True and Fascinating Canadian History
Honouring the RCMP's Sesquicentennial: 1873 - 2023
The Police Officer's Oath
And The Murders in Nova Scotia
April 18th and 19th, 2020
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
It is an extremely rare event in the history of Canadian policing that a senior member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reaffirms in public and on national television the sacred oath which all police officers undertake on the day in which one becomes a police officer.
However, such was the case on August 16th, 2022 when RCMP Chief Superintendent Darren Campbell told a House of Commons Committee on Parliament Hill that his lifelong promise was to always fulfill his oath as a police officer. Haley Ryan of CBC News Ottawa was at the Committee hearing that day, and she quoted Chief Superintendent Campbell who said, "The principle was the oath that I swore to uphold as a young recruit over three decades ago, I could not and would not break that oath." It was not surprising to anyone who knows Chief Superintendent Campbell that his understanding of the truth, his commitment to abide by the truth, and his promise to maintain high ethical standards in every police activity had never been questioned.
But, sadly there are some police officers in Canada who have forgotten their oath, or are not so committed to high ethical standards in law enforcement. That underlying breakdown in ethics and concealing the truth may partly explain the lack of trust which many Canadians have expressed over the past two and one half years to the Mass Casualty Commission in Halifax, NS. As Canadians, we too are partly to blame for tolerating obvious RCMP misconduct, and because we do not complain often enough to our elected officials.
The purpose of this short essay is to explore the police officer's oath, particularly trust, then we will contrast the components of the oath to four men and the behaviour which each of them have demonstrated in the public's eye. The four men chosen are; first, RCMP Chief Superintendent Darren Campbell, who was the principal spokesperson on TV after the murders in Nova Scotia, and who appeared in 2022 as a police witness before the Mass Casualty Commission, second, Mr Franck Gervais, a Quebec man who wore illegal military gear in public, and was subsequently charged in court for impersonation of a Canadian soldier. His behaviour was bizarre. Third, a Kingston, ON resident, Mr Warren Thwing who once dressed up in the RCMP uniform and posted the photos on Facebook. His house was raided on May 7th, 2020 by a heavily armed RCMP Swat Team in the early morning hours, and he was arrested and charged for Impersonation of an RCMP constable. He spent two weeks in jail. Eventually, the charges were dropped, but Mr Thwing was left in a state of shock and he now suffers from depression.
And fourth, Staff Sergeant Brad Hampson who retired from the Ottawa City Police some years ago. His behaviour is considered very risky and highly unusual for a retired police officer. He often appears in public dressed up like an RCMP (police officer) all decked out in authentic RCMP kit and clothing. He looks much like the real McCoy, and he can easily be mistaken for a legitimate RCMP (police officer). His case is unique. He doesn't wear his own Ottawa City Police uniform, instead he masquerades as an RCMP Staff Sergeant. He dresses up in authentic RCMP paraphernalia which makes his behaviour in public very, very confusing to spectators. One can spot similarities in the antics of Mr Thwing and those of retired Ottawa Staff Sergeant Brad Hampson. One might learn a lesson or two about ethics or the lack of ethics from all four men. First, the oath.
The oath which police officers undertake often varies from one jurisdiction to another, and from country to country, but they all have several similarities. The police officer's oath expresses the essential components of natural law and moral standards; a strong sense of justice, to tell the truth, and an early recognition of the difference between right and wrong. Many law enforcement agencies, including the Winnipeg City Police also attach a Code of Ethics to the police officer's oath.
A Code of Ethics touches on professional values, for example; to guard one's integrity, to uphold the law, and to afford people equal protection under the law. There is little need to belabor the point about the oath -- police officers in most countries around the world are honest and forthright men and women and that certainly pertains to the vast majority of members of the RCMP. Certainly in the lower ranks. But, the startling, disconserting and shocking failures of several senior RCMP Officers in Halifax, NS and Ottawa, ON have been well annunicated and publicized by the Mass Casualty Commisssion looking into the murders in Nova Scotia in 2020.
The RCMP Commissioner herself said that Canadians, certainly in Nova Scotia, have lost all trust in the RCMP. Unfortunately, the Commissioner was less than reassuring. She did not mention one single, measurable change or goal that would begin to put the RCMP back on track. She missed an opportunity on TV, for instance, to announce a necessary change to the proliferation of RCMP uniforms which the RCMP handed out to hundreds and hundreds of volunteers who should not be wearing authentic RCMP uniforms, adorned by all the RCMP paraphernalia. Volunteers masquerade in the RCMP uniform, but they are impostors.
