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Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Policing in Canada
by Scott Fogden
One of the most internationally recognized Canadian icons is the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or ‘Mounties’ dressed
in their traditional red-tunics. In fact, this image is so marketable
that Disney purchased the right to license all Mountie-related
products – including t-shirts, figurines, and other collectibles
- in 1995.
Beyond their popular image, however, the RCMP remains the principle
institution for enforcing law and order throughout Canada. In
addition to policing all federal laws and jurisdictions, they
contract services out to eight provinces, the three territories,
and over 200 municipalities. In addition to the RCMP, the provinces,
territories, cities and municipalities that make up Canada rely
on their own independent police forces.
All told, police forces at all levels serve as an important link
between government and society, and especially in the maintenance
of law and order. But as society evolves, the police have had
to adapt. To this end, much of Canada’s policing takes
place today in in modern, urban environments, rather than in
wild, remote frontiers. No longer on horseback, today’s
police are confronted with sophisticated organized crime syndicates
and complex social issues. Indeed, the changing nature of policing
in Canada has also resulted in a host of new issues;recently,
for example, a number of high profile investigations into police
conduct have highlighted the sometimes-tumultuous relationship
between the police and society.
This feature will cover the RCMP's history, outline how the myriad
of police forces function in Canadian society today, and introduce
prominent issues faced by the police as part of an evolving society.
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- History of the RCMP and policing in Canada.
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- Federal, provincial, and municipal police forces.
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- How police forces are adapting to a changing society.
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- Who polices the police?
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- Policing, crime rates, and society.
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