“Unquestionably, it was going to be highly dangerous. Yet I felt it was quite natural to jump at the task. After all, if you don’t like action and excitement, you don’t go into police work. And, what the hell, I figured, nobody lives forever!”.— Eliot Ness.I looked at the Western Standard headline, and I thought, my God, what in blazes are they doing?.It read: “No arrests, no updates nearly 40 days after Coastal GasLink attack.”.Why was I not surprised. Why..A bunch of eco-terrorists attacks a northern BC construction site, and 40 days later, the mighty RCMP has yet to lay a single charge..Remember Air India? That incredible debacle that murdered 329 people?.In June of 2021, RCMP E Division’s Senior Media Relations Officer Staff-Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said: “While the terrorist attack on the Air India flight took place over 36 years ago, we remain committed to holding those responsible accountable. Our commitment to the families of Air India victims has not changed.”.Right. I bet you do..And then we have Omar Khadr. Remember that? Remember the $10.5 million payout for damages from his illegal and immoral Guantanamo Bay incarceration?.We can thank the RCMP for that. Arresting Khadr at the request of US authorities. A disaster of monumental proportions..Then we have the tragic Tasering death of Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski in 2007, at Vancouver airport, at the hands of RCMP officers..Two of the four Mounties — Monty Robinson and Kwesi Millington — were convicted of perjury, and the other two were found not guilty..Dziekanski’s death, captured on video by bystanders, and the aftermath of the incident, has been the subject of over a dozen investigations over 13 years..Robert Pickton, anyone? A pig farmer and serial killer, believed to have killed dozens of women from Vancouver’s downtown Eastside..It took the RCMP 20 years to finally investigate the matter and raid his Port Coquitlam farm..I could go on, and on, and on. But what’s the point. I really don’t enjoy beating up the Mounties. It’s too easy, actually..Folks, the days of the Rat River Trapper are long over. Police work, detective work, crime lab work, has changed with the times..Unfortunately, I fear that the RCMP has not changed with it..As a veteran journo, with 40-plus years experience, I have run across a lot of people..People from all walks of life, including criminals..I recall when one of my sources told me: “Dave, we are really wondering where all the money is going, we really are.”.He said the Mounties had accomplished little or nothing, when it came to charges against organized crime figures in Alberta. Even they, were shocked at the incompetence of the RCMP organized crime branch..“Where is all the money going,” he said..That was years ago, but it made me think. Think hard..If the bad guys are puzzled, what about us?.Is it time that Canada establishes an FBI-style police force? An advanced agency of criminal investigation, specializing in law enforcement..Look, we all like the Mounties. We like the musical ride. We like the red serge uniforms and the great history of the force. .They have been great at rural policing and handling vehicle accidents, floods, wildfires and other emergency issues..They have always been there for us. But times have changed..And while the Mounties have had some success going after organized crime, it comes nowhere close to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), which has used the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to great effect..It would be fair to say, the Mob is on the run in the United States..Crime families in New York and Chicago, the longstanding centers of Mafia activity, have not been driven out of business, but many crime clans in the US are in disarray or on the verge of extinction, according to New York Times journalist and organized crime researcher Selwyn Raab..In Canada? Well, let’s just say it’s a field day for our mobster friends..According to Global News, British Columbia’s gaming regulator concluded Asian organized crime was becoming so powerful inside BC casinos after 2010 that it was too dangerous to investigate suspected drug-cash laundering estimated to reach about $200 million per year, the province’s inquiry into money laundering was told in 2021..From 2000-2016, Canada recorded 321 guilty verdicts in money-laundering cases, according to an analysis of data provided by Statistics Canada..Another roughly 809 cases were either stayed, withdrawn or dismissed, according to the data, resulting in a conviction rate of around 27%..“It’s scandalous,” said forensic accountant Matt McGuire, who previously worked for FINTRAC — Canada’s watchdog against money laundering. “It’s quite clear the system isn’t working. It’s mind-boggling.”.When it comes to being lenient on organized crime, one of the country’s leading experts on the mafia says Canada is the best country in the world, CBC News reported..Mafia expert Antonio Nicaso told CBC every major criminal organization has a branch in our country. .“And I think politicians should ask why criminals love Canada. And of course, they will realize that we are very lenient in terms of sentencing, in terms of the fight against organized crime,” he said..“Our country is one of the world’s most opaque jurisdiction when it comes to identifying the owner of private companies. Criminals love Canada because Canada allows them to invest and launder money.”.Is this entirely the fault of the RCMP? Frankly, I don’t think so. Those snakes in suits, who run things in Ottawa, also deserve some of the blame..There is only so much the RCMP can do, so much funding, so many resources, and they have a lot on their plate..So why the hell, don’t we do something about it?.Perhaps it is time that Canada establish an FBI-style, US law enforcement agency, to take on these big projects, and leave the Mounties to do the everyday heavy lifting of policing, which they do well..And I don’t mean a branch of the RCMP. It has to be entirely separate, with a completely different agenda, training and esprit de corps, and a higher level of professionalism..Much like the great Ian Fleming helped establish the Central Intelligence Agency, I think it’s time we swallow our pride and ask the Americans for help in going in this new direction..It is time we embrace the new age of criminal enforcement and take on those evil forces that are operating in our country..In the US, the FBI is the nation’s lead federal agency for investigating and preventing acts of domestic and international terrorism..It is also the lead federal agency for investigating attacks involving weapons of mass destruction — chemical, radiological, or biological agents — counterintelligence, cyber crime, public corruption, civil rights, organized crime/drugs, white-collar crime and violent crimes..It is staffed by a dedicated cadre of more than 30,000 agents, analysts, and other professionals who work around the clock and across the globe. .And God forbid, we put that agency in Ottawa, where it will be the same as all the rest. In fact, a healthy rivalry with the RCMP would be the best thing that ever happened..For once, just once, let’s do the right thing in this country..Let’s go after the foreign gangs, the biker gangs, the Camorra, the ‘Ndrangheta. And if we don’t have the RICO legislation, let’s pass it..The FBI is one of the most effective crime-solving entities in the world, a place where the best and brightest want to work..It’s effective because of its structure, history, technology and talented professionals. Its motto, “Fidelity, bravery and integrity.”.We can do this, folks. We can do this..Dave Makichuk is a Western Standard contributor. .PTacitus27@gmail.com
