Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

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Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Commissaire de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada
RCMP Commissioner Rank.svg RCMP Commissioner.png
Rank badge (left) and slip on (right)
Incumbent
Michael Duheme
since March 17, 2023
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Reports to Minister of Public Safety
Appointer Governor in Council
on the advice of the prime minister
Term length At His Majesty's pleasure
Constituting instrumentRoyal Canadian Mounted Police Act
Inaugural holder W. Osborne Smith
Formation1873
Website www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Commissioner William Higgitt and Queen Elizabeth II, RCMP Centennial Celebrations, Regina, 1973 Higgitt and Queen Elizabeth II.jpg
Commissioner William Higgitt and Queen Elizabeth II, RCMP Centennial Celebrations, Regina, 1973
Commissioner Bob Paulson speaking at the opening of the 65th Glengarry Highland Games in 2012 RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson.jpg
Commissioner Bob Paulson speaking at the opening of the 65th Glengarry Highland Games in 2012

The commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (French : commissaire de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada) is the professional head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The commissioner exercises control and management of the RCMP under the direction of the minister of public safety. The position is a Governor in Council appointment made on the advice of the prime minister of Canada.

Contents

In addition to his or her role in the management of the RCMP, the commissioner serves as Principal Commander of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces. Under the Firearms Act, the RCMP commissioner also serves as the commissioner of firearms, the chief executive of the Canadian Firearms Program. [1]

Michael Duheme is the 25th commissioner of the RCMP, having taken office in an interim capacity on March 17, 2023, and permanently as of the Change Command ceremony held on May 25, 2023. [2]

Queen Elizabeth II was commissioner-in-chief from 2012 to 2022, and King Charles III was honorary commissioner of the RCMP from 2012 until 2023. [3] In recognition of the RCMP's 150th anniversary and the upcoming coronation, on April 28, 2023, King Charles III consented to assume the title of the RCMP Commissioner-in-Chief. [4] However, neither appointment (commissioner-in-chief or honorary commissioner) exercises a substantive role in the operation of the organization.

List of commissioners

There have been 25 commissioners, including one acting commissioners and one interim commissioner, and excluding one unofficial acting commissioner since the founding of the North-West Mounted Police in 1873:

List of commissioners
AgencyNo.ImageNameTerm startTerm endNotes
North-West Mounted Police (NWMP)

designated "Royal" in 1904 (RNWMP)

(1873–1920)

1 William Osborne Smith -Past masters, St Paul's Lodge, 374, ERmontage of 36 photographs (HS85-10-25525) (cropped).jpg W. Osborne Smith September 25, 1873October 17, 1873Acting commissioner of the NWMP
2 StateLibQld 2 126279 Sir George Arthur French, 1883.jpg George Arthur French October 18, 1873July 21, 1876
3 James Mcleod.png James Farquharson MacLeod July 22, 1876October 31, 1880
4 A. G. Irvine.png Acheson Gosford Irvine November 1, 1880March 31, 1886First Canadian born man to hold the post
5 Lawrence Herchmer.png Lawrence William Herchmer April 1, 1886July 31, 1900Was a civilian at the time of his appointment although with an army background.
6 Aylesworth Bowen Perry.jpg Aylesworth Bowen Perry August 1, 1900March 31, 1923Perry was the commissioner of the NWMP when King Edward VII awarded the force the title "Royal" (RNWMP) in 1904, and was still commissioner when the RNWMP merged with the Dominion Police in 1920 to form the RCMP, with Perry appointed the first commissioner of the RCMP.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

(1920–present)

7 Cortlandt Starnes April 1, 1923July 31, 1931
8 James Howden MacBrien.jpg Sir James Howden MacBrien August 1, 1931March 5, 1938Only Commissioner to die in office of a heart attack. One of only two Mounties to be knighted for his WWI service with the British Army. Had some NWMP training prior to WWI but was called up as a reservist just after training in 1914.
9 Stuart Taylor Wood March 6, 1938April 30, 1951
10 Leonard Hanson Nicholson May 1, 1951March 31, 1959
11 Charles Edward Rivett-Carnac April 1, 1959March 31, 1960
12 Clifford Walter Harvison April 1, 1960October 31, 1963
13 George Brinton McClellan November 1, 1963August 14, 1967
14 Malcolm Francis Aylesworth Lindsay August 15, 1967September 30, 1969RCMP Patrol Vessel Lindsay was named in his honour.
15 William Leonard Higgitt.jpg William Leonard Higgitt October 1, 1969December 28, 1973RCMP Patrol Vessel Higgitt was named in his honour.
16 Maurice Jean Nadon January 1, 1974August 31, 1977RCMP Patrol Vessel Nadon was named in his honour.

The present-day RCMP National Headquarters building in Ottawa was named in his honour on October 5, 2011.

17 Robert Henry Simmonds September 1, 1977August 31, 1987RCMP Patrol Vessel Simmonds was named in his honour.
18 Norman Inkster September 1, 1987June 24, 1994RCMP Patrol Vessel Inkster was named in his honour.
19 Joseph Philip Robert Murray June 25, 1994September 1, 2000
20 Giuliano Zaccardelli.jpg Giuliano Zaccardelli September 2, 2000December 15, 2006
21 Beverley Busson December 15, 2006July 16, 2007Interim commissioner; Busson was the RCMP's first female commissioner.
22 William J. S. Elliott July 16, 2007November 20, 2011First civilian commissioner.
23 RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson.jpg Bob Paulson November 21, 2011June 30, 2017
Dan Dubeau June 30, 2017April 16, 2018Acting commissioner; Dubeau served in the role at the rank of deputy commissioner.
24 Brenda Lucki April 16, 2018March 17, 2023Lucki was the RCMP's first permanent female commissioner.
25 Michael Duheme March 17, 2023Incumbent

References

  1. Meet Our Team Archived 2013-06-26 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2023-05-25). "Mike Duheme's ceremonial swearing-in as 25th Commissioner of the RCMP | Royal Canadian Mounted Police". www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
  3. Smith, Joanna (23 May 2012), "Royal visit 2012: Prince Charles collects honorary RCMP title", Toronto Star, retrieved 25 May 2012
  4. Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (2023-04-28). "RCMP maintains Royal traditions | Royal Canadian Mounted Police". www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-29.