As Canada's RCMP marks 150th anniversary, a look at what it says needs to change
CTV
After years of reports and allegations detailing a 'toxic' workplace, Canada's RCMP says it is trying to evolve, focusing on diversity in its organization and repairing relationships with communities as it marks its 150th anniversary.
As the RCMP marks a major milestone, questions linger over the legacy of Canada's paramilitary police force, and how it fits into modern-day policing.
In its 150 years, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has grown from 300 employees to 30,000, and evolved from a northern policing agency into a country-wide organization.
The agency has jurisdiction over 22 per cent of Canada's population and works to prevent crime, enforce the law, investigate offences and assist with emergency situations. Currently, Ontario, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador are the only provinces in Canada that don't use the RCMP as a provincial police force.
On top of the local and provincial policing the RCMP does, it also has a mandate to support the international community through police training and peacekeeping, as well as providing protective details for high-profile officials, including the prime minister.
As the RCMP navigates the 21st century and the changing demographics of the Canadian population, the goals and upcoming initiatives of the RCMP are crucial to understanding how it will evolve.
"We're tackling head-on the issues that have been raised," Nadine Huggins, chief human resources officer, told CTVNews.ca in a recent interview.
"We're acknowledging the complexity of our history, and laying the foundation for us to ensure that legacy of the next 150 (years) is about modern, inclusive, respectful, dignified policing."
