We further decided to let the MMC present its final report, give people a month or so to digest the outcome, before we published the MMC recommendations. Now that time has passed, the Shoreline Journal will publish all 130 of the commission’s recommendations in four monthly installments, starting with the June 2023 issue, exactly as published in the Final Report as published and located on the MMC website. This is Part 2 which includes recommendations 30 to 61.

101. Recommendation P.52
ROLE OF RCMP CONTRACT PARTNERS AND DIVISIONS IN POLICY
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The RCMP should consult contract partners before and throughout the amendment or adoption of policies that affect the delivery of policing services in contract jurisdictions.
(b) RCMP divisions and detachments should be afforded sufficient resources and discretion under policy:
(i) to consult with contract partners and community representatives about how RCMP policy will be interpreted; and (ii) to create operational plans, standard operating procedures, and other guidance documents, in consultation with contract partners, that reflect community resources, local policing objectives, and priorities.

102. Recommendation P.53
ADEQUATE POLICE SERVICES IN RURAL AND REMOTE COMMUNITIES
The Commission recommends that: Where necessary, provincial, territorial, and federal governments must provide financial support to municipalities and local communities including Indigenous communities for the provision of adequate policing services within rural and remote communities.

103. Recommendation P.54
REVITALIZING RURAL POLICING
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The RCMP should establish an attractive career stream for members who wish to develop a specialization in rural or remote policing: (i) members should have the opportunity to remain in communities where they are serving effectively and where the community supports their continuation, while progressing within their careers; and (ii) potential leaders should also be given the opportunity to pursue further training, including higher education, on matters of particular relevance to rural policing.
(b) The RCMP should ensure that members with current operational experience and expertise in rural and remote communities are represented at all levels of decision-making within RCMP Contract and Indigenous Policing.

104. Recommendation P.55
COMMUNITY ORIENTATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
The Commission recommends that:
(a) Every rural and remote detachment should work with its local community to prepare an orientation program for members who are new to the district.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
• All members transferred into a new district or detachment should complete this orientation program within six months of their assignment.
• When possible, this orientation program should include an introduction to other community safety providers such as healthcare providers and women’s shelters.
• Whether such meetings are possible or not, new members should receive a package containing details about local service providers, the services they offer, and how they can be contacted when needed.
(b) The RCMP should also establish national standards for the institutional orientation that must be given to any member who transfers between divisions or districts.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
These national standards should address: • completing the local orientation program; • reviewing policies and standard operating procedures relevant to the member’s area of responsibility; • understanding local command structure, roles, and responsibilities; • completing training with respect to local or divisional resources (such as radio and communications systems) and local culture and history (such as training programs that relate specifically to local Indigenous or African Nova Scotian communities); • reviewing applicable legislation and bylaws including, for example, rules relating to matrimonial property on Indigenous reserves; and • acquiring a knowledge of the local geography – for example, by attending calls and community events across the area served by that detachment.

105. Recommendation P.56
MODERNIZING POLICE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The RCMP phase out the Depot model of RCMP training by 2032 and the RCMP consult with the Métis and Saskatchewan Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations with respect to how the land and the facility should be used in the future.
(b) Public Safety Canada work with provinces and territories to establish a three-year degree-based model of police education for all police services in Canada.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
• Implementing police education programs may entail partnering with existing institutions of higher education, and will require collaboration between ministries of higher education and research and federal, provincial, and territorial ministers responsible for policing.
• The new model of police education should be research-based, allow students the opportunity to participate in research, and lead candidates to a three-year bachelor’s degree in policing.
• Attention should be paid to ensuring that the new model is accessible and culturally responsive to women, Indigenous students, and other groups that have historically been underrepresented in and underserved by police in Canada. Offering financial support to qualified candidates from these groups may help to attract a more diverse group of policing students. The new police education model should adhere to national standards, but it should be offered on several campuses in different Canadian regions. These campuses will likely be affiliated with existing universities or colleges: • Ideally, at least one campus should be established in the Atlantic region and one in northern Canada; • Public Safety Canada should consult with the Finnish Police University College and Finnish Police in the design of this program.
(c) Public Safety Canada and the RCMP should integrate the Canadian Police College into the new police university system subject to the same governance as other institutions in that system.
(d) Responsible ministers and police boards should issue written directions to police services to
collaborate with universities on research and programming and in the development of evidence-
based policies and procedures.

