Bob Paulson says he doesn't want racists inside RCMP ranks

RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson conceded before a group of First Nations leaders on Wednesday that there are racists inside his police force, a surprisingadmission welcomed by indigenous people, who say it is key to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women.

"I understand that there are racists in my police force. I don't want them to be in my police force," Paulson saidto chiefs and otherFirst Nations delegates gathered in Gatineau, Que., for an annual three-day meetingorganized by the Assembly of First Nations.

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Paulson's candidresponse cameafter aFirst Nations chief confronted thetop Mountie publicly, urging him to address racism within the force.

"We encounter racism every single day,"saidGrand Chief Doug Kelly,leader of the Sto:lo Tribal Council in British Columbia."Some of the worst racists carry a gun and they carry a badgeauthorized by you, Commissioner Paulson, to do the work."

"We need you to confront racism inthe ranks," Kelly said.

The exchange between the two men came a day afterthe federal government announced thefirst phase in a process that would see a national public inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women launched by next spring.

Paulson said the RCMP Act,which was updated for the first time in 30 years during thelast Parliament,gives him and other commandingofficers the authorityto handle matters of discipline in a "very decisive" manner.

Canada's top Mountie saidFirst Nationscommunities, many of which are policed by the RCMP, could evencall him directly to report racist officers.

"I would encourage you all, though, to have confidence in the processes that exist, up to and includingcalling me if you are having a problem with a racist in your jurisdiction or any other problem.

"We have elaborate systems to bringaccountability to those people thatare trusted,and in some casesnot trusted but who are in power to deliver policing services," Paulson said.

Tackling racism key to a public inquiry

Dawn Lavell-Harvard, the president of the Native Women's Association of Canada, said Paulson's admission is key to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women.

"I think it's about time.This is a problem that we, at the grassroots level, have known this for a very long time," Lavell-Harvard said in an interview.

Lavell-Harvard said while stories ofindigenous women being the targets of abuseat the hands of policehave recently come to light inVal-d'Or, Que.,indigenous women have been reporting incidents ofabuseinside police ranks for years, only to be"brushed off."

"If they are going to stand at the top brass and say that they are committed to addressing the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women, thenthey need to make sure that they're owning that.

"If we're going to be able to implement real change tomake our women and girls safe, then it has to be a significant part of the inquiry because it is right now a significant part of the problem," Harvard said.

AFN Special Chiefs Assembly

• Prime Minister Justin Trudeauattended the AFN assembly on Tuesday, where he laid out his top 5 priorities for renewing Canada's relationwith its indigenous peoples.
• Former prime minister Paul Martin addressed the AFN assembly Wednesday, speaking to the chiefs aboutfunding forFirst Nations education.
• NDP Leader TomMulcair is scheduled to speak Thursday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
• CBCNews.ca will carry Thursday's AFN assembly live.

AFN National Chief Perry Bellegardesaid it was the first timePaulson had attended the assembly of chiefs and gave him credit not just for showing up but also forstaying to address some of the concerns expressed by First Nations leaders such as Kelly.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde on racism in the RCMP

9 years ago

Duration 8:09

What do aboriginal communities want to see from the government and the RCMP?

"The mere fact that he was there is a positive, positive statement that he wants to rebuild and repair any kind of damagedrelationship that'sthere between the RCMP and First Nations people," said Bellegarde on CBC New Network's Power & Politics.

Bellegarde told CBC host Rosemary Barton that Paulson's admission was a first step in confronting racism head-on.

"It takes a very big manto do that," said the national chief.

Indigenous women 'shockingly' over-represented

Earlier, in his speech to the group, Paulsonupdated First Nations on theRCMP'sefforts to address the crisis of murdered and missing indigenous women.

"Of course this is nothing short of a national tragedy. The problem is clear and it's settled," Paulson said. "Indigenous women and girls in this country are shockingly over-represented in those classes of Canadians who experience violence, go missing or are murdered."

Paulson said theRCMPwould listen to the families of missing and murdered indigenous women as the process tolaunch an inquiry officially gets underway.

"As we enter this first phaseoftheinquiry, wewill listento what you say and to whatfamily members say and to what communities say needto be done."

"Until you canas an investigator, asapoliceofficer responding to a case until you can understand the humanity and the hurt and the emotions that are tied up in these cases, you will not be able to bring justice."

"We can do better...and we will do better," Paulson said.

Paulson said since the RCMP'slast reportinto missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,the RCMP has undertaken a number of new initiatives, including:

• Developing a "comprehensive strategy" aroundmissing personsinvestigations, including providing "supervisory oversight" along the way.
• Ensuring greater compliance with a policy that requires investigators to treat every complaint of missing persons as though foul playwasinvolved "until it can be objectively demonstratedthat there is not."
• Requiring that investigators engage with the victims' families.
• Reviewing and revamping allRCMPpolicies to ensure greater accountability.

That sameRCMPreportfound that indigenous women are most frequently killed by someone they know, be it their spouse or a member of their community.

The chief from British Columbia disagreed with those findings and reserved some of his strongest criticism for Paulson, who had acknowledged earlier in his remarks that not everyone agreed with the data or the RCMP's interpretation of it.

"Idon't like the fact that aboriginal men were blamed. We were blamed for all the violence against our women.

"We knew that wasn't the case, but somebodyinformed the government of the day that we were responsible. That was you or somebody in your employ that did that," said Kelly.

"Shame on you Mr. Paulson."