Making a public complaint against an RCMP member

You may make a public complaint against an RCMP police officer, a civilian member or a supernumerary special constable about their conduct. The RCMP member must be performing their duties at the time of the conduct concern.

To report a concern:

• contact any RCMP detachment,
• contact the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) for the RCMP, or
  • Online:
    Complete and submit the online complaint form (This online form cannot be e-mailed.)
  • By Telephone or Fax:
    Call from anywhere in Canada: 1-800-665-6878
    TTY: 1-866-432-5837
    Print and complete the complaint form in PDF [170Kb] and fax the completed form 613-960-6147.
  • By Mail:
    Print and complete the complaint form in PDF [170Kb] and mail the completed form to:
    Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP
    National Intake Office
    P.O. Box 1722, Station B
    Ottawa, ON K1P 0B3
• contact the provincial authority that is responsible for the receipt of complaints against the police in the province in which the subject matter of the complaint arose.

You can also make a public complaint if you were not directly involved in the situation but the Commission and the RCMP may refuse to deal with the complaint.  

Public complaints are to be made within one year of the alleged conduct occurring. If more than one year has gone by, the complainant can still make a complaint but will need to explain why there was a delay. The RCMP or the CRCC will decide whether the one year timeline will be extended.

If you are under the age of 13, you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when making a public complaint.

Reasons to place a public complaint

Breaches of conduct can include one or more of the following:

• Improper attitude
• Improper use of force
• Irregularity in procedure
• Driving irregularity
• Neglect of duty
• Mishandling of property
• Evidence irregularity
• Oppressive conduct
• Improper arrest
• Improper search of persons, vehicles or premises
• Inadequate service

How public complaints are handled

1. Informal resolution: The complainant and subject member(s) meet to discuss a resolution to the complaint that is satisfactory to all.
2. By investigation: If the public complaint cannot be resolved informally, a thorough and efficient investigation will be done.
3. Refused: Depending on the circumstances, the RCMP may refuse to conduct an investigation.

If you are unsatisfied with how the RCMP managed your public complaint, you can request a review be made by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP. The request for review must be made within 60 days of receiving the RCMP’s final report.

More information

If you have a question or comment about making a public complaint against an RCMP member, please contact your local RCMP detachment or contact The Civilian Review & Complaints Commission (CRCC).

The RCMP does not accept public complaints against employees of other police forces.

Related links:

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Act
• Civilian Review & Complaints Commission (CRCC)