Royal Canadian Mounted Police

RCMP officer on Parliament Hill

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), (French: Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC)), is the national police force of Canada. The force is also called the Mounties.

Unique organization

RCMP is unique in the world because it is a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing organization:

• RCMP is the federal police for all of Canada.
• RCMP serves as the police for the three Canadian territories
• RCMP serves in all ten Canadian provinces, although its role is limited in Ontario and Quebec as these provinces have their own provincial police forces.
• RCMP provides police services for more than 190 municipalities
• RCMP is the police for 184 native communities -- the First Nations, Inuit and Métis.
• RCMP ensures security at three international airports.

The RCMP/GRC wording is protected under the Canadian Trade-marks Act.

History

Northwest Mounted Policeman -- Canadian Illustrated News, 13 February, 1875.

The Northwest Mounted Police (NWMP), was founded 1873. The Mounties were created to establish authority and to make accommodations with the native population in the west before settlers began to arrive. The smaller Dominion Police was founded in 1868 to protect federal government buildings.

The Mounties were given the right to use the term Royal by King Edward VII in 1904. Their name was changed to the Royal Northwest Mounted Police (RNWMP).

The modern RCMP was created when the RNWMP merged with the smaller Dominion Police in 1920.

The word mounted suggests that the police ride horses. Before 1920, horses were their main method of travel. However, today the RCMP do not ride horses except at special events.

Uniform

An RCMP officer wearing the everyday uniform.

The RCMP are famous for their uniform. The "Review Order" (also "Red Serge") uniform is worn mostly at special events, such as parades. The uniform consists of a red tunic with a large brown belt,(formally known as a “Sam Browne”), a light brown hat, dark blue breeches (trousers) with a yellow stripe and riding boots.

On an ordinary day at work, RCMP officers instead wear a grey shirt, dark blue trousers, ankle boots and a peaked cap (the type worn by most police officers elsewhere). In the winter they may wear a thicker coat, heavier boots and a fur cap.

Ranks

The ranks of the RCMP are, from highest to lowest:

• Commissioner
• Deputy Commissioner
• Assistant Commissioner
• Chief superintendent
• Superintendent
• Inspector
• Corps sergeant major*
• Staff Sergeant major*
• Sergeant major*
• Staff sergeant
• Sergeant
• Corporal
• Constable

Ranks marked with an asterisk (*) are only found in a few parts of the RCMP and are usually not part of the chain of command. For most staff sergeants, their superior is an inspector and not a staff sergeant major.

References

• Wolkomir, Richard. "Mounties forever, but these days rarely on horseback," Smithsonian. February 1989, pp. 78-89.

Other websites

• List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" - Heritage Canada.
• History and Uniform of the North-West Mounted Police, 1873 to 1904
• The official website of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police Gazette
• The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP
• RCMP Wanted list
• RCMP Heritage Centre
• RCMP North-West Mounted Police in Literature and History
• RCMP Honour Roll