106. Recommendation P.57
USE OF FORCE
The Commission recommends that: The Government of Canada and the RCMP should replace the existing use of force provision in the RCMP Code of Conduct with the principles set out in sections 2 to 9 of the Finnish Police Act.

107. Recommendation P.58
CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The RCMP make in-person conflict resolution training mandatory for all RCMP members before
promotion to the rank of staff sergeant or above, and before promotion to an equivalent civilian
position.

IMPLEMENTATION POINT
The RCMP should contract with an external training provider that has an established track record in delivering effective conflict resolution training until such time as a culture of conflict resolution becomes engrained and its internal capacity to deliver effective internal conflict resolution training is established.
(b) The RCMP make demonstrated conflict resolution skills a criterion for promotion to all RCMP
leadership positions.

108. Recommendation P.59
RCMP MANAGEMENT CULTURE
The Commission recommends that:
(a) Within six months of the publication of this Report, the RCMP commissioner provide to the
responsible minister and the Management Advisory Board, and publish on the RCMP website, a
document that explains the criteria on which the RCMP presently selects, develops, recognizes, and rewards its commissioned officers and those in equivalent civilian roles. This document should include a detailed explanation of the following: (i) how the RCMP will change these criteria to disrupt the unhealthy aspects of the RCMP’s management culture; and (ii) what other steps are being taken to address the unhealthy aspects of the RCMP’s management culture that are identified in this Report, in the Bastarache Report, and by the Brown Task Force.

(b) Starting no later than one year after publication of this Report, the Commissioner should provide semi-annual written updates to the responsible minister and the Management Advisory Board on its progress in addressing the recommendations made in this Report. These updates should include timelines for the achievement of each milestone and should also be posted to the RCMP website.

109. Recommendation P.60
PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH CARE TO NOVA SCOTIANS
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The Province of Nova Scotia should establish a comprehensive and adequately funded model of mental health care service provision for urban and rural Nova Scotians. This model should include first response to those in mental health crisis and continuing community support services to prevent mental health crises from arising or recurring.
(b) The federal government should subsidize the cost of these services at a minimum proportion equal to the proportion to which it subsidizes RCMP policing services.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
• We do not make a recommendation about the specific model of mental health care to be adopted, but encourage the provincial government to consult and engage with community stakeholders in choosing the appropriate model, and to make evidence-based decisions that are informed by a diverse representation of community members.
• Regardless of the model chosen, these decisions should prioritize dignity and care within a mental health care framework over a criminal justice response.
(c) A certified mental health specialist should be embedded in the 911 public safety answering point locations across the province and available on call 24/7 to assist with assessing and triaging mental health calls.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
• This specialist may both ensure community members are connected with the appropriate non-police allied community safety agency and provide guidance to police responders when they must respond in person.
• This resource is especially important in rural areas where mental health teams may not be an available resource on the ground in a reasonable response time period.
• The comprehensive model should encompass consideration of how 911 standard operating procedures should be updated to reflect that mental health service providers are most often the more appropriate first responders to mental health calls, but that police will be dispatched to these calls when the mental health service provider indicates that this is necessary.

110: Recommendation P.61
POLICE GOVERNANCE IN NOVA SCOTIA
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The provincial Department of Justice design and provide mandatory standard training in police governance.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS

111: Recommendation P.62
PUBLISH POLICE POLICIES
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The Nova Scotia Minister of Justice should issue a policing standard that requires police agencies that provide police services in Nova Scotia to publish – online and in an accessible form and location – policies and standard operating procedures that govern the interaction of police with the public, the manner in which policing services are provided to the public, and public communications.
(b) This standard should require that, where a policy or procedure or a portion of a policy or procedure is deemed confidential, the police service must provide a public description of each exempted section and the reason why it has been deemed confidential.
(c) The federal minister of public safety should issue a written directive to the commissioner of the RCMP, directing compliance with this provincial standard.

