The outgoing commissioner of the RCMP says he's partly responsible for some of the problems the police force has faced over the past four years.
William Elliott said in February he'd be stepping down at the end of the summer. On Thursday he announced he's taking a job as the international police agency Interpol's representative to the United Nations.
Elliott was the first civilian commissioner appointed to run the police force, leading to complaints within the organization before he even started the job. In 2010, senior Mounties complained about Elliott's management style, alleging he singled out people for criticism in front of their colleagues and drove some to tears.
The RCMP faced a number of challenges during his time as commissioner, Elliott told Susan Lunn in a candid interview on CBC Radio's The House airing Saturday.
"There was a whole range of influences with respect to that. I bear some responsibility as commissioner. [But] there were certainly lots of external factors," he said.
"Lots of things happened that we really could not have foreseen," he said, pointing to two deaths of on-duty RCMP officers and the stun gun death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver airport in 2007.
Complaints affected RCMP
Elliott said the complaints about his leadership style "certainly affected the RCMP," but that the situation is much different now.
"I think that there were some lessons for me to learn with respect to my own style and communications," he said, adding later, "I think the biggest lesson to be learned, or relearned, with respect to my experiences at the RCMP is the importance of communication, the importance of sitting down and ensuring that people understand not just the words that you are saying or the voice that you are using to deliver those words, but the messages and feelings and thoughts behind the words."
The complaints and the events that followed, including a reorganization of the top officers in the force and testimony in front of a House of Commons committee, were "very unpleasant."
"They were unpleasant for the organization and certainly unpleasant for me personally," he said, though he acknowledged they became a catalyst for change.
Elliott said he's leaving the force better positioned in human resources, recruitment, as well as with appropriate policies and oversight.
He said the next RCMP commissioner should come from within the organization if at all possible.
"But I certainly don't think this is a failed experiment. I think that what you really need as commissioner is a dedicated person who's a good leader, and who's not going to think the challenges that face the force or policing more broadly are simple or can be addressed overnight," Elliott said.
CBC News reported Thursday that a short list of replacements for Elliott has already been prepared. The government will appoint his successor this fall.
