As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the Government of Canada clarify and strengthen the mandate, independence and efficacy of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (CRCC) by:

• substantially increasing its annual funding to ensure sufficient resources for both complaint reviews and systemic reviews;
• amending the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act to:
  • empower the CRCC to, when conducting investigations of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that raise a reasonable belief that the matter involves criminal conduct, refer cases to the appropriate body responsible for criminal investigations of police conduct or recommend to the relevant authorities that criminal charges be laid;
  • create statutory timelines for responses by the RCMP Commissioner to CRCC reports, codifying the schedule established in Appendix A of the Memorandum of Understanding between the CRCC and the RCMP;
  • require the Commissioner of the RCMP to report annually to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness describing steps taken to implement CRCC recommendations and require this report to be tabled in Parliament; and
  • require the CRCC to publish its findings and recommendations or a summary thereof in respect of all complaints in a manner that protects the identity of the complainant.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada increase the accessibility and transparency of the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police review process by:

• reforming the process for initiating a complaint with the CRCC to make it easier to navigate;
• ensuring the independent review process is explained in a detailed and accessible format, including information about when the CRCC has completed its interim report and when the RCMP’s review of the report began and was completed;
• making sure the progression of a review and the reports involved in it are transparent and publicly available with few exceptions; and
• publicly specifying the conditions for all exceptions to public accessibility and transparency.

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada ensure the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police review process allows for meaningful and engaged Indigenous participation and holds the RCMP accountable for wrongful, negligent, reckless, or discriminatory behaviour towards Indigenous people by requiring the CRCC to:

• consult with local Indigenous groups where complaints or systemic reviews involve Indigenous complainants;
• include Indigenous investigators and decision makers in the CRCC; and
• ensure Indigenous investigators are involved where the complaint involves Indigenous people.

Recommendation 4

That the Government of Canada appoint Indigenous, Black and other racialized people, and residents of Northern communities to the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and to investigations and leadership positions within that organization.

Recommendation 5

That the Government of Canada mandate that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police implement effective ongoing training and disciplinary policies for RCMP officers in order to prevent excess use of force, systemic racism and racial profiling, and require the RCMP to publish and publicly disclose all disciplinary decisions.

Recommendation 6

That the Government of Canada in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police introduce requirements for management at all levels to report and act on internal harassment complaints, with clear and appropriate consequences for failing to do so, and to provide appropriate supports, including mental health supports, for officers who come forward with a complaint.

Recommendation 7

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police provide to Parliament, annually for three years, a report on the progress of the implementation of the recommendations in this report.

Recommendation 8

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police be transitioned away from a para-military force into a police service model with civilian oversight through a new national oversight board with a legislated mandate to make this transition and the changes required to ensure that policies, practices, procedures, and operations are free from systemic bias and discrimination and that individual acts of discrimination and racism are not tolerated.

Recommendation 9

That the Government of Canada, in consultation with Indigenous, Black, and other racialized people, create a National Police College to provide preparation, training and education necessary for modern, professional and bias-free policing, including:

• course offerings for continuing education, professionalization and specialization;
• the provision of high quality cultural diversity training for Royal Canadian Mounted Police recruits and other interested police services members; and
• mandatory crisis resolution and psychology courses.

Recommendation 10

That the Government of Canada explore the possibility of ending contract policing within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and that the Government work with the provinces, territories and municipalities to help those interested establish their own provincial and territorial police services.

Recommendation 11

That the Government of Canada provide funding to all Indigenous communities who are interested in Community Safety Officer programs based upon the Kwanlin Dün First Nation model.

Recommendation 12

That the Government of Canada work with Indigenous peoples to prioritize action on all recommendations by commissions and inquires regarding systemic racism against Indigenous peoples in policing and the justice system with the aim of implementing the unfulfilled recommendations, with attention to the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: Calls to Action and Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls that relate to policing.

Recommendation 13

That the Government of Canada, through consultation and partnership with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, and recognizing that decisions surrounding policing must be community driven, develop an Indigenous Police Services Framework designed to promote self‑determination and self-governance over policing to Indigenous communities; this framework should include:

• the designation of Indigenous police services as essential services and a requirement that they are adequately resourced;
• provision for the co-development, in consultation and cooperation with Indigenous peoples, of a model of civilian oversight for Indigenous police services, with the authority to audit such services and investigate claims of police misconduct; and
• a commitment for the provision of sufficient funding and support to enable all interested Indigenous communities to develop Indigenous police services.

Recommendation 14

That the Government of Canada in collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities and through negotiation, and in consultation with Indigenous leaders and organizations, offer to create specialized training rooted in Indigenous cultural knowledge and history.

Recommendation 15

That with the financial support of the Government of Canada, Indigenous policing models be developed in urban communities with significant Indigenous populations, in consultation and cooperation with local Indigenous people and local police authorities, to cooperate in policing, with:

• advisory bodies resourced and financed appropriately;
• Indigenous policing units within the urban police services;
• special patrols with Indigenous officers or community support;
• or such other models or arrangements that are appropriate to the local circumstances as may be agreed upon.

