RCMP Ethical Decision-Making 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer is under significant personal financial stress and is tempted to retain a small amount of cash found at a crime scene that is unlikely to be claimed. This action would be:
- Acceptable if the amount is below a minor threshold
- A justified use of discretion given the circumstances
- Theft and a serious breach of the RCMP Code of Conduct (Correct answer)
- Permissible if the officer files a report after the fact
Correct answer: Theft and a serious breach of the RCMP Code of Conduct
Retaining found property from a crime scene constitutes theft and a severe Code of Conduct violation regardless of personal circumstances.
Question 2: An officer preparing to testify learns that the Crown prosecutor wants them to emphasize certain facts and downplay others to strengthen the case. The officer should:
- Follow the prosecutor's guidance as they are the legal expert
- Testify completely and truthfully regardless of the prosecutor's preferences (Correct answer)
- Consult a supervisor before deciding how to testify
- Agree privately but testify accurately if pressed under cross-examination
Correct answer: Testify completely and truthfully regardless of the prosecutor's preferences
Officers are independent witnesses whose duty is to the court and truth, not to assist either party in winning the case.
Question 3: An officer notices that a colleague appears to be developing a substance abuse problem that is beginning to affect their judgment on duty. The most ethical course of action is to:
- Cover for the colleague and hope the problem resolves itself
- Report concerns to a supervisor and encourage the colleague to seek EAP support (Correct answer)
- Confront the colleague publicly to shame them into addressing the problem
- Wait until a serious incident occurs before acting
Correct answer: Report concerns to a supervisor and encourage the colleague to seek EAP support
Protecting public safety and supporting a colleague's wellbeing require early reporting and encouraging access to Employee Assistance Programs.
Question 4: During a search authorized by a warrant, an officer finds evidence of an additional unrelated crime not covered by the warrant. The officer should:
- Seize all evidence immediately under plain view doctrine and seek additional authorization (Correct answer)
- Ignore the additional evidence to avoid complicating the original investigation
- Seize the additional evidence without any further authorization
- Leave the scene and return with a new warrant before documenting anything
Correct answer: Seize all evidence immediately under plain view doctrine and seek additional authorization
The plain view doctrine allows seizure of evidence of other crimes discovered during a lawful search, but officers should seek additional authorization as appropriate.
Question 5: An RCMP officer is offered a promotion in exchange for providing a superior with information about colleagues' personal lives and off-duty activities. The officer should:
- Provide limited, non-sensitive information to advance their career
- Refuse and report the inappropriate request through proper channels (Correct answer)
- Agree but limit information to avoid harming colleagues
- Consult a union representative before deciding
Correct answer: Refuse and report the inappropriate request through proper channels
Exchanging colleagues' private information for personal advancement is a serious breach of trust and must be reported.
Question 6: A member of the public files a complaint against an officer alleging use of excessive force. Before the formal investigation is complete, the officer's supervisor should:
- Dismiss the complaint if the officer has a good service record
- Pre-emptively reassign the officer to desk duties to protect the investigation's integrity (Correct answer)
- Publicly defend the officer to maintain public confidence in the force
- Take no action until the investigation is complete
Correct answer: Pre-emptively reassign the officer to desk duties to protect the investigation's integrity
Reassigning an officer subject to an excessive force investigation to non-operational duties protects the integrity of the investigation and public safety.
Question 7: An officer is uncomfortable with an order to conduct surveillance on a peaceful political protest. The officer should:
- Refuse the assignment immediately
- Carry out the assignment without question as ordered
- Seek clarification on the legal authority for the surveillance before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Conduct the surveillance but document personal objections in a private journal
Correct answer: Seek clarification on the legal authority for the surveillance before proceeding
Officers should seek clarification on legal authority for operations that may implicate Charter rights, including freedom of assembly.
RCMP Ethical Decision-Making 4
An officer is under significant personal financial stress and is tempted to retain a small amount of cash found at a crime scene that is unlikely to be claimed.
This action would be: