Canada is a criminal hotbed and the Mounties can’t handle it
Dec 4, 2023
auto_awesome
Discussion on the broken RCMP and its inability to investigate serious crimes like money laundering, narcotics, and terrorism. The speaker, a former RCMP officer, highlights the neglect and dysfunction of the police force, leaving Canada unprepared against transnational criminals. The chapter explores issues with headquarters management, political interference, the politicization of policing, and lack of expertise in federal policing. It suggests restructuring the RCMP and establishing a new organization for a comprehensive overhaul of Canada's federal policing system.
39:32
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
The RCMP's focus on being both a local and national police force hinders their ability to effectively tackle organized crime, white-collar criminals, and transnational criminal organizations operating in Canada.
The structure of the RCMP, with the Commissioner reporting directly to the Minister of Public Safety, compromises the organization's independence, highlighting the need for an independent police service board to ensure operational autonomy and reduce political interference.
Deep dives
The Need for Restructuring the RCMP
The podcast discusses the need to restructure the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and focuses on the issues of the organization being both a local and national police force. The guest speaker, Gary Clement, highlights that the RCMP tries to be all things to all people, but this approach is impeding their ability to effectively tackle organized crime, white-collar criminals, and transnational criminal organizations operating in Canada. The speaker emphasizes that expertise is a major issue within the RCMP, as there has been an erosion of the necessary skills and resources needed to combat complex crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking, and cybercrime. The lack of focus on federal policing has resulted in an erosion of federal investigative capabilities, leading to a lack of enforcement against transnational organized crime. The podcast asserts that a change is needed, suggesting that federal policing should be separated from the RCMP and established as an independent organization with a specific focus on crime at the national and international levels.
Political Interference and Lack of Independence
The podcast highlights the issue of political interference and lack of independence within the RCMP. The speaker points out that the Commissioner of the RCMP, as a deputy minister in the government, reports directly to the Minister of Public Safety, which compromises the independence of the organization. The speaker argues that an independent police service board, similar to the Toronto Police, should be established to ensure operational independence while maintaining accountability through administrative oversight. The speaker highlights specific cases, such as the mishandling of intelligence probes on organized crime infiltration from China, as examples of political interference undermining effective investigations. The speaker calls for a change in the structure of the RCMP to reduce political interference, provide operational autonomy, and enhance effective law enforcement.
The Need for Expertise and Resource Allocation
The podcast emphasizes the need for expertise and proper resource allocation within the RCMP. The guest speaker highlights the significant erosion in federal policing capabilities over the years, resulting in a lack of skilled investigators and long-term expertise in areas such as money laundering, transnational organized crime, and drug trafficking. The speaker mentions that resources and personnel have been redirected to contract policing, which has adversely impacted federal policing efforts. The low number of money laundering investigators, for instance, is a cause for concern and affects the ability to effectively combat financial crimes. The podcast suggests that investing in highly trained personnel and establishing specialized units with prosecutors embedded within them would enhance investigative abilities and enable quicker and more successful outcomes in combating complex crimes.
Addressing Long-Term Issues and Urgent Action
The podcast calls for addressing long-term issues and taking urgent action to combat the challenges faced by the RCMP. The guest speaker emphasizes the need for a full gap analysis, including legislative loopholes, to identify and rectify gaps in the system. The podcast highlights the immediate crisis caused by issues such as the fentanyl epidemic and the increasing strain on healthcare systems due to drug-related overdoses. The speaker suggests that federal and provincial governments need to prioritize this issue and allocate sufficient resources to policing and justice systems to effectively combat organized crime and ensure public safety. The podcast concludes by urging politicians and the public to recognize the magnitude of the problem and work collectively to implement necessary changes for a better future.
It’s no secret the RCMP is broken. But as Garry Clement discusses with Brian this week, the force’s inability to investigate serious national crimes — money laundering, narcotics, organized crime, Chinese interference, terrorism and more — is turning Canada into a haven for lawlessness. And innocent people are paying for it with their lives. Clement served in the force for 30 years, from undercover to senior roles. In his new book, Under Cover: Inside the Shady World of Organized Crime and the RCMP, Clement explains how the neglect and dysfunction of the storied police force has left Canada utterly unprepared to combat the sophistication of today’s transnational criminals. (Recorded November 16, 2023)
