True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: October, 2016
O.49, Superintendent Richard Burton Deane
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
As a police organization, the RCMP differs significantly in one marked way from the Canadian Armed Forces; police officers, most especially at the rank of Constable, are expected and authorized to use good discretion in the administration and enforcement of the law whereas a soldier operates closely under a very strict chain of command and control. Nevertheless, to function effectively and efficiently both types of organizations require good order, professional conduct and strict discipline.
The RCMP would not exist today without a solid set of rules and regulations to guide its membership.One could argue whether or not the RCMP's Rules and Regulations have sufficient muscle or indeed adequate sanctions for contemporary times and the often unruly manner of its police officers, but stretching back to the early days of the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) Rules and Regulations have acted as the mechanics which were intended to provide good order and discipline. NWMP history holds that the original set of Rules and Orders published in 1889 were attributed to the work, experience, skilful ability and insight of Superintendent Richard Burton Deane.
In his notable book entitled Mounted Police In Canada, originally published in 1916, Richard Deane revealed that he was born in India in 1848 and into a family with a long and distinguished military tradition. Deane obtained a Commission in the Royal Marines in 1866 after graduating from the prestigious Royal Military College at Sandhurst with unquestioned discipline, hard work and rigour at its core. He resigned his Commission, and he immigrated to Canada in 1883. But, the effects of Sandhurst would mark Deane's personality forever and the lessons which he learned at Sandhurst would benefit him years later most especially when he began to formulate administrative and policy matters in the early days of the North West Mounted Police(NWMP).
Captain Richard Deane arrived at 'Depot' Division in Regina, SK in early July, 1883. He was accompaniedby his wife, their five children, and a domestic servant. He was very quick to notice that up until that time, little effort had been made within the NWMP for general orders and regulations, which he believed were,"...the driving force to compel the wheels of the machine to turn smoothly" (Deane: p.3). The total absence of regulations left Deane unimpressed -- he had been forewarned by colleagues in Ottawa that 'Depot' was in a state of chaos, and that the Mounted Police themselves were no more than an unruly and "armed mob". Deane may have suffered a mild shock at 'Depot' especially after having left a right, tight ship at Sandhurst, and he undoubtedly mused to himself, "Now that I've arrived at 'Depot', things will begin to suddenly change, and for the better. Lackadaisical ways in the NWMP are over".
Unquestionably, Dean's background with the Royal Marines at Sandhurst was advantageous for the task ahead. He was designated as the Officer responsible to compose the first draft of rules and regulations for the NWMP, and he appeared unfazed by the challenge. Deane said, "The Mounted Police Force had been in existence for ten years and had not a standing order or regulation of any kind. I was expected to remedy this defect and, as I had been for five years adjutant of a division of Royal Marines, consisting of 3,500 non-commissioned officers and men, beside officers, and had served afloat and ashore for close to sixteen years, it was child's play to me to draft regulations for a little force of 500 men when once I had become acquainted with the conditions of life and service in the country". (Deane: p.3.). Deane had already noticed an obvious breakdown of discipline at 'Depot', so he placed high priority on drafting new rules and regulations for the NWMP. Heset his quick mind on drafting a host of new regulations, and then he hoped to receive official authority to launch the procedures into legal effect.
Briefly, Deane undertook the task of drafting new NWMP Rules and Regulations by dividing the job into two distinct parts; first, to institute a Constable's Manual comprised of Criminal Laws which Mounted Police could carry about, and refer to whenever necessary, and second, to write Standing Orders by researching various discipline manuals which were already in effect in other police jurisdictions such as the Irish Constabulary and the Melbourne, Australia Police Force. Another methodology Deane employed was to conduct personal interviews with sitting magistrates to gain better insights into the drafting of proposed discipline procedures. Deane was highly experienced, and he was the right person for the task, but along the way he met days of despair and discouragement.
To other people looking on, it might have appeared that Deane was too keen in his quest to finish the firstdraft of the Constable's Manual, and there's no question that he was eager to insert some long overdue Rules and Regulations into the NWMP. Little did he realize the possibility of roadblocks being placed in his way. For instance, after devoting considerable time to the Constable's Manual, he was shocked to learn that Ottawa did not share his enthusiasm for the project. Deane said, "So far as any idea of a "Constable's Manual" was concerned, the Police Department at Ottawa had no interest in, nor any sympathy with, any such project. My manuscript was promptly consigned to a pigeon-hole, where it remained until a sympatric fire came along some years later and made an end of it and other records in the department building at Ottawa." (Deane: p.5). Deane did not dwell on his first set-back with the Constable's Manual, instead he turned his attention to the next priority -- the formulation of local post regulations or Standing Orders.
Deane's idea of Post Standing Orders came about in a rather humorous way. One day, at 'Depot', Deane overheard another Officer talking about a particular duty that the Officer was supposed to perform. But themore the Officer talked, Deane could not make any reasonable connection between what the Officer was talking about and the specific job rightfully assigned to the Officer. Deane concluded that the Officer was wasting precious time, Deane said, "After I got to know him better, he told me that he did not know what his duties were, and that he had never received any orders on the subject". (Deane: p.5). Deane's conversation withthe Officer was actually the impetus for drafting a tool kit of jobs which would eventually fit every constable. Undoubtedly, Deane was on the cusp of a new idea; to help every constable understand his duties and responsibly -- listed one by one on paper.
Richard Burton Deane recognized that no organization could survive without clear rules of behaviour andexpectations. The Bible spoke of moral laws, while each organization in contemporary society has its own norms of behaviour. When one considers his organizational creativity, Superintendent Deane may have been ahead of his time. He will long be remembered as a very smart, efficient and able administrator. He could well be addressed as: 'Father Rule, Father Regulator'.
After a long thirty year career in the NWMP, Deane went to retirement -- some said he should have quit earlier. It was well known that Deane spoke his piece forcefully, and that he was a torment to many of his superiors and also to many politicians. After six years in retirement, Deane wrote his book: Mounted Police In Canada, and it captures Deane's absolute contempt for inefficiency, laziness or any taint of corruption. He left the NWMP far better off then he found it.
The RCMP's Rules and Regulations of today are not the same as in the day of Superintendent Richard Deane. But the underlying message of honesty, hard work, service and dedication, and respect for each other harkens back to Deane's day at 'Depot'. Deane's pickiness for detail has to be put into the context of the day, and in the early days of the NWMP there were no rules, no regulations. It is all to Deane's credit that he put teeth into the underdeveloped gums of the NWMP by drafting its first set of Rules and Regulations.
Superintendent Deane was an honest, well disciplined and hard working police officer. That's what counts. He has to be given some leeway for whatever quirky manners he exhibited and his sometimes curt personality.
Eventually, Richard Burton Deane returned to England to live out his retirement. He died on December13th, 1930 while visiting Diano Marina, Italy.
His grave has not yet been found. xR. I. P.
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
October 23, 2016
Deane, Richard Burton. (2001). Mounted Police In Canada.Prospero Books. 2001.
Cassell and Company edition. 1916
