(Regina) A report on how the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) responded to a shooting and manhunt in Saskatchewan found some communications problems, but nothing that had a significant impact on the result.
Police arrested Myles Sanderson three days after he killed 11 people and injured 17 others in the James Smith Cree Nation and the neighboring village of Weldon.
Mr Sanderson, aged 32, died of a cocaine overdose shortly after his arrest.
On Thursday, the RCMP released a report, conducted by Alberta Mounties, assessing the police response in 2022 and recommending improvements.
“Overall, the review team did not identify any common underlying circumstances that would have significantly hampered the RCMP’s ability to manage the response to the event (of the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon),” the report states.
“At the same time, certain areas for improvement have been identified with the underlying aim of improving responses to similar future situations. »
The team that produced the report included an observer from the Federation of Sovereign Aboriginal Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan.
Appropriate response time
The James Smith Cree Nation had raised concerns that officers should have responded more quickly to the stabbings, but the report concluded that the response time was appropriate and that the first call for intervention “n ‘could not have been rationalized any more than it already was.’
The report indicates that the situation unfolded quickly after the first report of the attacks reached the Melfort RCMP detachment before 6 a.m. on September 4, 2022.
A police officer was present, but he had to wait for his partner to arrive at the station. Nine minutes later, they left.
More calls came in as they headed toward the First Nation. They arrived in 28 minutes.
As the situation evolved, the RCMP decided to open its senior divisional emergency operations center in Regina. But at times, the report said, it was not clear who was in charge.
Confusion in communications
The confusion was evident on September 7, when police chased Mr. Sanderson in a stolen truck. Two senior commanders called for forcing the vehicle off the road, but they did not call on another commander to oversee the tactic.
The report says it would have taken too long to bring everyone up to speed at that point; this decision was therefore justified. But he recommends that next time, the RCMP clearly communicate that the division’s emergency operations center has overall authority.
Other communication problems were also noted during the manhunt, which took place on the ground and in the air.
The report said crews were inundated with requests for police officers and pilots were unclear from whom they should take their instructions. This led them to steal “without much purpose.”
At one point on September 7, when Mr. Sanderson was spotted in the town of Wakaw, all the planes were refueling.
“This caused a delay at a critical time and may have highlighted one of the key issues in this incident,” it said.
These problems could be solved by having a flight coordinator to manage the pilots, the report said.
Improvements made
In response to the report, the force said it had since changed its procedures and would now appoint an “air chief”.
The report adds that communications problems also occurred when some information from the call center about Mr Sanderson’s whereabouts did not reach decision-makers.
The RCMP said in future crises it would embed a criminal analyst and a major crimes investigator into its call center.
She added that she has since implemented a new command structure for major incidents, including better technology to allow investigators to communicate in real time.
The force also purchased radios that work better in and around the James Smith Cree Nation.
The report commends the RCMP for its assistance in the wake of the killings, allowing families to grieve and hold ceremonies before the bodies were removed for autopsies. The officers also kept the victims informed of the condition of their homes which needed to be restored.
The report says there were times when bodies were exposed to the public. The RCMP has since purchased tents and portable walls that can be used to block views.
Better relations with First Nations
However, the families said they believe more can be done to improve relations with the James Smith Cree Nation, recommending the RCMP attend events and hold regular meetings with leaders.
In response, the RCMP said the Melfort detachment was doing its best to participate in the events, but had a small number of personnel. He said he is committed to helping the community recover.
There have been several other reviews into the stabbings.
A report investigating why Mr Sanderson was on parole at the time, despite a history of violent attacks, found there was no way to predict his actions, but asked staff for more time of the parole board to carry out assessments.
The coroner’s inquest into the attacks recommended the RCMP have full specialized teams and improve its relationships and communications with the James Smith Cree Nation.
Another investigation that determined Mr. Sanderson died of an accidental overdose while in custody called for increased police training on high-speed chases.