One example of a police officer's oath which encompasses a Code of Ethics comes from the Los Angeles Police Department. It says,
"On my honor, I will never betray my integrity, my character or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always maintain the highest ethical standards and uphold the values of my community, and the police agency I serve." (Google: Police Officer's Oath). In the world of policing, rumours fly furious and fast, and it does not take long for one's reputation to be set and well known -- a police officer is either reputed to be trustworthy one hundred percent of the time or has questionable taste and trust.
There are some police officers in Canada for whom an oath is not necessary. Trustworthiness is inbred in their DNA. At all levels of the RCMP, Chief Superintendent Darren Campbell has always been known as one of the most trustworthy police officers to ever don the RCMP uniform. I have known him as a professional friend for many, many years.
For years and years, Darren Campbell's father was a long serving and honourable member of the RCMP. Darren was born and raised in Nova Scotia. He joined the RCMP in Halifax, NS in 1990 and he undertook the police officer's oath. The significance of the oath guided his life and his successful police career. His engagement into the Force was followed by Basic Recruit Training in Regina, SK. Later in 1990, he was posted to British Columbia where he worked as a street constable. As he gained experience, his talents and skills with suspects and confessions became evident to senior Officers, and he was transferred into major crime investigations; murder, sexual assaults, robbery with violence, and gangs and guns. He was the Team Commander of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team. He possessed an 'ole time reputation of compassion for the underdog on the streets of BC's Lower Mainland.
Darren Campbell was also reputed to be a hard worker, honest, dependable and bound by a personal code of fairness and justice. He received regular promotions, and his work in serious investigations led to two highly sought after professional courses; first, the Major Crime Course held at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa, and this was followed by the Major Crime Management Course offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) which was held in Quantico, VA, USA. He received his Commission to Inspector in 2016. Darren Campbell was reputed to be highly disciplined, insightful and intuitive and certainly more advanced than many of his peers. Soon, he was transferred to RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa where he was exposed to a broad national perspective of Canadian policing. After a few years at "HQ", he expressed a desire to return to the Maritimes, so he accepted a posting to Halifax, NS, and it was here that he was immersed and deeply engaged in the management of the murders in Nova Scotia over April 18th and 19th 2020.
To sum up Chief Superintendent Campbell's professional career as a police officer, one can say that his integrity is intact, his character is beyond approach, he has the public's trust, and he has always maintained the highest ethical standards. Senior Officers in the RCMP, both in Halifax and Ottawa could learn a good lesson from Chief Superintendent Campbell, and follow his example. Mr Ryan Farrington lost his mother Dawn Madsen and stepfather Frank Gulenchyn in the Nova Scotia mass shooting. When asked whether he forgives Chief Superintendent Campbell and the RCMP, Farrington said he still "struggles" with that. He added, "I forgive Mr. Campbell." "As for the RCMP, I still think there needs to be work."(MacIvor: 2022). Mr. Farrington recognized the sincerity of Chief Superintendent Campbell's honesty and compassion. A police officer cannot ask for more than that.
The story of Mr Franck Gervais was reported in the Ottawa Citizen on June 2, 2020. The incident is summarized here. On November 11th 2014, Mr Gervais wore a Canadian soldier's uniform to the National War Memorial in Ottawa, ON. He impersonated a decorated soldier on Remembrance Day. He was 33. After the Memorial Service, Ottawa Police charged Gervais with impersonating a public officer and misleading the use of a badge or uniform under the Criminal Code of Canada. He pleaded guilty to unlawfully wearing a uniform and medals — including one for bravery — that he had bought online.
After sentencing, Gervais asked for forgiveness for the hurt that he had caused, and he took full responsibility for his criminality. He was not a police officer, yet he was called to account based on his impersonation of a Canadian soldier.
To sum up, Mr Gervais was not a police officer, but he should have known the difference between right from wrong. He disguised himself as a Canadian soldier, and he got caught cheating. His criminality had a crushing effect on his personal reputation. In the future people will recall his misjudgement. They may mistrust him. The whole mess could have been prevented. People live in harmony with each other only when they can trust each other.
The whole issue of Canadians who are in possession of RCMP kit and clothing may have to be examined in court. One is reminded of the Warren Thwing story in Kingston, ON as reported by the CBC on August 18th, 2022. Briefly, Thwing was a collector of RCMP paraphernalia. He was not a police officer, and he was not entitled to wear the RCMP uniform. He too got caught cheating.
