Sask. politicians united in opposition to recommendation that RCMP change training model

The inquiry into the 2020 killing of 22 people in Nova Scotia has released a blistering report denouncing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's conduct, and it may have implications for Saskatchewan. 

For nearly 140 years, all prospective members of the RCMP have been required to go through six months of training at Depot in Regina.

One of the recommendations in the more-than-3,000-page report released on Thursday is that the Mounties should phase out that model by 2032. The commission recommends replacing it with a three-year degree-based education model for all police services in Canada.

The commission proposes that campuses should be spread throughout nation, with at least one located in the Atlantic region and one in northern Canada. 

It would be a significant departure from tradition, and one that was not warmly received by the provincial government and Saskatchewan's Opposition on Thursday. 

"You know we've been a very strong supporter not only of Depot here in Regina, but the RCMP in general in adding officers into our communities across the province," said Premier Scott Moe. 

Moe added that he would like to review the report, which had just been released at the time of the comments, before responding to its recommendations further. 

Saskatchewan Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck said any potential change was "deeply concerning," not just as an MLA for Regina, but as someone who is very proud of the "tradition of the RCMP in this province."

"This is a big deal and those jobs, that tradition, matters to the city, matters to this province," she said. "I would like to see all levels of government work together to express those concerns and look for solutions to not lose Depot here from Regina."

The fifth volume of the Mass Casualty Commission's (MCC) report examines the issues found in policing during its research and interviews about the mass killing, as well as a wealth of previous reports and studies. 

It concluded that the RCMP's approach to recruiting and training produces a cultural aversion to improving itself through new ideas and critical thought. 

"The Depot model of police training is inadequate to prepare RCMP members for the complex demands of contemporary policing," the report reads.

The report found the training at Depot is meant to break a candidate down and rebuild them in the mould of an RCMP officer.

While that may be part of an effort to instill a unified morale, the report concludes it may actually be creating a toxic culture and environment, according to a multitude of previous reports and studies.