More than 400 RCMP members faced misconduct allegations in 2024, with five per cent of cases leading to dismissal or forced resignations, according to data released by the national police force.
Ten additional cases resulted in demotions after an internal review of the alleged misconduct, a doubling of the annual numbers seen in 2022 and 2023. The rate of dismissals or those who were “directed to resign” also saw a five-fold increase from the year before.
“This trend indicates a movement towards more serious disciplinary outcomes, aligning with the RCMP’s emphasis on accountability and proportionate responses to misconduct,” the 2024 report on the RCMP conduct review process said.
The data was quietly posted online on Jan. 21 and marks the fifth such annual report from the RCMP.
It shows that in 2024, there were 443 cases of alleged misconduct opened against 408 RCMP members, which includes both officers and civilian employees.
The number of cases marks a return to the number logged in 2020 after dropping below 400 between 2021 and 2023, which the report attributes in part to remote and hybrid work policies that kept many Canadians home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“This level is consistent with pre-pandemic volumes suggesting that the dip observed between 2021 and 2023 was temporary and tied to pandemic-related disturbance rather than structural or legislative change,” the report says.
The report does not detail what the alleged misconduct cases involved.
Of the 443 misconduct cases opened in 2024, 32 per cent involved “discernible conduct,” which the report defines as including “improper posts on social media, sexual misconduct and Criminal Code offences.” Twenty-two per cent of cases involved “respect and courtesy” violations, while three per cent involved allegations of improper use of force.
Out of the 408 RCMP members who faced misconduct allegations — which the report notes represents less than two per cent of the total workforce — 61 per cent were constables, while 17 per cent were corporals. Just three per cent were civilian members, like administrators and 911 call dispatchers.
According to the report, it was common for members facing misconduct cases to be suspended with pay or temporarily reassigned during an investigation into the claims.
Only two cases saw members face a stop in pay and allowances as an interim measure, which the report noted was due to “exceptional circumstances.”
Nearly 30 per cent of misconduct cases ended with the accused member facing “remedial” measures, like mandatory special training and additional supervision — a drop from 51 per cent in 2023.
The number of cases that resulted in “corrective” measures, like deferred promotions, meanwhile, rose from 34 per cent in 2023 to 42 per cent in 2024.
“Serious” outcomes like demotions and ineligibility for promotions also increased from 14 per cent in 2023 to 24 per cent the following year, while five per cent of cases resulted in dismissals and forced resignations, up from one per cent the year before.
The report does not say if any of the decisions were overturned on appeal, which RCMP members have the right to pursue through the independent external review committee.
It says the RCMP would take “further action” in 2025 “to assess and improve how serious misconduct is addressed and communicated,” including through additional reviews of the conduct investigation process.
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