Steve;
Hopefully this finds you and yours well this December morning sir. Thanks for the video link and reminder to those who haven't been watching this case unfold.
I've got to believe - based upon many conversations with both current and retired members of the RCMP plus as many conversations with friends in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Abbottsford PDs - that the RCMP constables were acting on orders from further up the chain of command.
It's how the RCMP function day in and day out - more like the para-military police that they are - than say the individual constables in Vancouver PD or any other that I've mentioned.
Anyway, for me it puts a sharp emphasis on the problem we've got both within our national policing agency and our perception of them as Canadians.
They need to get onto some house cleaning, changes in how they interact with the communities they are policing and how we view them.
The RCMP need to do it now too, as I fear that many folks' minds are being changed as to how they will choose to cooperate with the individual officers in the future.
In my view and experience, any policing body can not effectively perform their duties without positive interaction within the community they are working in.
The RCMP need only to look back into how things were in the '70's policing Native communities to see how well that didn't always work.
Anyway Steve, I'm not remotely suggesting we should give up on them - particularly as individual constables - but yes, they need some housecleaning and a tuneup for sure.
Merry Christmas to you and yours Steve.
Regards,
Dwayne
