Articles of Interest

Committee Outreach - 2007 in Review

Monica Phillips
Counsel
February 2008

Every year, the Committee engages in a variety of types of communication and outreach activities. On a quarterly basis it publishes a newsletter Communiqué, it maintains a Website with summaries of all its Findings and Recommendations and it answers a variety of requests for information from both RCMP members and the general public.

Outreach in the form of direct communication with our stakeholders is one of the most useful forms of communication that the Committee undertakes. This provides us with an opportunity to engage in-person with members of the RCMP and other stakeholders.

The Committee engages in some kinds of direct outreach on a regular basis and some kinds on an extraordinary basis. For example, a regular form of outreach takes place when the Committee meets with the Professional Standards and External Review (PSER) function within the RCMP to ensure that both the Committee and PSER are kept current on issues such as changes in procedures. An example of a more extraordinary form of outreach took place in 2003 when the Committee participated in the RCMP training related to the new grievance system.

The 2007 calendar year was an extremely busy one for direct outreach, involving staff or the Chair of the Committee attending events from Kamloops, British Columbia to Sydney, Nova Scotia. It was also an interesting year, in that the Chair of the Committee made appearances before both the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Brown Task Force on Governance and Cultural Change in the RCMP. In addition, for the first time the Committee participated in training for newly appointed Adjudication Board members.

Below is a brief description of some of the various events and sessions that the Committee staff attended in 2007.

March - Sydney, Nova Scotia

Committee counsel participated in the training of newly selected Adjudication Board members. Two of the Committee's counsel attended and delivered a presentation on the Committee's work in general, and specifically on its review of disciplinary appeals. The training session was also an excellent opportunity to hear from both newly selected Adjudication Board members and the more experienced Adjudication Board members who were in attendance.

March - Indian Brook, Nova Scotia

Two Committee counsel visited the Indian Brook First Nation community. They toured the detachment building, were provided with information on the available resources and explanations on detachment procedures. While visiting the detachment, they also had a chance to engage the local RCMP members in discussion about policing in the community, as well as the Committee's role in review of grievances, discipline and discharge and demotion cases. After the detachment visit, they were provided with a tour of the community and surrounding area by a local RCMP member. This allowed them to gain valuable insight into the practical realities of policing in general and the multi-faceted aspect of First Nations police work.

March - Ottawa, Ontario

Committee legal and operational staff met with personnel from the Offices for the Coordination of Grievances (OCG) from the various regions during the OCG meeting at Headquarters. The discussion included a briefing on Committee procedures for dealing with grievances, information about OCG procedures and a discussion about various regulatory and administrative issues.

April - Kamloops, British Columbia

The Chair of the Committee was invited to speak at the Pacific Region, Staff Relations Representative (SRR), Sub-Representative conference. The Chair delivered a presentation regarding the work of the Committee, particularly as it relates to grievance review, including a question and answer session. The Chair also used the opportunity to attend other sessions to gain additional insight into current issues and concerns, from the SRR perspective.

September - Ottawa, Ontario

The Chair of the Committee, along with its Executive Director and Senior Counsel, appeared before the Task Force on Governance and Cultural Change in the RCMP. The Chair made a presentation, which included a brief overview of its structure and mandate and highlighted several key issues, including time limits in formal discipline; the fact that, although the Committee issues recommendations, these findings and recommendations are adjudicative and provide an exhaustive review of the file before it, and the need to maintain independence between the labour relations and public complaints functions. A full copy of the presentation is available on the Committee's Website at http://www.erc-cee.gc.ca/reports-rapports/other-autres/president-eng.aspx.

September - Ottawa, Ontario

The Chair of the Committee was invited to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP). PACP was hearing from stakeholders in relation to their study of the Auditor General's November 2006 audit of Pension and Insurance Administration in the RCMP. The Chair outlined the Committee's history, mandate, and current work and took questions from the PACP members.

October - Ottawa, Ontario

The Chair, the Executive Director and Senior Counsel, and two of the Committee counsel, attended the annual meeting of the newly elected Staff Relations Representatives. The event was an opportunity for the Committee to meet informally with the new SRRs and to offer some thoughts, particularly on current issues arising in grievances. In addition, the Committee heard general comments and concerns from the front lines.

October - Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Executive Director and Senior Counsel and one Committee counsel visited the Atlantic regional Office for the Coordination of Grievances (OCG). Also in attendance was the regional Level I Adjudicator and Level I grievance analyst. The visit provided an opportunity to discuss administrative issues arising from grievances and to hear from OCG and Level I Adjudicator with respect to general trends and emerging issues that they have observed.

November - Newmarket, Ontario

Committee counsel met with the Greater Toronto Area District Commander, at the Force's Newmarket Detachment. The meeting provided an opportunity to learn about the general operational nature of the work in this District, as well as overarching issues with regard to the structure, culture, and values of the Force. Counsel took the opportunity to discuss the Committee's mandate and key objectives, as well as his role with the Committee.

November - Ottawa, Ontario

The Chair was invited by the Designated Level II Adjudicator to speak with Level I Adjudicators. She attended this session with two Committee counsel. The Chair discussed key issues that frequently arise during the grievance process, including time limits, standing versus merits, extensions of time and fair disclosure. She also highlighted some recent Findings and Recommendations in which the Committee has addressed and clarified issues concerning these matters. The Level I Adjudicators also shared some of their thoughts and concerns about the topics discussed.

November - Stony Plain, Alberta

Two Committee counsel visited the Stoney Plain detachment. They toured the detachment facility, and received explanations on firearms, other protective equipment, and the police vehicle. After the tour, both had the opportunity to accompany a member in an RCMP vehicle for a "ride-along", providing an opportunity to get a sense of the front line work of RCMP members.

The ride-along provided very practical insight into the demands of policing, such as the difficulty in maintaining work/life balance, ensuring good community relations, and resource issues. Counsel were also impressed with the physical and technical demands of front line policing, particularly in large rural areas.

Conclusion

Many people were involved in making 2007 a successful year with respect to outreach. The Committee looks forward to its ongoing outreach in 2008 and thanks everyone who made the 2007 events so successful!