Nunavut RCMP complaint process takes too long, doesn't work properly: watchdog

The RCMP in Nunavut take too long to handle public complaints against the police and don't have the right training to deal with them, according to a report from the force's watchdog. 

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) of the RCMP released its findings Thursday of an investigation into how Nunavut RCMP handled complaints made against them through the commission's process. 

The report looked at complaints made between April 1, 2018, and March 31, 2022. It reviewed policies, procedures and guidelines, training, compliance and public perception.

There were 75 public complaints against the RCMP in Nunavut over those four years — a small number, according to the CRCC. 

"The low number of complaints in Nunavut over the four-year review period may be due to either a lack of trust in the system, which may particularly be the case for Inuit communities, or a lack of awareness, or both," the report said. 

It found some investigations took three to five years to complete. 

Some investigations were also not initiated by the RCMP for nearly two years, resulting in some people withdrawing their complaints. 

Nearly two-third of complaints were withdrawn or never resolved at all. 

The report makes several recommendations and findings to the Nunavut RCMP to improve its handling of the complaint process. RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme responded to those in a separate report. 

The CRCC recommended the RCMP make training on the complaint process mandatory and update and increase knowledge of the national policy. 

It also recommended the Nunavut RCMP develop its own public complaint policy "that is adapted to the realities of policing in Nunavut."

It also wants the RCMP to update its national public complaint policy. 

The CRCC and the Nunavut RCMP also need to improve awareness and accountability of the public complaints system, it said. 

It also found the RCMP's national complaints policy "unclear and too long." The RCMP also doesn't require oversight to monitor whether the policy is effective.