Recommendation 16

That the Government of Canada provide necessary resources and work with Inuit stake-holders on an Inuit led consultation within Inuit communities on the most appropriate and effective model of policing of Inuit communities, should they desire to undertake such consultations.

Recommendation 17

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ensure that in all jurisdictions where they are the police service responsible for First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, that a family liaison officer, and wherever reasonably possible, one female officer is available to address gender-based violence.

Recommendation 18

That the Government of Canada encourage the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to develop an action plan with concrete measures to address systemic racism and violence against Indigenous women using an intersectional approach, taking into account the different types of discrimination Indigenous women face and how these types of discrimination intersect.

Recommendation 19

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police establish programs and review and revise policies to encourage officers who are stationed in First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Northern communities to accept longer postings in order to better establish ties with the communities they are serving.

Recommendation 20

That the Government of Canada work with the provinces and territories, municipalities and Indigenous communities to ensure adequate funding and service responsibilities related to mental health response and victim services.

Recommendation 21

That the Government of Canada work with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and provincial and municipal police services to encourage the use of persons specialized in victim services and mental health who would be available with first responders in situations requiring de‑escalation.

Recommendation 22

That the Government of Canada properly resource the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to conduct an independent review of RCMP operational policies and practices such as “wellness checks” and develop a timeline for corrective action to end police violence and ensure the safety and security of those in need of mental health support.

Recommendation 23

That the Government of Canada work with the provinces and territories to create an Indigenous-led working group to better examine the service needs related to mental health and victim services of the rapidly growing urban Indigenous population and ensure that mental health responses, victim services and community safety and policing programs serving Indigenous people living in urban areas are adequately resourced.

Recommendation 24

That the Government of Canada decriminalize the simple possession of all illicit drugs as called upon by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and public health officials.

Recommendation 25

That the Government of Canada offer pardons for all individuals convicted of simple possession of illicit drugs.

Recommendation 26

That the Government of Canada adopt a national policy that prohibits racial profiling and other forms of selective identification and recording of the presence of members of the public other than for investigative purposes and denounces such practices as discriminatory and contrary to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Recommendation 27

That the Government of Canada provide increased funding to ensure that restorative justice programs are effective and available to Indigenous, Black and other racialized people throughout the country.

Recommendation 28

That the Government of Canada amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act, to ensure a police officer’s discretion to choose alternative measures to the court system when apprehending a youth who has committed a crime is applied equitably, so that alternative sanctions are fairly offered to everyone; that specific procedures or guidelines be put in place to determine what crimes would permit alternative sanction so that equal access is given to this privilege.

Recommendation 29

That the Government of Canada develop a national strategy to address and correct the disproportionately high rates of Indigenous and Black people in the criminal justice system and ensure anti-discriminatory and culturally specific services for Indigenous and Black people.

Recommendation 30

That the Government of Canada work in consultation with civilians, Indigenous peoples, and Black and other racialized Canadians, to review the federal use of force framework to ensure that it:

• defines permissible use of force in greater detail;
• provides requirements for the operational use of de‑escalation tactics;
• prioritizes de-escalation in use of force philosophy, tactics and training;
• respects as a guiding principle that officers use the least force necessary in the circumstances; and
• requires adequate ongoing training of officers.

Recommendation 31

That the Government of Canada request that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police create a nationwide database of police use of force incident data disaggregated by race, colour, ethnic background, national origin, gender and other identities; regularly collect this data by implementing a mandatory reporting policy, and regularly publicize the data collected.

Recommendation 32

That the Government of Canada work with provinces, territories, police services and chiefs of police across the country to develop a similar national database including all Canadian police services.

Recommendation 33

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police enforce its zero-tolerance policy for excessive use of force and that there be serious consequences for excessive use of force regardless of whether the threshold is met to lay criminal charges against the officer involved.

Recommendation 34

That the Government of Canada ensure that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police work in collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to establish advisory committees composed of elders, community leaders and cultural facilitators to ensure police practises and procedures address community needs.

Recommendation 35

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police improve training to ensure that it includes enhanced de-escalation, implicit bias, gender-based violence, cultural awareness, and the history of colonialism and slavery in Canada.

Recommendation 36

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police mandate that officers receive specific cultural competency training developed in collaboration with the racialized, First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities they intend to serve.

Recommendation 37

That the Government of Canada in collaboration with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities prioritize the recruitment of Indigenous people and women into Indigenous police services.

Recommendation 38

That the Government of Canada encourage the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to ensure diversity in hiring for all levels within the police service so that it better reflects the communities that it serves, specifically with a goal of hiring more Indigenous and racialized people, and women.

Recommendation 39

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police be encouraged to review their screening process for new recruits to ensure that those with biases against Indigenous and racialized people and women be rejected.

Recommendation 40

That the Royal Canadian Mounted Police be encouraged to take into consideration Inuit language skills and community knowledge when evaluating candidates and making decisions surrounding deployment of officers.

Recommendation 41

That the Government of Canada ensure that a critical race analysis is applied to all racially disaggregated police data collected to ensure that the manner in which it is used does not further stigmatize or marginalize Indigenous and racialized people.

Recommendation 42

That the Government of Canada request that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police collect and publicize national comprehensive and disaggregated race-based data covering police interactions with the public.