Highlights: review of how RCMP handles harassment claims pulls no punches

— As it is currently set up, the Office for the Co-ordination of Harassment Complaints has a useful but limited role.

— Complaints are often handled badly, with poorly trained decision-makers using the wrong legal tests and looking at irrelevant and prejudicial considerations, which may result in complaints being dismissed as unfounded.

— Civilian experts should be recruited at senior levels of human resources and labour relations.

— The governance structure within the RCMP should be modernized to bring in civilian governance and/or oversight and to enhance accountability.

— The RCMP should adopt a simplified definition of harassment in its policies, following the approach adopted by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and other Canadian jurisdictions, to facilitate the investigation and resolution of valid complaints.

— Policies and procedures should be revised to give divisional commanding officers the discretion to screen complaints to determine if a prima facie case of harassment has been made out, applying an appropriately broad and simplified definition of harassment.

— The force should hire skilled, competent and dedicated administrative investigators (not uniformed members), who are independent of the chain of command, to conduct harassment investigations.

(Source: Report into Workplace Harassment in the RCMP, Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP)

The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Highlights: review of how RCMP handles harassment claims pulls no punches

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