112: Recommendation P.63
SPECIALIZED POLICING SERVICES
The Commission recommends that: The Province of Nova Scotia should ensure that specialized policing services are adequate, effective, and efficiently organized to meet the demand throughout Nova Scotia, whether by contract with RCMP or by other means:
(a) Clear and equitable guidelines should be established for how all police agencies may access these specialized services.
(b) These guidelines should also apply to the agency that supplies these services.
(c) Priority of access should be determined by prospective guidelines, not by the identity of the requesting agency or by personal relationships.
(d) A police agency that meets the criteria for access to these services should receive them, and arrangements should be put in place to ensure that disputes between provincial and municipal
agencies about cost allocation do not create a barrier to access when needed.

113: Recommendation P.64
INTEGRATED TEAMS
The Commission recommends that: Police agencies that establish integrated or interoperable teams with other agencies should settle memorandums of understanding, policies, and procedures to govern the operation and management of these teams.

114: Recommendation P.65
STRENGTHENING NOVA SCOTIA 911
The Commission recommends that: The Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office and Public Safety and Security Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice should study how best to ensure that recruitment, training, compensation, employee supports, policies, and procedures for public safety answering points are of a quality and standard that appropriately reflects the important role played by 911 call-takers in our community safety and well-being ecosystem.

115: Recommendation P.66
ADDRESSING CONFLICT AMONG POLICE AGENCIES IN NOVA SCOTIA
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The Province of Nova Scotia should consult with municipal police leaders and RCMP H Division leaders to identify the issues that continue to cause conflict, and to establish a facilitated process for resolving them. Commitments and resolutions made as a result of this process should be documented, and the Province of Nova Scotia should hold police leaders accountable for implementing them.
(b) The Province of Nova Scotia should make in-person conflict resolution training mandatory for all current Nova Scotia chiefs and deputy chiefs and for any candidate who applies to one of these positions.
IMPLEMENTATION POINT
The Province of Nova Scotia should contract with an external provider that has an established track record in delivering effective conflict resolution training, to deliver this training.
(c) The Province of Nova Scotia should establish a dispute resolution mechanism by which an impartial and knowledgeable third party can resolve disputes among policing agencies, or between policing agencies and the Province of Nova Scotia.

(d) The Province of Nova Scotia should establish a policing standard that requires policing agencies to call on one another to provide backup or assistance when appropriate, and that requires those agencies called upon to provide that assistance to the extent of their ability to do so.

116: Recommendation P.67
THE FUTURE STRUCTURE OF POLICING IN NOVA SCOTIA
The Commission recommends that: The Province of Nova Scotia should within six months of publication of this Report establish a multisectoral council comprising representatives of municipal police agencies and RCMP, community safety experts, and diverse community representatives to engage with community members and experts and review the structure of policing in Nova Scotia. This council should make recommendations that can be implemented before the 2032 expiration of the Provincial Police Services Agreement.

117: Recommendation P.68
INFORMATION SHARING
The Commission recommends that
(a) Police agencies in Nova Scotia work with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice to establish shared standards for the collection, retention, and sharing of information by police agencies.
(b) Police agencies in Nova Scotia work with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice to establish policies and procedures for raising concerns when a member of one police agency believes that a member of another police agency may not have acted on information that flags a significant risk to community or police safety.

118: Recommendation P.69
RECRUITMENT
The Commission recommends that:
(a) Canadian police education programs should adopt research-based approaches to student admission processes, based on a clear understanding of the personal characteristics that form the basis for effective democratic policing.
(b) Canadian police agencies should adopt research-based approaches to police recruitment, based on a clear understanding of the personal characteristics that form the basis for effective democratic policing.
(c) Canadian police agencies should establish a comprehensive strategy for recruiting and retaining employees who are presently underrepresented in Canadian policing.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
• This strategy should include measures that are designed to support such recruits and allow them to work to the strengths for which they are recruited.
• Police agencies should change established practices and procedures where necessary to establish a safe and welcoming workplace for recruits from historically under-represented backgrounds.

119: Recommendation P.70
CANADIAN POLICE EDUCATION
The Commission recommends that:
(a) All Canadian governments and police agencies should, by 2032, adopt a three-year police education degree as the minimum standard for police education.
(b) Police education programs should employ subject matter experts who use research-based
approaches to design and deliver curriculum, particularly in areas where police services currently underperform.
(c) Police education programs should offer financial support to Indigenous and racialized students and other students from backgrounds or identities that have historically been under-represented in Canadian police services. Financial means should not be a barrier to obtaining a police education.

