Corruption ‘can fester’ in Mountie ranks unless addressed, says RCMP study

OTTAWA – An internal RCMP study found 322 incidents of corruption within the national police force over an 11-year period.

The most common type of corrupt behaviour was improper disclosure of police information, sometimes to family members or friends.

Fraud and things like falsifying evidence, fixing tickets and protecting illegal activities were other types of corruption.

The RCMP undertook the study, dubbed Project Sanction, to help identify trends with a view to developing an anti-corruption strategy.

The study — which covered the period 1995 to 2005 — was completed in 2007 but was only recently released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

The RCMP says it has since adopted many of the report's recommendations, adding there is no evidence that corruption is a significant issue within its ranks.

By the numbers:

Incidents of corruption: 322

Number of officers involved: 204

Period: Jan. 1, 1995 through Dec. 31, 2005

Average length of service at time of first corrupt incident: 13 years

Average age at time of first corrupt incident: 37.6 years

Number of members whose incidents involved criminals and-or organized crime groups: 17

(Source: Project Sanction, Examining Corruption within the RCMP, Final Report — May 2007, RCMP)