RCMP Veterans’ Association ‘disappointed’ in leaders failure to support Mounties

OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) — As more top RCMP officers admit systemic racism exists within the institution, the RCMP Veterans’ Association says the generalization is “unfair.”

In a release, Saturday, Association President Sandy Glenn says there are what the association calls “anomalies” in the national police force, but says it does not believe racism is systemic in the RCMP or any other Canadian police agency.

“The anomalies are not the rule, and to paint the entire organization with the same brush is to deny the dramatic role that the Force has played in the establishment of this country and in continuing over many years to ensure peace in Canada for all our citizens,” writes Sandy. “Not some of our citizens – all of our citizens regardless of race, creed, colour or gender.”

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Sandy’s statement comes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki admitted systemic racism exists in the RCMP, something Sandy seems to take issue with.

“It is the job of that senior executive to support and, if necessary, guide the nation’s federal agencies of which the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is an integral one,” he says. “It is not the task of that senior executive to denigrate all the members of a particular organization numbering in excess of 30,000 individuals.”

He goes on to deny the existence of systemic racism in the RCMP or any other Canadian police agency, saying while officers may have biases, race is “not necessarily” the basis of those biases.

He writes, “There are Members who, after far too many similar situations find their frustration overcoming their normal restraint. Unfortunately, this, sometimes, is a consequence of excessive exposure to difficult situations. A Member who is overstressed by the personal workload caused by personnel shortages or frustrations from witnessing all too frequent anti-social behaviour from individuals or from within a specific neighborhood may reach the end of the ability to tolerate these events. Yes, these frustrations can cause overreactions where the amount of force is not warranted but the root cause is not “systemic” racism.”

Earlier this week, Alberta’s Deputy RCMP Commissioner, Curtis Zablocki, denied the existence of racism in the RCMP. After fierce criticism, he eventually back-tracked, and vowed to “eliminate system racism in his organization”.