How the RCMP says it has changed since the Nova Scotia mass shooting

The federal government has laid out a series of "missteps" by the RCMP that have been corrected since the Nova Scotia mass shooting in April 2020.

They are outlined in a final submission to the inquiry examining the tragedy and were released to the public on Thursday. The commission's hearings ended in September.

Lori Ward, a lawyer representing the Attorney General of Canada, outlines several policy changes in her final submissions to the Mass Casualty Commission. They include better communication with the public and other emergency responders, properly canvassing crime scenes and supplying front-line Mounties with night-vision equipment.

The RCMP's actions have been scrutinized since the tragedy of April 18-19, 2020, when a lone gunman masquerading as a police officer killed 22 people, including a pregnant woman, in five rural communities over a period of 13 hours. 

When it comes to public communication, Ward said there is "clearly much to be learned."

"There were missteps in communications to the public with respect to the initial incident as well as the replica RCMP car," she said.

Ward said the first tweet from RCMP on the night of April 18 said police were responding to a firearms complaint, and "did not convey the gravity of the situation." 

She said internal confusion over who needed to approve messages also didn't help, particularly when the photo of the replica cruiser being driven by the gunman was delayed for hours. 

"The evidence highlights the need for creating a better process for communicating with the public during a critical incident."

Ward said a strategic communications person will now be embedded within the command post during a critical incident, ensuring the "release of timely and detailed information to the public."

Internal communication between officers were also highlighted during the inquiry, including the fact key messages were lost over the police radio.

For example, the wife of a man who was shot in Portapique told Const. Vicki Colford there was a possible back road out of the community along a blueberry field. Colford communicated that detail over the radio, but no one heard her. 

The gunman escaped on that road around 10:45 p.m.

"The RCMP has taken note of these shortcomings and is making changes to improve communications to avoid any loss or delay of the sharing of information during a critical incident," writes Ward.