gender and Harassment Advisory Committees will be named by the Commanding Officer for the Divisions and will be composed of 8 individuals who will be 75% persons currently working within the RCMP who are reflective of the diverse composition of the Division, and 25% RCMP managers. There will be a process established whereby persons currently working within the RCMP can put their name forward and be selected by the Commissioner to serve on the committee. Meetings will be chaired by the Commanding Officer for the Division and will take place bi-annually. Division Gender and Harassment Advisory Committees will prepare a written Annual Report which will be publicly available and which will be provided, prior to its annual meeting, to the National Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee for its consideration. Minutes of meetings will not be made public subject to applicable laws which may require disclosure.
18 For further clarity, the National and Divisional Gender and Harassment Advisory Committees do not have authority to issue directives to the RCMP, but may give advice in the development of policy and practices on matters involving harassment, gender, sexual orientation, equity, and inclusivity. The Commissioner or his or her delegate will consider this advice; final decisions with respect to policy development and content lie with the RCMP. The Gender and Harassment Advisory Committees will not take on a public advocacy role. The RCMP will give written reasons for not adopting advice given by the Gender and Harassment Advisory Committees.
19 The role of the Gender and Harassment Advisory Committees is to act as vehicles through which the Commissioner and Commanding Officers are advised of developments with respect to workplace harassment.
20 The National Gender and Harassment Advisory Committee will have access to and obtain advice from one or more external experts on human resources and inclusive workplaces on an as needed basis within an annual budget set by the RCMP.