120: Recommendation P.71
NOTE TAKING
The Commission recommends that:
(a) The RCMP, following the recommendation made by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, should implement training and supervisory strategies to ensure that all members take complete, accurate, and comprehensive notes.
(b) The RCMP should develop an effective asset management process to retain, identify, store, and retrieve the completed notebooks of its members.
(c) Canadian police agencies should evaluate front-line supervisors’ oversight of front-line members’ note taking as one criterion by which their performance is assessed.
(d) Canadian police education programs should integrate effective note-taking practices into every
aspect of their curriculum – for example, by incorporating note-taking skills and assessment into
substantive assignments.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
• All Canadian police agencies should adopt the practice of requiring front-line members to provide their notebooks to their supervisor at the end of each shift for review and countersigning.
• Where necessary, electronic alternatives to these supervisory practices (e.g., scanning notebook pages for review and approval by a remotely located supervisor) can be adopted.
• The quality of an agency’s note-taking practices should be assessed both by compliance with notebook review policies and by the quality of members’ note taking.
• Police notebooks should be stored in police detachments between shifts.
• When members are transferred, resign, or retire, their notebooks should remain at their detachment.
• Canadian police agencies should explore the potential for transitioning to electronic note taking in light of available technologies such as cellphone voice recognition note-taking ability and the increased use of body-worn cameras. Regardless of the platform, the fundamentals of good note taking should be present, including the essential requirement of being able to ensure the integrity of records taken on temporaneously with the events they recount.

121: Recommendation P.72
SUPERVISION
The Commission recommends that
(a) The RCMP should review the structure of contract policing services delivered in H Division to
ensure that every general duty member receives routine and effective supervision, including regular feedback on the quality of low-visibility decision-making.
(b) Shift meetings should become a standard practice at the beginning of every general duty shift in
RCMP contract policing. Supervisors should receive training in how to run an effective shift meeting.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
If the structures we have identified as problematic in H Division also exist in other RCMP divisions, this recommendation should be followed in those divisions too.

122: Recommendation P.73
COMMUNITY-ENGAGED POLICING
The Commission recommends that:
(a) Police agencies should adopt policies and practices that encourage front-line police to consult with community subject matter experts on questions that will help them better understand and serve their communities. These policies and practices should permit consultation on operational matters.
(b) Community subject matter experts should be paid fairly for their work, and police agencies should establish a budget for this purpose.

123: Recommendation P.74
COUNTERING SYSTEMIC BIAS
The Commission recommends that: Government, police agencies, and police education programs make the goal of identifying and countering the operation of misogyny, racism, homophobia, and other inegalitarian attitudes central to every strategy for improving the quality of everyday policing in Canada.

124: Recommendation P.75
PREVENTING VIOLENCE AND PROTECTING SAFETY
The Commission recommends that: Government, police agencies, and police education programs emphasize that working with other gender-based violence advocacy and support sector members to prevent an escalation of violence and protect the safety of those who experience violence is the primary purpose of every police response to a complaint of violence or the expressed fear of violence. Volume 6: Implementation – A Shared Responsibility to Act.

125: Recommendation I.1
TURNING THE TIDE TOGETHER IMPLEMENTATION AND MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY BODY
The Commission recommends that:
(a) By May 31, 2023, the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia should establish and fund an
Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body with a mandate to: (i) provide mutual accountability, exchange of knowledge, and support among all organizations and actors involved in the implementation process; (ii) consult with community members on priority areas for action and on implementation strategies; (iii) establish a monitoring framework and monitor on an ongoing basis, including through the power to request information from federal, Nova Scotian, and municipal public authorities; (iv) take active steps to encourage members of the public to participate in the whole of society engagement recommended in this Report; (v) provide public information about the process of implementing the recommendations; (vi) provide public updates on progress on the implementation plan every three months and publish an annual report on the status of implementation of each recommendation; and
(vii) liaise with implementation efforts in other provinces and territories.
(b) By May 31, 2023, the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia should appoint the Founding Chair and Champion of the Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body following consultation with all Commission Participants and representatives of the communities most affected by the April 2020 mass casualty, including the Mi’kmaw communities most affected and representatives of African Nova Scotia communities.
(c) By July 31, 2023, the Founding Chair, in consultation with representatives of organizations with
responsibility mandated by this Report’s recommendations and other interested individuals and
organizations, should present the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia with a proposed list of
members and budget for the Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body.
(d) By September 1, 2023, the Governments of Canada and Nova Scotia should jointly appoint the
membership of the Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body.

