TRUE AND FASCINATING CANADIAN HISTORY
COMMISSIONER CLASS MEMORIES
Robert W. Paulson is the twenty-third and present day Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Since the days of Prime Minister John A. MacDonald and the institution of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1873, about 60,000 members have joined the Force up to 2013. Of the total complement, about twenty sworn members as police officers have risen through the ranks to the Office of Commissioner.
There have been only two civilian appointments; Commissioner Lawrence W. Herchmer in 1886 and Commissioner William J. Elliott in 2007. Commissioner Beverly A. Busson, of 'E' Div. (BC) was the first woman to be appointed in 2006. It could be said that from a statistical viewpoint alone, the odds of becoming Commissioner of the Force are as thin as a Stetson's brim.
I say, 'Congratulations to each and every one of them!'
I joined the Force in 1964. At the time, the Force was under the stewardship of Commissioner George B. McClellan who had been appointed just one year earlier. I was very fortunate to serve in the Force for about 37 years and during my career, the following Commissioners led the Force after Commissioner McClellan; Commissioner Lindsay, Higgitt, Nadon, Simmonds, Inkster, Murray and Zaccardelli. With the exceptions of Commissioner McClellan and Commissioner Lindsay, I was also extremely proud and fortunate to have met and to have been invited to business meetings with each of the other Commissioners.
In my opinion, at the Commissioner level one gets Commissioner class people. I can recall that all my meetings with each Commissioner were very cordial and the atmosphere in their office was non-threatening but business like. No Commissioner has time to spare, and I had been cautioned to be prepared to present my case and then leave. Usually, the issues on the table revolved around some aspect of whether the RCMP could deliver on a request for Police Training Courses or United Nations Peacekeeping to another police agency somewhere in the world, perhaps in America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean or Eastern Europe.
My meetings were brief, maybe about 20 minutes and the top questions which I had to be prepared to defend were these two; 'Joe, have you set aside, with certainty, sufficient funds to deliver the training courses / peacekeeping abroad, and what stresses will your programs place on domestic RCMP policing, ie: can the RCMP do without certain subject matter experts who will have to travel with you abroad?' I found that when I was able to assure each Commissioner that I had prepared my homework, they willingly approved my authority to travel and to spend certain funds which had been set aside for the RCMP by the Canadian Government for international police business.
Meeting with and keeping each of the Commissioners abreast of worldwide police demands on RCMP expertise was exciting and humbling for me. It was encouraging for me to know that each of the Commissioners were first and foremost police officers. Each of them had been through the 'Depot' experience and each of them had served in the field. Secondly, the Commissioners had been to university and were well educated with advanced degrees and professional designations. It wasn't necessary for any Officer, including me, to bring a Commissioner 'up to speed'. They were insightful, well informed professionals and they presented their views strongly, politely and with the RCMP's interests up front.
For my part, I felt that each Commissioner deserved to know exactly what the Force was sharing in its cooperative efforts with law enforcement bodies around the world. Each of the Commissioners, in my view, deserved to be well informed about RCMP international activities when they met with other Police Chiefs, dignitaries, Ambassadors and the like. They always showed their appreciation to me.
I have a small collection of photos of the Commissioners under whom I served. Meanwhile, I will also review my notebooks to refresh my memory about a little twist about each of them. In retirement, surely they must forgive me.
All in all, this segment is dedicated to Memories of a Commissioner's Class.