Mr. Thwing's lifelong dream was to join the Mounties, but he was too short. He ran afoul of the law because he posted photos of himself dressed up in the RCMP scarlet tunic and a pair of blue pants with yellow stripes. He posted the photos on Facebook, and they came to the attention of the RCMP in Kingston.
Acting on a tip about his RCMP memorabilia collection, and in the wake of the Nova Scotia mass shooting, Mr Thwing was subjected to a no-knock entry by the RCMP, and his collection of RCMP material was seized. He was also in possession of an antique handgun. A detective with the Kingston City Police said in the application for a search warrant, "I believe that it is likely that if a member of the public had seen Thwing … that that person would believe that Thwing was a peace officer."
Mr Thwing's desire to look like an RCMP constable saw him locked up for two weeks, and he was charged in criminal court. Apparently, the charges were dropped. Most of his collection was returned except for the scarlet tunic and the pants. Now two years later, he is fighting to clear his name. As a result of the bad experience, jail and the prosecution, the glitter of the RCMP's name is gone from Mr Thwing's mind.
Mr Thwing paid a high price for his disguise, and he too got caught cheating. He admired the RCMP and its history, and he was proud of the extensive collection that he had acquired over many, many years. Yet, he was irresponsible by his actions. He should have never dressed up in the scarlet tunic of the RCMP or posted the photos of himself in authentic RCMP kit and clothing. He admitted he did wrong, but he never anticipated such severe blow-back and repercussions. His reputation has suffered, and he is now in a state of depression.
This is not a personal attack on retired Ottawa City Police Staff Sergeant Brad Hampson, but it seems he has forgotten the police officer's oath. Here's a quick review. The police officer's oath encompasses the recognition between right and wrong, and a promise to choose right over wrong. The police officer's oath stresses truth and honesty. It places a strong accent on high ethical and moral standards.
But, all of these prominent and very human values mean nothing if a police officer chooses an action with even a whiff of impropriety attached to it such as masquerading in public in an RCMP uniform. First, it's dangerous especially if one is unarmed, and secondly, Brad Hampson may not have solid legal authority to dress up in the RCMP uniform. Any rationale for wearing an RCMP uniform which identifies him as an active member of the RCMP must be grounded in law. According to some RCMP, he is skating on thin ice. Brad Hampson is not an active police officer, and he surely is not a member of the RCMP. Mr Thwing discovered in Kingston that he was not above the law.
A killer massacred 22 people in and around Portapique, NS, including Constable Heidi Stevenson. It was April 18th and 19th, 2020. The killer evaded police officers for 13 hours, in part because he was driving a fake RCMP cruiser and he was disguised in an authentic RCMP uniform. He was fake, but he looked like a legitimate RCMP constable. Likewise, volunteers who disguise themselves to look like members of the RCMP are also fake. Solid ethics and good professional behaviour is expected of retired police officer Brad Hampson. His antics in the RCMP uniform which identifies him as a police officer are simply wrong. He should recognize his faults. It smells unpleasant whenever anyone masquerades in a police officer's uniform. The impostor in Nova Scotia played on disguise, deception, lies and trickery.
Brad Hampson is a good person, but he's far off base when he frequently dresses up in the RCMP uniform. He is solely a volunteer. He places himself in harm's way, and there always exists a possibility that he could be attacked by an assailant. This unusual behaviour as a volunteer leaves him open to fair criticism including his diminished common sense. His antics are deceptive, and they play a dishonest trick on spectators eyes. Furthermore, he does emotional harm to every honourable RCMP member who has ever worn the iconic scarlet tunic. One RCMP Officer told me, "If he wants to dress up in the RCMP uniform, tell him to go to 'Depot'. Again.
Since 1873, the scarlet tunic of the RCMP has represented Canada around the world. Brad Hampson does not know Canadian history, but the scarlet tunic of the RCMP spells tradition, honour, sacrifice and justice. As I have already pointed out, he is not a police officer and he is not a member of the RCMP. Another senior RCMP Officer said, "How would Brad Hampson feel if I were to wear the uniform of the Ottawa City Police then prance and parade down Elgin St in Ottawa.?" It is highly doubtful that the Chief of Police would give an RCMP constable authorization to wear the uniform of the Ottawa City Police. Anyone in authority such as a Chief of an police is well aware of the law, specifically S.130CC (Impersonation of a Peace Officer). It's very unfortunate, but it seems obvious that Brad Hampson does not recognize the danger to himself when he plays dressup in the RCMP uniform, nor does he understand the hurtful effects to RCMP members because of his actions which are highly inconsiderate.
