By Canadian Press

RCMP workforce equity drive spun its wheels last year, new statistics indicate

Jun 12, 2020 | 1:06 AM

OTTAWA — A drive to make the RCMP’s workforce more diverse stalled last year as the Mounties struggled to become fully representative of the communities they police, newly available statistics show.

The national police force’s report on employment equity for 2018-19 says the diversity of its overall workforce had “not changed by any significant measure” from the previous year.

The proportion of women, visible minorities and disabled people also remained lower than the rates found in the general Canadian workforce, while the proportion of Indigenous employees was a notable exception.

The report, recently tabled in Parliament, says diversity has traditionally been a challenge for police forces in Canada, and the RCMP is no exception.

The killing of a Black man by police in Minnesota has set off a global wave of calls for law-enforcement agencies to address entrenched racism and the oppression of minorities.

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RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki acknowledged the police force can improve, but she stopped short of endorsing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s assessment that it faces systemic racism.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2020.

The Canadian Press