RCMP launches its Open Government strategy

OTTAWA, ON, May 18, 2023 /CNW/ - The RCMP is releasing its Transparency and Trust Strategy and Action Plan to the public today.

The RCMP recognizes that policing today is different than it was five years ago. Public trust in policing has decreased. The RCMP is taking action to be more open and transparent, while building and strengthening trust in law enforcement.

The RCMP is working to improve transparency to create an organization that is more open, trusted, efficient and responsive. The RCMP's plan is to provide Canadians, stakeholders and partners with valuable information. This will encourage open dialogue, enhance trust and accountability, and help to improve community policing services.  

A key component in achieving these goals is public engagement. Any time the RCMP posts information or data on the Open Government portal, there is an opportunity for the public to comment and provide feedback in the comments section. We encourage Canadians to get involved and we will increase ways in which they can do so.  

Quote:

"Open Government and police transparency is about a culture change. The RCMP is moving from an organization that is closed by design, to open by design. This will be done while respecting security and privacy at every step. Transparency can foster trust, drive change and improve policing services. Providing its employees, partners and Canadians access to valuable data will help keep the RCMP accountable. Tracking performance and results, policies and services are a few examples of how this will be accomplished. Giving Canadians access to more information will help them be better informed and reduce mis or dis-information. This will ultimately help everyone."

Jeff Ball
A/Executive Director
Analytics, Data, and Information Management Branch

Quick facts:

• 2018 - RCMP develops Vision 150 and Beyond, representing an ambitious path towards a modern, inclusive and trusted RCMP.
• 2020 - RCMP publishes three data sets to its external web page, along with a narrative and basic data visualization to assist readers in understanding the data and its complexity. Although the data sets were not released in a format aligned to Government of Canada's Directive of Open Government requirements, they were an important first step in paving the way forward for more open government activities at the RCMP.
• 2021 - RCMP creates an Open Government and Data Governance directorate, dedicating full-time resources to the advancement of Open Government at the RCMP.
• 2022 - RCMP contributes to Canada's 5th National Action Plan on Open Government and commits to increasing open data releases, developing a data inventory and establishing a multi-stakeholder forum and an internal working group to advance transparency across the RCMP.

SOURCE Royal Canadian Mounted Police

RCMP Media Relations, 613-843-5555, [email protected]