Review of the RCMP Vehicle Decommissioning Process

Final Report

July 2022

• Acronyms and abbreviations
• Executive summary
• Management's response
• Background
  • Review context
• Objective, scope and methodology
  • Objective
  • Scope
  • Methodology and criteria
  • Statement of conformance
• Observations
  • Governance
  • Information systems and decommissioning costs
  • Monitoring and oversight
• Appendices
  • Appendix A – Review objective and criteria
  • Appendix B – Management action plan
  • Appendix C – General decommissioning process map
  • Appendix D – Sample list of equipment removed from decommissioned vehicles
• End notes

Acronyms and abbreviations

AMM

Asset Management Manual

ARI

Automotive Resources International - credit card provider for fleet vehicles

DFSA

Delegation of Financial Signing Authorities Matrix

NWR

Northwest Region

OEM

Original Equipment Manufacturer

PG

Post Garage

RCMP

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

SDE

Service Desk Express

SOP

Standard Operating Procedures

SOW

Statement of Work

TB

Treasury Board

TEAM

Total Expenditures and Asset Management System

TMM

Transport Management Manual

Executive summary

Background

The RCMP has the largest law enforcement land fleet in North America, consisting of approximately 12,000 on-road vehicles and approximately 1,500 vehicles decommissioned annually at multiple sites across the country at both RCMP facilities and third-party service providers. As a result, the volume of vehicles and the level of effort to decommission vehicles presents many complexities, which the RCMP aims to address.

In January 2021, the Federal Minister of Public Safety temporarily suspended the sale of decommissioned RCMP vehicles. The Minister noted that the Government of Canada and the RCMP would examine the policies and practices currently in place and provide recommendations related to vehicle use after decommissioning. The decision to suspend the sale of decommissioned vehicles followed two high profile incidents (April 2020 and January 2021) where individuals used former decommissioned RCMP vehicles to impersonate police officers.

In April 2021, the Province of Nova Scotia enacted the Police Identity Management Act. The Act's purpose is "to increase public safety by preventing the use, possession, sale and fabrication of police articles, police uniforms, police vehicle markings and police vehicle equipment to further unlawful activity." ^{Endnote 1}

Why is this important

The Federal Minister of Public Safety's moratorium on the sale of decommissioned RCMP vehicles was put in place to determine whether the current decommissioning process remained appropriate and robust ^{Endnote 2}. The safety of the public and of police officers rests in part on being able to differentiate between an active RCMP police vehicle and a vehicle that has been made to look like a RCMP police vehicle. Public confidence and safety are at risk if decommissioned police vehicles are intentionally misused for criminal purposes or if vehicles are intentionally modified to impersonate policing vehicles.

The Province of Nova Scotia's Police Identity Management Act, enacted in April 2021, has legislated requirements for greater controls over the disposal of police vehicle markings and police vehicle equipment.

The findings and recommendations of this review will assist the RCMP in enhancing practices within its purview related to the decommissioning of police vehicles. Despite controls and procedures within the RCMP, external risk may still exist that vehicles, whether decommissioned or private use vehicles, may be intentionally modified to appear as policing vehicles.

Review objective and scope

The objective of this review was to assess whether the RCMP has an effective process in place that is consistently followed for the decommissioning of vehicles prior to disposal. The scope of the review included the vehicle decommissioning process, and an analysis of the cost of decommissioning vehicles. The review focused on the decommissioning of light duty policing vehicles including police pursuit vehicles and special service vehicles from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020.

The scope excluded the decommissioning process for covert vehicles and special purpose vehicles (e.g. Police Dog Services vehicles or vehicles used for explosives operations). Additionally, the review team did not conduct physical inspections at the RCMP's Post Garages due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Findings

Established controls are in place in the decommissioning process, however, there are opportunities for improvement. Despite sound processes and practices, controls can reduce the risk and opportunity for criminal or malicious intent, but they cannot guarantee that intentional misuse or intentional impersonation of a policing vehicle will never occur. The following aspects of the vehicle decommissioning process require management's consideration. The detailed observations and recommendations are discussed in the report that follows this executive summary.

Observation 1: An established governance framework supports the vehicle decommissioning process. Opportunities exist to strengthen national direction, decommissioning standards and related controls to document the decommissioning of vehicles.

