RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki retires today, with no successor in sight

Today is RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki's last day on the job — and there's still no official word on her replacement.

While her time in the post saw her navigate some profound challenges, some former RCMP employees say a lot of those challenges will still be around when the 25th commissioner eventually takes office.

"They are doomed," said Eli Sopow, a former civilian member who served for 20 years on research and analysis teams.

"It doesn't matter who you put in, because the structure is all broken. It's like one of those Escher drawings where you see stairways going all over the place ... That's the RCMP."

Lucki was the RCMP's first permanent female commissioner. She followed in the footsteps of Bev Busson, now a senator, who served as interim commissioner.

When she was appointed in 2018, Lucki was tasked with modernizing a police force in the grips of a sexual assault and harassment scandal.

"She was given an impossible task," said Karen Adams, one of the first women to don the red serge after the force allowed women to serve back in 1974.

The RCMP was forced to compensate more than 2,300 women who experienced sexual harassment or abuse — including instances of rape — and discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation while serving in the RCMP. In all, $125,266,500 was paid to claimants and their lawyers.

Adams was one of those claimants.

She said she had no idea what she was getting into when, at age 22, she joined the first graduating troop of women.

"I was interested in helping people," she said.

"I was so naive … I don't think any of us were prepared for what was coming our way, to be honest."

Adams, who has written a book abut her time in the force, has said she was raped by her supervisor. She said she was too afraid to report it and instead suppressed the experience, which left her to suffer from PTSD.

Adams would go on to have a 28-year career in the RCMP. She worked alongside Lucki when they were both corporals