(e) As soon as practicable, the Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body should develop a plan for monitoring implementation and establish reporting and accountability mechanisms; it should provide the plan to Parliament and the Nova Scotia Legislature, and take other steps to make it available to members of the public, including through the establishment of a dedicated website that tracks updates and progress.
(f) The Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body should provide public updates on progress
on the implementation plan every three months and publish an annual report on the status of
implementation of each recommendation.

IMPLEMENTATION POINTS
Composition: The Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body should include the following
members:
• at least two representatives of those most affected by the mass casualty (including families
of the deceased and/or survivors);
• a civic representative from one of the affected municipalities;
• a representative of RCMP National Headquarters senior management with authority to act on
behalf of the Commissioner;
• the RCMP Deputy Commissioner of Contract and Indigenous Policing
• the Assistant Commissioner of RCMP H Division;
• a representative of the RCMP Management Advisory Board;
• a senior representative of Public Safety Canada;
• a senior representative of Nova Scotia Department of Justice Public Safety;
• at least one community-based representative from the gender-based violence advocacy and
support sector;
• at least one representative of Indigenous community organizations engaged in policing
reform;
• at least one representative of African Canadian community organizations engaged in policing
reform; and
• on their establishment, delegates from the other bodies established under the Report’s
recommendations: the Federal and Nova Scotia Community Safety and Well-Being Leadership Councils (Recommendation C.17 ); the Gender-Based Violence Commissioner (Recommendation V.X) or their appointee.
Advisory Group: The Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body should consider establishing an advisory group consisting of other agencies engaged in the Canadian and Nova Scotian public safety systems, policing organizations, the health sector, and victims’ advocacy organizations.

Facilitating implementation: The Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body
• should circulate the Commission report and recommendations to stakeholder communities, and communicate and consult with community members on priority areas for action and on implementation strategies; and • provide the report to the Auditor General of Canada and the Auditor General of Nova Scotia so they might inquire into the progress of implementing these recommendations.
Status reports: Updates should include analysis of information to identify trends, obstacles, delays, problems, issues, and best practices.
Rationale for Non-Implementation: To encourage transparency, where an organization has decided not to implement a recommendation or part of a recommendation, the Implementation and Mutual Accountability Body will request a written explanation of this decision and publish it in reports under the implementation plan. Volume 7: Process

126: Recommendation Pr.1
PRE-INQUIRY PHASE
The Commission recommends that: There should be a consultation phase prior to the establishment of an inquiry. During this phase, governments should identify the commissioner(s) and, pursuant to an appropriate confidentiality undertaking, engage them in discussion about the draft terms of reference in order to ensure the mandate is realistic.

* In particular, the scope of the mandate must be achievable in the time frame allotted.
* There is precedent for such discussions. For example, in the Arar Inquiry, Commissioner Dennis O’Connor with his counsel Paul Cavalluzzo negotiated the mandate (see Bessner and Lightstone, Public Inquiries in Canada: Law and Practice (Toronto: Thomson Reuters, 2017), 28–29 and 77–78).

127: Recommendation Pr.2
PREPARATORY PHASE
The Commission recommends that: Following this brief pre-inquiry phase, the Orders in Council should provide for a three-month preparatory phase to allow the commissioners time to (a) establish appropriate infrastructure such as office space, computers, and phones,
(b) develop a website, and (c) hire start-up support staff.

128: Recommendation Pr.3
EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT AUDIT
The Commission recommends that: An external independent audit of the RCMP and the Attorney General of Canada’s document management and production processes be conducted, with the results made public.

129: Recommendation Pr.4
DESIGNATED DOCUMENT DISCLOSURE BODY
The Commission recommends that: The federal government create a designated body to assist the Attorney General of Canada with document disclosure generally.

130: Recommendation Pr.5
FORM OF DOCUMENT PRODUCTION
The Commission recommends that: Public inquiries should be authorized to direct the manner in which participants must produce documents in their possession.