The head of the union representing thousands of Mounties says he’s worried the Liberal plan to create a new financial crime enforcement agency will hurt the already-strained RCMP.
Rob Farrer, president of the National Police Federation, testified Thursday before a parliamentary committee studying Bill C-29, which would establish a dedicated Financial Crimes Agency (FCA).
The bill, introduced in the spring, is meant to address concerns that Canada falls short on investigating financial crimes including money laundering networks and online fraud, which historically have been investigated by the RCMP through its federal mandate.
If passed, the new agency would be a separate, specialized police organization with its own mandate and commissioner.
Farrer argued the RCMP could do that work if it had better resourcing.
“What these teams need is sustained staffing, modern tools and specialized support,” he told MPs.
“We support stronger financial crime enforcement, but success must be measured by additional investigative capacity and better outcomes, and not simply the establishment of another organization.”
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The union head, who represents some 20,000 Mounties, said one of his main concerns was that the proposed new agency would siphon off the national police force, which Farrer described as “absolutely” under-resourced.
The FCA is meant to be distinct from the RCMP, with its own police officers who would be able to execute search warrants and make arrests. However, the bill foresees Mounties being assigned to the new agency. The federal government has floated dedicating 150 RCMP personnel to tackle financial crimes.
“Our primary concern is workforce capacity. Experienced RCMP financial crime investigators cannot be replaced overnight,” said Farrer.
“Assigning them to the FCA without qualified replacements will disrupt investigations, increase workloads and deepen retention pressures.”
He added that getting someone to the level of expertise needed to investigate these kinds of crimes “takes a very long time to develop.”
The RCMP’s recruitment and retention issues have long been documented. Earlier this year, the auditor general called out a worsening shortage of officers.
The proposed new agency is also expected to be staffed by civilian investigators, criminal and financial intelligence personnel, asset recovery experts and specialized prosecutors.
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Farrer raised concerns about who is ultimately accountable for RCMP officers who are assigned to the FCA.
“Who manages safety, performance, discipline and disclosure?” he asked.
The union argued that any funding for the new agency should be new and not funding allocated to the RCMP.
It also urged Ottawa to make sure any Mounties assigned to it are backstopped by funded and qualified replacements and with a transition plan “that protects ongoing investigations.”
