:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good morning to you and to the committee members. Thank you for the invitation and for allowing me to join you this morning via video conference.
I am Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, the commanding officer of the RCMP in British Columbia, also known as “E” Division.
Here with me today is Inspector Carol Bradley, our “E” Division respectful workplace program team leader. She is available to assist in answering any questions related to the respectful workplace activities and initiatives under way by the RCMP in British Columbia.
As this is my first appearance before you, I would like to begin with a very brief overview of “E” Division.
The RCMP in British Columbia is the police force of jurisdiction in all but 11 municipalities in the province. It is also the provincial force, and of course, we have a strong presence with respect to our federal mandate.
Seventy-five per cent of British Columbians receive front-line policing services from the RCMP through our 185 detachments that cover 99% of the geographic area in British Columbia, including 190 first nations communities.
We have over 9,000 employees in B.C., which is a combination of over 6,400 regular sworn members and over 2,000 civilian employees. Our diverse workforce includes over 1,400 female regular members of the RCMP, or approximately 23% of our sworn police officers.
Organizationally, our division headquarters is now in Surrey, British Columbia. We have four geographic district headquarters buildings: in the north, southeast, island, and lower mainland districts.
We typically respond to over one million calls for service a year.
I am aware of your interest in the work we are doing here in British Columbia in relation to our respectful workplace program. I can provide you with a very brief overview and some highlights.
Approximately one year ago, shortly after my appointment as commanding officer for “E” Division, I requested a practical assessment of the division's current approaches to maintaining a respectful workplace, and expressed a strong interest in identifying and exploring new ways that those alleging gender-based harassment could come forward and report incidents without fear of reprisal or retribution.
I requested that a broad-based consultation be conducted with a cross-section of female members and employees across the province, not only to hear about their experiences but also to receive any recommendations they had specific to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment.
Concurrently, we also received and analyzed the results and recommendations of the recently completed professionalism in policing project by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police.
In concert with other human resource initiatives under way, in April 2012 the “E” Division respectful workplace action plan was developed, with 11 specific objectives and 51 action items broken down into three phases with set timelines and goals.
Some of the highlights of our respectful workplace action plan include a respectful workplace literature review to identify best practices in relation to creating and maintaining a respectful workplace in a policing organization.
An employee survey was conducted, the largest and most comprehensive ever in British Columbia, with over 3,100 employees responding with feedback and suggestions on 19 workplace factors.
An early intervention system, the performance awareness reporting system, was implemented to monitor and track behavioural indicators to ensure early support and employee wellness.
Harassment awareness and investigation training was completed, and over 100 trained harassment investigators are now available in this division.
Twenty-three respectful workplace advisers have been identified and trained to respond to calls ranging from requests for simple information to assisting employees who have had a workplace issue that needed to be addressed. Another 24 respectful workplace advisers are being trained this week.
My three assistant commissioners, who are part of my senior management team, started delivery of our ethical leadership presentation three months ago during the mandatory operational skills maintenance course at our Pacific Region Training Centre.
I personally present at our supervisor and management development training programs in which the maintenance of a respectful workplace has been embedded.
We have hired two informal conflict management practitioners to provide training, support, and assistance to employees, supervisors, and managers in addressing and managing conflict in the workplace in a proactive, timely, and effective manner.
A respectful workplace advisory committee has been created to act as subject matter experts and to support our senior leaders and the division management team as they develop specific plans to bridge the gaps identified in the employee survey.
Dr. Stephen Maguire, a professor at Carleton University and the co-author of the CACP professionalism in policing project, is providing workshops on ethical leadership to workplace advisers and committee members in our division. There is a workshop being held today, and another one will be held in three weeks.
Just two weeks ago we held a workshop for 25 managers that dealt with promoting cultural change and enhancing gender diversity.
Perhaps most significantly, an electronic confidential reporting system has been created, which we anticipate will go live by April 1 of this year. It allows for a confidential reporting option outside of the chain of command.
The entire plan is supported by a comprehensive communication plan that works to ensure employees are aware of the initiatives under way and the items that have been actioned.
A great deal has been done and is being done to address the issues and gaps we and our employees here in British Columbia have identified. I have utmost confidence in the leadership Inspector Bradley is providing and in the commitment being demonstrated by my senior officers to support this important work.
The key is that this plan is not about a quick fix or short-term gains. It is about changing the way we do business. It is about creating an environment within which employees feel valued and leaders can flourish. It is about sustainability in that this has gone from an idea to a plan and now to a program with the intention for this to be core business for the RCMP in British Columbia. It is an ambitious plan with short timelines, but I believe it is achievable.
We are sharing all that we have learned, working with our colleagues in other divisions and nationally, and adjusting where necessary.
I have provided you with a very brief and quick overview of the respectful workplace action plan and program here in British Columbia, and we'd be very pleased to take any of your questions.
Thank you.
:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
[English]
We are here to discuss the need for leadership on this file. There's no question the country has been gripped by what has happened in the RCMP and the harrowing stories brought forward by women officers.
Obviously, as the status of women committee, certainly on our side we believe that Status of Women Canada has a role to play in providing leadership in ending sexual harassment in the federal workplace. I'd like to continue that conversation with the minister as well, and I'd like to read a motion into the record, “That, pursuant to Standing Orders 81(4) and 81(5), the committee invite the Minister for Status of Women and agency officials to appear before it, no later than March 19, 2013, to discuss the supplementary estimates (C) 2012-13 and the main estimates 2013-14.” I will be giving this text to the clerk as well.
Going back to the issue of leadership, on Tuesday we heard the negation from Mr. McPhail about there not being any systemic sexual harassment. Then we heard from Commissioner Paulson that there is cultural dysfunction. The reality is a 200-person class action lawsuit has been brought forward against the RCMP, something that we're not seeing from any other corner of the workplace in our country, and that certainly speaks to a widespread experience.
You're obviously counteracting that now with the measures you're taking, but as my colleague Ms. Sgro referred to, many past cases are still outstanding and the grievances are massive and so are the consequences women are living with on a day-to-day basis.
We heard some reference from the commissioner that the RCMP is moving to a gender-free environment—I think one can argue there is no such thing as a gender-free environment—and then, of course, in his next sentence there was reference to the ambitious recruitment goals to actually get women into the RCMP.
There are the tangible pieces you've brought forward: the reporting mechanisms, the policies, the handbook, hiring people. These are all key parts of getting to the problem. But in terms of that culture, one of the points that has been raised by many is the need to have women in decision-making positions, in senior positions.
Inspector Bradley or Deputy Commissioner Callens, could either one of you speak to the situation in “E” Division? How many women are there in senior positions?
:
Thank you, Madam Chair.
[English]
Thank you very much, both of you, for being here.
I echo my colleagues, Ms. Sgro and Ms. Ashton, in saying that we are all impressed with the work you have done, the challenges you have met, and the changes you have made. It's very impressive, and it's a model to be replicated.
I particularly enjoyed, sir, your comment that we have to value employees in the workplace. I think we would probably save a lot of resources in dealing with harassment issues if we took your proactive approach and the valuation of employees and their worth in the respectful workplace. I thank you for that.
We had Mr. Ian McPhail, who is the chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, as a witness this week. We discussed with him the numbers for sexual harassment. We asked if sexual harassment was considered systemic in the RCMP. He basically said that less than 4% of all harassment cases over the last five years in the RCMP were in fact even related to sexual harassment. I found that particularly interesting, and I would like your views on that. Are you addressing all aspects of harassment, including this 4%, which in the past at least has been related to sexual harassment?