Allegations of political interference in the investigation of the mass shooting in Nova Scotia highlight continuing problems with politicization of the RCMP, say former Mounties.Rob Creasser was an RCMP officer in British Columbia from 1981 to 2010 and helped spearhead efforts to form the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada (MPPAC). In an interview with Western Standard, Creasser said the revelations are only the latest indication of continuing problems.“What I would gently call dysfunction within the organization — that hasn't changed, despite me being out for now, over a decade,” Creasser said.“We've seen recently, over the Trudeau years, much more focus on the relationship between police and indigenous peoples. We've also seen a more feminist approach — again, because the Trudeau Government felt it was important. This is why I think we have a female commissioner,” Creaser said.Creaser says this political emphasis has piled extensive protocols on officers who handle domestic disputes.“Typically, you have to ensure the ongoing safety, you have to search for firearms. A 10-minute call and response to a call turns into a four-hour investigation because now you have to do background checks if there's weapons. You have to get a search warrant and possibly seize weapons,” Creaser said.“With indigenous peoples…there's more complications in terms of what operational forms you have to fill out. You have to ensure that there's cultural understanding, more training about indigenous history and how to deal with indigenous peoples. I'm not so sure you would have had that under a different government.”In June 10, 2020, Lucki waffled on whether there was “systemic racism” within the RCMP, saying she was “struggling with the definition of systemic racism.” But on June 11, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told CTV News, "Systemic racism is an issue right across the country, in all our institutions, including in all our police forces, including in the RCMP.”The next day, Lucki mirrored Trudeau’s words in a statement, saying, “systemic racism is part of every institution, the RCMP included.”Creaser said Lucki’s statement lowered morale in the service.“Oh, it was demoralizing. Absolutely demoralizing. I'm not saying the RCMP is without having racists in its ranks. It does, just like every other profession, including journalism, doctors, lawyers, there's racists out there. And they don't necessarily focus in one particular occupational group. But yeah, to have her say that our system is systemically racist was a kick in the teeth.”Andrew Brooke, a retired Mountie whose career began in 1980, also noted Lucki’s shifting convictions.“Within 24 hours, she seemed to flip-flop on that. She seemed very wishy-washy on knowing how to answer, then she basically took the knee to the government's position, and said, yeah, there's systemic racism in the force. And I take issue with that. Personally, I do not believe there is,” Brooke said in an interview with Western Standard.“I've spoken to members who do know Commissioner Lucki. The view out there from those I've spoken to is that she is not equipped for the job. She's out of her league. [To the public] she's seen as a diversity hire. I know actually that there were other people that declined the position, other women that did that were very competent.”In February, the Mass Casualty Commission subpoenaed notes from officers involved in the Nova Scotia event. The Department of Justice’s initial response withheld four pages of notes by Superintendent Darren Campbell in an April 28, 2020 conference call that included Lucki. The DoJ told Epoch Times the final four pages weren’t disclosed until May 31 this year due to deliberations on whether the contents were “privileged.” According Campbell’s notes, Lucki stated that “she had promised the Minister of Public Safety and the Prime Minister’s Office” that details about the firearms used by the killer would be released and “that this was tied to pending gun control legislation that would make officers and public safer by or through this legislation.”Brooke, who has training as a forensic interviewer, finds Campbell credible and on the right side of proper police conduct.“Everything is raw at that point. While the shooter may be dead, you have a criminal investigation. So you can't take the view that, well, I'm not going anywhere, not going to court, you don't know that. You don't know who else was involved in this. You need to do everything correctly, because you don't get a chance to do a do over in a case like this. And if there's something that's going to jeopardize the investigation potentially, you don't do that.”In a press conference following the release of Campbell’s notes, Prime Minister Trudeau said, “We did not put any undue influence or pressure…it is only police that determine what and when to release information.” But Brooke likens the scandal to a “brush fire” or a “snowball rolling down the mountain slash avalanche” that will cost Lucki her job.“I don't think she I don't think she escapes this. I think they will ask for her resignation,” Brooke said.“They're gonna have to throw somebody under the bus. Clearly she's gonna be the first one to go. This is gaining momentum.”
