Canadians’ Trust in RCMP Fell by 21 Percent Following the Pandemic: Study

Canadians’ trust in the RCMP fell 21 percent percent following the COVID-19 pandemic, according to in-house research conducted by the force. “Focus groups elicited rich and detailed information that helps us understand the reasons behind the Canadian public’s decreasing level of trust in the RCMP,” said the report, “Canadians’ Perceptions Of The Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” which was first obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter. The report found the number of Canadians who expressed “trust and confidence in the RCMP’s contribution to public safety” fell from 74 percent in 2019 to 53 percent in 2022, before rising to 58 percent in 2023. “Some were more inclined to trust individual RCMP officers but were generally distrustful of the RCMP as a whole,” said the report. “Often these participants had encounters with officers who displayed helpfulness, professionalism and were able to de-escalate or handle situations sensitively.”...