Murphy’s Logic: RCMP shows self-interest over public interest once again

The Nova Scotia Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) was far from perfect in its mandate, structure and approach but its final report is impressive.

Sweeping in scope, it skillfully combines insightful and empathetic analysis of what happened and why, with blistering criticism of the police response.

The widely held expectation was that the commissioners would come down on the soft side, offering nothing but sympathy and excuses. People spoke of the likelihood of a whitewash or cover-up of well-evidenced police incompetence.

We need not have worried. The commissioners pulled no punches. They essentially concluded the frontline Mounties did their jobs heroically, while their leaders failed at practically every opportunity.

The commissioners took 3,000 pages to detail their findings, but it’s all summarized in an easily readable 317-page executive summary.

Predictably, the acting commissioner of the RCMP and the commander of Nova Scotia H Division were asked to respond to the report, which they’d been given a day ahead of time. Their response, neither had read the report. They hadn’t had time. They were busy touring the crime scenes.

I can accept that they might not have had time to read 3,000 pages. But 300 is not a difficult read. They could have and should have made time. I believe they chose not to read it so they could avoid answering specific questions. Whatever the reason for their decision it was wrong and it was disrespectful to the victims' families and the public.

Regrettably and ironically, it also confirms the MCC’s most basic and important finding: the people running the RCMP put the RCMP first.

It also validates the commission’s recommendations that government put the RCMP in its proper place: in the service of the public interest.