RCMP 'MISSING' CHANCE TO TACKLE ORGANIZED CRIME

Staffing Crunch Means Many Cases Are Not Pursued: Report

The RCMP squad that tracks down dirty money and goods obtained
through crime can't pursue the majority of cases it knows about due
to lack of manpower, internal documents reveal.

According to an internal evaluation obtained by CanWest News Service,
for each case the Mounties' Integrated Proceeds of Crime (IPOC) unit
chooses to tackle, "at least four or five others" are ignored because
the manpower isn't there.

"Many cases of missed opportunities were raised," reads the document,
prepared by the federal government's internal auditing service. "All
of the (officers in charge) were able to provide detailed reports of
cases that had not been pursued, or for which the number of targets
were limited to only a few when many more should have been pursued," it adds.

"In many cases, these targets were significant organized crime figures."

The evaluation repeatedly makes reference to "restricted impact" and
"missed opportunities."

In an interview, the head of IPOC acknowledged the problems
identified by the evaluators in 2005 continue to dog the unit today.

"There's been adjustments on our part," RCMP Staff Sgt. Bill Malone
said. "Obviously, we've had to pick and choose which targets we go
after. Unfortunately it's a very target-rich environment, but we
increasingly can't get around to doing all of them."

In the absence of an ability to cast a wide net, Staff Sgt. Malone
said, higher-ranking crime bosses are targeted with hopes that "by
cutting off the head, the animal will die."

Instances of the RCMP not being able to take down serious gangs
appear to be an ongoing theme.

RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli told the standing Senate
committee on national security and defence in May that the Mounties
can only fight a small fraction of organized crime in Canada.

"At this point in time, our best guess is that we're able to tackle
maybe a third of what we know is out there, in terms of serious
organized crime," Commissioner Zaccardelli said at the time, adding
that was probably a generous estimate. "And remember, when I say
one-third, that's of what we know."

He referred to a wide swath of groups, including outlaw motorcycle
gangs and Italian, Russian and Asian organized crime.

Although the Conservative government, in its spring budget, committed
$37 million to expand the RCMP's training facilities in Regina and
$161 million for prosecutors and 1,000 officers, it is unclear
exactly where that money will go. In addition, Commissioner
Zaccardelli's testimony revealed the amount likely won't be nearly
enough to fulfil the promise.

Staff Sgt. Malone said the fact IPOC hasn't had a boost since 1996
means numerous cutbacks have been made to operations.

The IPOC evaluation was released to CanWest News Service under the
Access to Information Act by the Department of Public Safety and
Emergency Preparedness Canada after a 10-month delay.