RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki announces her retirement just days ahead of ‘Freedom Convoy’ report

OTTAWA—RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki has announced her retirement after five tumultuous years as Canada’s top cop and just days before the release of a report into one of the biggest crises under her watch, the so-called “Freedom Convoy” blockade.

Her term saw her grapple with allegations of political interference, accusations she was ignorant of systemic racism in policing and fights with other police contingents, all issues likely to inform how the government sorts out who next takes on the job of top Mountie.

“This was not an easy decision. I love the RCMP and I’ve loved being your commissioner,” she said in an internal memo obtained by the Star.

In it, she said she was “conflicted about the timing” of her departure.

“I never wanted to be seen as running away and I know there’s so much more to do. But it’s my time,” she said.

Critics of her time at the top have argued she should have resigned long ago, and with her five-year term up this spring, it was an open question whether she would in fact be reappointed to the job.

In the memo, Lucki acknowledged she’d faced challenges.

“The ‘Brenda’ in me had to take quite a few hits on the chin at times when I needed to stay quiet and not engage in the noise,” she wrote.

“For those of you who know me well, staying quiet is not always my strong suit! But I swallowed the pride and tried to do what was best for the organization and all employees.”

Lucki was appointed in March 2018 to become the RCMP’s 24th commissioner, replacing Bob Paulson.

She was the first woman to take on the job full-time, after a brief stint by Bev Busson, who preceded Paulson.

The national police force had by then been plagued for years by a series of scandals involving allegations of sexual harassment, bullying and a toxic workplace, which led to class-action lawsuits and an unprecedented settlement offer.

Frontline Mounties have unionized since 2019, and the force continues to face challenges in recruitment and funding.

Lucki struggled to acknowledge there was systemic bias in policing before declaring in the wake of the George Floyd murder and the Black Lives Matter movement that systemic racism does exist.

She said in her statement she was brought in with a mandate to “modernize and address the RCMP’s internal challenges. This was a significant mandate.”

“To say the last several years have been hard on our profession and on you, is an understatement,” she wrote. “I want you to know that I’ve always been on your side. I’ve praised you and your work to anyone and everyone. I’ve advocated for you and defended this organization with as much courage and heart as I could muster.”

Tension between Lucki and other RCMP officers, however, has been well documented.

Testimony at the public inquiry looking into the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia revealed she and the N.S. contingent were at odds over how much information ought to be revealed in the early days following the incident.

The N.S. Mounties wanted to hold back the information, but the inquiry heard Lucki was frustrated by that decision, as she had communicated with then-Liberal public safety minister Bill Blair on getting the details released. At the time, the Liberals were trying to pass new gun legislation.

That led to allegations of direct political interference in the investigation, which both she and the Liberals have denied.

Friction between her, other police forces and the government were also revealed last year at the inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act to quell the blockades in the capital and elsewhere last winter.

She sent texts to the OPP telling them she needed to try and “calm down” federal cabinet ministers, and was ready to complain to the prime minister about the performance of Ottawa’s top cop at the time.

She also testified she’d made it clear to the government that police had a plan based on “existing authorities” that didn’t require special emergency powers to end the occupation.

When last November, she was asked to respond to critics about her performance as commissioner, Lucki asserted that she had the confidence of the government, saying, “I’m absolutely staying on as commissioner of the RCMP.”

In a brief statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino thanked Lucki for her years of service to the RCMP, saying “she has dedicated her life to keeping Canadians safe.”

“Commissioner Lucki has led the force for nearly five years, navigating through the pandemic and beyond. I want to thank her for her partnership and dedication,” he wrote.

He said the government will begin a search process to replace her, seeking “an exceptional new leader who will keep our communities safe while advancing the reforms necessary to maintain the confidence of all Canadians.”

Brian Sauvé, president of the National Police Federation, the Mounties’ union, recognized Lucki’s 37-year career at the RCMP and her leadership in difficult times.

“Despite the various challenges and public scrutiny that come with being a leader, Commissioner Lucki’s commitment to public safety, to the communities she served over the course of her career, and to fostering a modern and constructive approach to labour relations with a newly formed labour union for approximately 20,000 RCMP members across Canada and internationally, is a testament to her dedication and professionalism.”

Sauvé said the union had a “constructive and productive working relationship” with Lucki and her management team which led the RCMP “through significant labour change.”

The Mounties are in contract talks for a new collective agreement after the current one expires in March.

New Democrat MP Peter Julian said it will be up to others to decide whether there is a link between Lucki’s retirement and her testimony at the Emergencies Act inquiry.

But he said the RCMP leadership in general failed to properly address a range of serious issues under her watch, from “systemic racism” in the institution to the treatment of Indigenous Peoples and improved ways of dealing with people in mental health crises.

“It’s vitally important that the federal government choose somebody who is going to show the leadership to actually resolve these fundamental issues,” Julian said.

“It’s a tall order, but the next commissioner is going to have to tackle it.”

Conservative public safety critic Raquel Dancho welcomed the resignation, chastising both Lucki and Blair for never accepting responsibility for the alleged political interference at work in the 2020 N.S. shootings.

“One of the responsible parties is stepping down, but that does not exonerate the other. Now is the time for Minister Blair to do the right thing and resign.”

Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc