FROM “KING” TO PATHETIC PAWN

pg.16

Former RCMP Commissioner proves, once again, he is out of touch with policing realities.

By David Griffin, Executive Officer, Canadian Police Association

In his letter to Prime Minister Harper on December 6, 2006, former RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli tendered his resignation, with “regret and sadness”, noting his testimony before the House of Commons Committee investigating the Arar affair, and subsequent attempt to “set the record straight” had created controversy which “makes it increasingly difficult for me and for the institution to fulfill its responsibilities to the Canadian people.”

Despite the controversy and disgrace which marked his resignation, King Zac, as he was known by many, weathered the storm very well, and landed a lucrative job through the old boys network. Interviewed 20 months later by CBC news anchor Peter Mansbridge, Mr. Mansbridge noted that “Giuliano Zaccardelli looks at home in Lyon, France, comfortable with his RCMP pension and secure in his new job as a senior officer at Interpol, the international police agency.”

Not a bad landing indeed; the buck continues to roll for King Zac, so to speak. But not satisfied with his well padded exile, Mr. Zaccardelli seized the opportunity of the CBC interview to once again try to distance himself, and his senior RCMP cronies, for responsibility in the Arar affair. Not really a surprise, considering the man for what he is.

After all, Zaccardelli was also at the centre of another scandal, surrounding the mismanagement of the RCMP pension and insurance plans, which resulted in no fewer than 7 investigations including the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, who found that there was a culture of fear and mistrust created by RCMP senior management.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day launched an independent investigation, lead by Mr. David Brown, Q.C,, who found that Zaccardelli’s “autocratic” leadership set a “tone at the top” that encouraged similar behavior among his management team. Brown concluded that this was fundamentally damaging to the culture of the RCMP, noting the incidents he reported on lent credibility to assertions that under Zaccardelli’s rule, the RCMP had a “poisoned work environment”, “abusive work environment”, and “culture of entitlement at the top”.

Brown observed that surveys of RCMP members “showed that those in higher ranks had become more satisfied with their jobs while job satisfaction of those in the lower ranks had deteriorated significantly.”

Indeed, Zaccardelli was known for his regal spending habits during his reign. In 2002 the Canadian Taxpayer Federation made him one of the nominees for “Teddies”, which are awarded annually to a public office holder, civil servant, department or agency, that most exemplifies government waste, overspending, over-taxation, excessive regulation, lack of accountability, or any combination of the five.

Zaccardelli was nominated for, “Most Original Use of Leather in Public Service”, “for spending $1,064 on ceremonial leather riding boots and $180,000 on executive office renovations including $30,000 on leather furniture and $42,000 in bathroom upgrades.”

What was the surprising, and certainly disappointing aspect of the CBC interview, was that the exiled King went on to suggest that Canadian police should stop using Conducted Energy Devices, or “Tasers” as he and Mr. Mansbridge described them:

“I think we should stop using it. You know, a lot of people are going to say, oh, here he is, former commissioner and so on, why is he taking this position now. The unions will be aghast that I’m taking this position and criticize me and so on. You’ll have... I guarantee you, you’ll have ministers and high officials that will be scared to take on the unions because the unions run policing in a lot of ways in Canada, and there will be a lot of resistance, but look at the facts. Look at the damage that the misuse of the Taser has done to the police perception and to the whole notion that the police is part of the community, and when people start seeing images, you know, that are not very nice or getting told about situations where people are being abused by this, I think it’s time to revisit this, and I think the time has come to take that away from us or at least put a moratorium for several years on it so that we can see the difference.”

Apparently, for Zac, who can’t remember if he even approved the “taser”, concerns over public perception are more important than officer safety. As if video of someone being “tasered” is any more disturbing than watching other use of force options being deployed, including physical restraint, batons, or firearms. And to suggest that police associations, or “unions” as Zaccardelli would refer to us, are running police forces in Canada, in particular the RCMP, is laughable. As King Zac knows all too well, RCMP members who have had the courage to try to bring an association into the RCMP or to speak publicly about concerns within the RCMP, have been the subject of gag orders, threats of discipline, and/or disciplinary action.

The RCMP would look considerably different if in fact police associations had the type of influence that Mr. Zaccardelli describes, starting with the right to even form an association within the RCMP.

The ivory towers of RCMP HQ would not be adorned with Italian marble and leather while rank and file members are left without adequate staff, training, back-up, equipment and support.

Instead of new corporate jets, the RCMP would purchase security cameras for all of their detachments and cell areas, to provide a video record of dealings with prisoners, instead of leaving members to defend themselves when allegations occur. A murdered RCMP member’s widow would not feel compelled to call for revisions to force policy which left officers in remote detachments without back-up when responding to dangerous calls.

Victims of sexual harassment within the RCMP would not be forced to seek redress through civil court actions. Junior officers who reported irregularities to commanders concerning abuses with monies in their pension and insurance plans, would not be subject to threats, intimidation, and transfer.

The RCMP would not have exhausted legal appeals to try to prevent, unsuccessfully, the RCMP’s prosecution under the Canada Labour Code following the death of one of their members.

Indeed, if police associations had as much power as King Zac suggests, he would have certainly been held accountable for his entire reign in office, and not just his final act.

http://www.cbupub.com/express/73_eng/73_eng.pdf