Brian Laghi Ottawa — Globe and Mail Update, Sunday, Jun. 07, 2009
The first civilian commissioner of the RCMP says the next head of the national police force should probably come from within the ranks. “All else being equal, I think personally, I believe that it would be better for the organization to appoint someone from within the organization,” William Elliott told CTV News' Question Period on Sunday. While the commissioner said Sunday that he there would undoubtedly be candidates from both outside and within the organization, he hoped there would be “fully-qualified people from within the force that can be considered.”
Mr. Elliott came into the job two years ago after an internal pension scandal as well as ontroversy surrounding former commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli after he provided contradictory evidence before a House of Commons committee about the Maher Arar case. Mr. Elliott's appointment was criticized by RCMP members, something Mr. Elliott himself acknowledged during the interview. Some suggested that Mr. Elliott's appointment was an effort by the federal government to gain more control over the force. “Certainly my appointment from outside the force was controversial,” he said. “But I was very pleased by the reception I have received, even by those members and employees of the force who were surprised, and frankly disappointed and somewhat angered in some cases.” “Their approach from the get-go has been ‘that decision is behind us. We're here to support you.'”
Mr. Elliott refuted, however, suggestions that his appointment from the civilian ranks may have hampered his effectiveness.“I think there's been a lot of positive change over the last couple of years,” he said. At one point after his appointment, then-minister responsible for the RCMP, Stockwell Day, issued an e-mail to RCMP members asking them to support the new commissioner. Mr. Elliott was a senior bureaucrat in the public safety department before being appointed to the job.
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