Robert Wilfred Paulson, COM (born 1958) is a former Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He retired from the RCMP at the end of June 2017.
Bob Paulson | |
|---|---|
 Paulson speaking at the opening of the 65th Glengarry Highland Games in 2012 | |
| 23rd Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police | |
| In office November 21, 2011 – June 30, 2017 | |
| Minister | |
| Preceded by | William Elliott |
| Succeeded by | Dan Dubeau (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Wilfred Paulson 1958 (age 65–66) Lachute, Quebec, Canada |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Alma mater | Simon Fraser University |
| Occupation | Police, Member of Canadian Forces[1] |
Life and career
editPaulson was born in Lachute, Quebec in 1958. His father was an Icelandic Canadian from Winnipeg and his mother was French Canadian. Growing up, he was a member of Cadets Canada.[2] Paulson's older brother was a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Canadian Navy.[3]
RCAF career (1975-1984)
editPaulson joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Pilot after high school,[2] serving from 1977 - 1984. He worked as a flight instructor and aviation administrator at CFB Moose Jaw and CFB North Bay. He left the Canadian Forces in 1984.
RCMP career (1986-2017)
editFollowing his military career, Paulson spent two years at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby and then joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a Cadet in 1986.[2] Paulson's first posting was to the Chilliwack RCMP Detachment. He spent the next 19 years in various RCMP postings in British Columbia before being transferred to National Headquarters in Ottawa.[4] Paulson was the driving force behind Operation E-Pandora against the Hells Angels East End Vancouver chapter. In 2006 Paulson told the journalists William Marsden and Julian Sher: "The East End chapter is the most senior, the most powerful. If we were successful in taking them out, that's where we would have the most impact on their operations".[5] As part of E-Pandora, in October 2003 Paulson signed on the behalf of the RCMP the contract with the informer Michael Plante.[6]
From November 2010 to November 2011 Paulson served as the Deputy Commissioner for Federal Policing.
On 21 November 2011 Paulson was promoted to Commissioner,[7][8] one month following the release of his predecessor's recommendations about the Mayerthorpe killing spree.[9]
In December 2013 Paulson refused to comment on proposed changes to the way police deal with marijuana offences. He was quoted as saying "I'm a simple country cop, you know? I'm in the business of policing and others are in the business of policy and law".[10] However, the following year he opined "The people that use drugs are not the people we got to be bothering, right? We've got to be sort of helping them."[11]
As per RCMP memo RCMP Paulson retired on 30 June 2017,[12] one week before his glacial rollout of the C8 carbine was the crux in the Canadian Labour Code trial of the RCMP over the 2015 Bourque killing spree.[13] The result of the trial was the conviction of the organization led by Paulson for close to seven years.[14]
Awards
edit
Books
edit- Sher, Julian; Marsden, William (2006). Angels of Death: Inside the Bikers' Empire of Crime. Toronto: Alfred Knopf Canada. ISBN 9780307370327.
References
edit- ^ Fitzpatrick, Meagan (2011-11-16). "New top Mountie Paulson vows accountability". CBC. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- ^ a b c Hopper, Tristin (2011-11-16). "Bob Paulson took on bikers and terrorists". National Post. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- ^ "Transcript: Bob Paulson". MSNBC. 23 October 2019.
- ^ "Bob Paulson Biography". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
- ^ Sher & Marsden 2006, p. 432.
- ^ Bolan, Kim (27 January 2013). "Inside the Hells Angels Part 3: From informant to a key police agent". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "PM announces the appointment of the next Commissioner of the RCMP". Government of Canada. 16 November 2011.
- ^ Leblanc, Daniel (8 December 2011). "Paulson takes command of RCMP, pledging focus on 'core business'". The Globe and Mail Inc.
- ^ "Front-line RCMP officers to get high-powered guns". The Globe and Mail. 8 May 2018 [21 October 2011].
- ^ Crawford, Alison (2013-12-03). "Pot fine proposal draws no opinion from RCMP's Bob Paulson". CBC. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- ^ Stone, Laura (2014-09-24). "Lunch with RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson: Marijuana use 'not as big a deal as it used to be'". Global. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
- ^ "Search begins for new top Mountie as RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson says he'll retire in June". Toronto Star. March 6, 2017. Retrieved 2018-01-13.
- ^ "RCMP 'played the odds' with officer safety and it proved fatal, Crown argues". CBC. 4 July 2017.
- ^ "RCMP guilty of Labour Code violations in 2014 Moncton shooting spree". Maclean's, an arm of St. Joseph Communications. Canadian Press. 29 September 2017.
External links
edit- RCMP biography
- His award of Order of Merit of the Police Forces - Governor General of Canada's website
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