Public confidence in RCMP shaken in B.C.: poll

By CHAD SKELTON, Vancouver Sun

 

Public confidence in the RCMP's integrity, honesty and professionalism has plummeted among B.C. residents in the past three years, according to surveys commissioned by the force itself.

 

And those same surveys show the RCMP's reputation for honesty has also taken a beating among the other agencies it works with.

 

Since 2003, the RCMP has been conducting surveys of the public, contract policing clients and "stakeholders" to get feedback about the kind of job it's doing.

 

Two of the many questions the survey asks are whether "the RCMP is an organization with integrity and honesty" and if "the RCMP demonstrates professionalism in its work".

 

For years, B.C. residents gave the RCMP high marks, with roughly nine in 10 residents agreeing with both statements.

 

But starting in 2007, the year Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski was Tasered by RCMP members and died, those figures started to drop - and fast.

 

Between 2006 and 2009, the share of B.C. residents who felt the RCMP demonstrated professionalism dropped from 94 per cent to 74 per cent. And those with confidence in the force's integrity and honesty went from 91 per cent to 69 per cent.

 

The survey found a similar drop among the RCMP's B.C. "stakeholders"- a group that includes agencies it works with, such as government departments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.

 

Since 2006, the share of B.C. stakeholders who agree the Mounties have integrity and honesty has dropped from 86 per cent to 69 per cent.

 

And confidence in the force's professionalism has dropped from 86 per cent to 68 per cent.

 

The only B.C. group surveyed not to show a dramatic drop in confidence was the RCMP's contract policing clients, such as B.C. mayors and councillors. Their view of the force's honesty and integrity remained flat at 72 per cent. And their opinion of the force's professionalism actually went up slightly, from 78 per cent to 87 per cent.

 

RCMP spokesman Insp. Tim Shields said the force is concerned by the survey results.

 

"If the public doesn't trust the police, people won't come forward as witnesses, they won't participate in investigations, they won't report crimes," he said. "Without trust, we cannot do our job."

 

Asked how the force hopes to turn its image around, Shields pointed to the recent RCMP news conference with Dziekanski's mother, Zofia Cisowski, announcing a settlement of her lawsuit against the force and changes to the force's Taser policies.

 

"We are doing everything we can to demonstrate accountability to the public. And that includes admitting our mistakes publicly ... and an explanation of what we're doing to correct the problem," he said.

 

The Vancouver Sun obtained the survey data through an Access to Information request.

 

The RCMP later informed The Sun it posts the survey data on its website. However, the figures are not displayed prominently on the website and the B.C. figures have not previously been reported.

 

The survey indicates public support for the Mounties is down nationally, too, but not nearly as badly - dropping from 91 per cent to 81 per cent on the question of honesty and integrity and from 93 per cent to 85 per cent on professionalism.

 

While B.C. residents' trust in the Mounties appears shaken, the survey showed those who actually had contact with the force were generally happy with the experience. Nine out of 10 B.C. residents surveyed who had dealings with the RCMP said the person they interacted with acted professionally, was courteous and respectful and treated them fairly.

 

The RCMP's 2009 public survey, conducted last summer, involved nearly 7,000 people, including about 450 from B.C.

 

With that many respondents, the margin of error for the B.C. figures is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The number of B.C. stakeholders and contract policing clients surveyed was much smaller, with about 50 of each surveyed.

 

cskelton@vancouversun.com