Statement - Commissioner's Statement of the Auditor General's Report on RCMP Recruiting

OTTAWA, ON, March 23, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, the Office of the Auditor General released its report examining the RCMP's recruitment and training capacity. The report provides a clear and detailed assessment of the challenges within our current recruitment system, including delays in processing applicants, gaps in workforce planning, and the need to better align recruitment targets with operational demands across the country.

The RCMP accepts all findings and recommendations contained in the report. Strengthening recruitment is essential to our ability to meet our mandate, support our policing partners, and keep communities safe. Under my tenure, recruiting and training has been one of my key priorities and it remains a core pillar of our 2024–2027 Strategic Plan.

Over the past year, we have launched significant modernization efforts to improve the speed, reliability, and equity of our recruitment processes, and the Auditor General's report reinforces that this work must continue at pace. We have completed an end-to-end review of the entire recruitment process to prioritize high impact changes that will modernize how we attract and prepare future members. This includes improving processing practices for applicants, filling troops to 32 at Depot on a consistent basis and increasing the number of troops trained annually. Building on this, we have been upgrading screening and application systems to reduce bottlenecks and enhance the applicant experience, with a goal of reducing processing times to six months by 2028–2029.

We have implemented new workforce planning tools to better forecast divisional needs and ensure our recruitment targets are tied directly to operational realities. At the same time, we continue to assess opportunities to expand training capacity at Depot through more efficient scheduling, curriculum review, and enhanced support for cadets and instructors. This work is supported by a new National Recruitment Strategy that outlines how we will transform applicant processing, recruit the right people, and ensure our internal systems and structures are aligned to sustain meaningful, lasting improvement. Progress will be closely monitored using data-driven performance tracking to ensure accountability at every step.

To guide the work ahead, we are finalizing a comprehensive Management Action Plan that will outline the concrete steps, timelines, and accountabilities required to respond to each of the Auditor General's recommendations. The work is substantial, but the direction is clear, and the organization is fully committed to the transformation that is needed.

As we move forward, I want to recognize the employees whose dedication has made the progress to date possible. Together, we will build a stronger, more modern RCMP, one that reflects the diversity of Canada and is positioned to serve communities effectively, proudly, and with excellence for years to come.

Link: https://rcmp.ca/en/news/2026/03/4351412

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police Media Relations and Issues Management

Contacts: RCMP Media Relations, [email protected], 613-843-5999