Direction 2007

“Going the extra mile” is second nature to RCMP members. It is a phrase that defines who we are and what we do, both as individuals and as an organization. It is also an expression of our Mission, Vision, Values and Commitments. 

My annual Directional Statement is an opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and our challenges, as well as to outline where I see us heading in the coming year.

LOOKING BACK: THE YEAR 2005/06

In my 2005/06 Directional Statement I asked you to advance the objectives of strengthened partnerships, improved responsiveness and creative integration with greater intensity.

Thanks to your dedication and hard work, we have accomplished these goals to the extent that we can now declare integration to be a success. By this I mean the concept of integration has become ingrained in our thinking and is reflected in all that we do.

From day-to-day policing duties, to our integrated enforcement teams to the exemplary work done by and for the Strategic Priority Working Groups, integration flows throughout the organization, permeating all of our operations and activities. In short, integration is how we do business.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2006/07

The federal government has made tackling crime a priority and has recognized our need for increased resources to keep Canada and Canadians safe. This support comes with expectations of performance and accountability. We must be responsive to the priorities of the federal government, as well as to the provinces and municipalities for which we provide policing services. Our challenge is to meet these expectations and fulfill our mandate on every level.

Therefore, in the year ahead I am asking you to “go the extra mile” as you go about your work. In the last RCMP Core Survey of Canadians, 74 per cent of respondents said they believe RCMP personnel went the extra mile to provide good service. Although this is impressive, I believe we can raise the bar even higher.

When you accepted the challenges, the privileges and the responsibilities of a career with the RCMP, you became stewards of a legacy dating back to the earliest days of Confederation. I urge you to redouble your efforts to uphold this legacy and demonstrate the highest degree of professionalism, integrity and compassion in all of your dealings with our partners and those with whom you come into contact.

Thanks to your ongoing efforts both in operations and in support of operations, we continue to evolve and improve as a police organization of excellence. We will further improve our performance and our ability to respond to those we are sworn to serve by taking action in three significant areas.

• Human Resources Renewal: In its most recent budget, the federal government announced hundreds of new policing positions; several provincial governments have also significantly increased funding for provincial policing positions. These commitments are a clear reflection of the exceptional work of our dedicated members and employees across Canada. To address increased demand for our services, along with rising retirement rates and tougher competition for qualified candidates, the RCMP is embarking on an aggressive recruiting drive. As part of “Operation Recruit,” I am asking employees to remember that we are all recruiters. In my view, there is no recruiting approach more meaningful or more effective than having our members share their experiences with friends, relatives and members of the community who might consider a career with the RCMP.  
  
  
• Accountability: Parliament and taxpayers expect government programs and services to be delivered in an ethical, open and accountable manner. As Canada’s national police service, we must hold ourselves to an even higher standard; the RCMP must be a model of ethical and responsible management behaviour. As a leader of policing and management excellence, the RCMP must continue to make sound stewardship a part of its culture.
  
  
• Performance Management: In September 2006 the RCMP will institute Detachment Performance Plans (DPPs) across the country. The DPP initiative is an essential part of the RCMP’s overall performance management framework, designed to enhance the capacity of individual detachments to plan, evaluate and manage their activities. The DPP will streamline reporting requirements currently in place.

OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

As an organization, we are fully engaged in executing all five of our priorities: Organized Crime, Terrorism, Youth, Aboriginal Communities and Economic Integrity. We must stay on course and focus on the specific objectives that are critical to our success in executing each priority. For the coming year, the following critical objectives have been identified for each priority:

	Organized Crime Reduce the impact of gangs, guns and drugs
	Terrorism Successfully detect, prevent/disrupt and investigate terrorist activity and ensure border integrity
	Youth Focus on early intervention, root causes and police intervention with youth
	Aboriginal Communities Provide a culturally-sensitive police service
	Economic Integrity Impact crimes against the currency, financial and market systems through awareness, prevention and enforcement

In the coming months, each Commanding Officer will develop plans to address these critical objectives in the context of their policing environment.

MAKE THE COMMITMENT

I cannot express strongly enough my gratitude for the effort and dedication you put into meeting the many operational challenges we face at the local, provincial, national and international levels. Canadians themselves, through the RCMP Core Survey, have consistently demonstrated their satisfaction with your performance. Think about how your interactions with the public can further improve these results. The coming year will present many new challenges. Some of these we can foresee and prepare for; there will be others that we cannot. Let us strive for excellence in all that we do – as a law enforcement organization and as individual citizens in our respective communities.

This year I invite you to build on our past successes, meet the challenges of the present, and create an even brighter future in a safe and secure Canada.

G. Zaccardelli
Commissioner