When Brad Hampson wears authentic RCMP kit and clothing in public, Canadians mistake him for a legitimate police officer by the uniform he wears which is also adorned with authentic police paraphernalia such as RCMP badges, buttons, and rank insignia. In my books, he is sneaky, and that is precisely the message which I reported to RCMP Commissioner Lucki at least two months prior to the murders which took place in Nova Scotia. I complained about the proliferation of authentic RCMP kit and clothing handed out to volunteers. The Commissioner did nothing about my complaints, nor did several other senior RCMP Officers including the Corps Sergeant Major (CSM). I told Commissioner Lucki that all the Officers involved in this kit and clothing scheme were irresponsible.
The RCMP has lost the trust of Canadians because many of its senior leaders tolerate questionable and sneaky tactics. The senior RCMP Officers in Ottawa and in Nova Scotia simply do not have the trust of Canadians, and their failures shine a huge spotlight on the lack of truthfulness of the RCMP Commissioner and her clique at the very top of the Force. Canadians only want the truth. The Officers in Ottawa and Nova Scotia should review the oath they once made, and then start telling the truth.
The idea of volunteers in disguise and wearing the RCMP uniform is a clear example of Canadians distrusting the RCMP. It points to Brad Hampson as it does to all volunteers who masquerade in the authentic uniform of the RCMP. The volunteers should all be ashamed of themselves -- they have other garment options that do not identify them as police officers. In the eyes of spectators, this behaviour is simply wrong. Brad Hampson has crossed the line as measured by good ethical behaviour.
RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki appeared at the Mass Casualty Commission on August 23rd and August 24th, 2022. It was an embarrassing episode as a Commissioner. It was painful for Canadians to listen. She said that the RCMP presently lacks the trust of Canadians, and for a good example, she could have offered the deception by volunteers who wear the RCMP uniform in public. But, sadly she didn't. She "also told the public inquiry how the mass shooting in Nova Scotia became a "turning point" where residents lost faith in the Mounties, following criticism from the public and media which spiraled into low morale across the forces' ranks and a spike in retirements or transfers." (Ryan: 2022). The Commissioner's assessment about the lack of trust in the RCMP is sad, disgusting as well as disheartening. Volunteers who dress up in public and identify as police officers are contributing to the problem. Brad Hampson's identity in the RCMP uniform is problematic. He is cheating, and that is a true reflection of unethical behaviour.
And finally, it's only a matter of time before a serious complaint is made to the Ottawa City Police about the behaviour of Brad Hampson, and the hundreds of other volunteers who mascarade in the RCMP uniform as Mr Thwing once did. Again, a Kingston City Police detective said in the application for a search warrant, "I believe that it is likely that if a member of the public had seen Thwing … that that person would believe that Thwing was a peace officer." (Zach Dubinsky, Jonathon Gatehouse and Marnie Luke. (CBC:2022). This evaluation could very well apply to Brad Hampson. Spectators believe he is an RCMP (police officer). He is not a police officer, and he is not a member of the RCMP.
Brad Hampson and all volunteers who dress up in the RCMP uniform should note the advice offered by the Kingston City Police.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
August 25, 2022
Campbell, Francis.Mass killer ‘obsessed’ with RCMP vehicles, uniforms, gear, MCC hears. Multimedia Journalist. Mass Casualty Commission. April 25, 2022
Dimmock, Gary. Phoney soldier Franck Gervais sentenced to probation, community service. Ottawa Citizen. August 4th, 2015. Larocque, David. A Sheep in Wolf's Clothing. What you should know about Military Impersonators Esprit de Corps. Canadian Military Magazine. No date
MacIvor, Angela. We failed you: Senior Mountie apologizes to families of mass shooting victims. CBC News. July 26, 2022.
Ryan, Haley. High-ranking Mountie insists Lucki pressed him about releasing gun details after N.S. shooting. CBC News. August 16, 2022
Ryan, Haley. RCMP head says claims of political interference after N.S. mass shooting 'not based on fact'. CBC News. August 23, 2022
Zach Dubinsky, Jonathon Gatehouse and Marnie Luke. RCMP superfan in [Kingston] Ontario spent 2 weeks in jail following N.S. massacre. CBC News. August 18, 2022.