Observation 2: A variety of information systems are used across the organization to track vehicle decommissioning and capture related costs. Opportunities exist to enhance the tracking of costs.

Observation 3: While monitoring of the decommissioning process occurs at the divisional level, enhancing existing monitoring and oversight mechanisms would strengthen the RCMP's vehicle decommissioning process.

Overall review opinion

The RCMP has a governance framework in place that supports the decommissioning process. This includes policies, established roles and responsibilities, and monitoring mechanisms at the divisional Post Garage. In response to the moratorium, National Fleet Management has requested increased reporting of decommissioning activities at the regional and divisional level and provided direction on decommissioning standards.

In addition to the process enhancements put in place in January and March 2021, the RCMP should strengthen the governance framework to support the decommissioning of police vehicles. The tracking and reporting of costs of decommissioning vehicles should be enhanced to support vehicle disposal decisions. The RCMP should improve national and regional monitoring and oversight over the vehicle decommissioning process.

Next steps

The management response and action plan developed in response to this report demonstrate the commitment from senior management to address the review findings and recommendations. RCMP Internal Audit will monitor the implementation of the management action plan and undertake a follow-up review if warranted.

Management's response

The Chief Financial Officer fully concurs with the findings of this review and acknowledges that opportunities exist to strengthen national direction, decommissioning standards and related controls to document the decommissioning of vehicles. Enhanced inspections have been developed and are implemented internal to the RCMP to strengthen the decommissioning process. Additionally, in order to further strengthen our internal processes, an independent firm has been contracted to conduct an environmental scan to understand how police agencies in Canada dispose of police vehicles and to identify best practices.

The Chief Financial Officer also agrees that opportunities exist to enhance the tracking and reporting of costs of decommissioning vehicles which will support cost-benefit analysis and decision-making. This would particularly support selection of disposal methods and determining the best value to the Crown. It should be highlighted, however, that costs related to decommissioning will continue to be incurred regardless of the disposal method due to the risk to RCMP Members and the Public.

The Chief Financial Officer also recognizes that monitoring and oversight over the vehicle decommissioning process could be strengthened. National Fleet Management is working with the Regions on developing a stringent decommissioning process with engagement of Public Services and Procurement Canada, GCSurplus as the Federal disposal authority. It should be noted, that oversight and monitoring of the decommissioning process would rest with the Regions, while monitoring and oversight of the disposal phase of the life cycle would rest with National (i.e. timely disposal, proper authorities etc).

Specific initiatives will be identified and elaborated on in the detailed Management Action Plan to be completed by the winter 2022 Departmental Audit Committee.

Other government departments and Canadian law enforcement agencies are looking to the RCMP for best practices pertaining to the decommissioning processes and it is hoped that the enhanced decommissioning processes of the RCMP developed as a result of this review will be of assistance to many.

Jen O'Donoughue
Chief Financial Officer

Background

Review context

The RCMP has the largest law enforcement land fleet in North America, consisting of approximately 12,000 on-road vehicles and approximately 1,500 vehicles decommissioned annually at multiple sites across the country at both RCMP facilities and third party service providers. As a result, the volume of vehicles and the level of effort to decommission vehicles presents many complexities which the RCMP aims to address.

In January 2021, the Federal Minister of Public Safety temporarily suspended the sale of decommissioned RCMP vehicles to ensure that the decommissioning process remained appropriate and robust. The Minister noted that the Government of Canada and the RCMP would examine the policies and practices currently in place and provide recommendations related to vehicle use after decommissioning.

The decision to suspend the sale of decommissioned vehicles followed two high profile incidents (April 2020 and January 2021) where individuals used former RCMP vehicles to impersonate police officers. Both incidents involved civilians who had purchased decommissioned police vehicles and outfitted them to look like police vehicles.

In April 2021, the Province of Nova Scotia enacted the Police Identity Management Act. The Act's purpose is "to increase public safety by preventing the use, possession, sale and fabrication of police articles, police uniforms, police vehicle markings and police vehicle equipment to further unlawful activity" ^{Endnote 3}. As per the Surplus Crown Assets Act, Public Services and Procurement Canada is responsible for the disposal of surplus assets on behalf of Government of Canada departments. For police vehicles, this is carried out by GCSurplus, an organization within Public Services and Procurement Canada.

The Treasury Board's (TB) Policy on Management of Materiel requires departments to ensure that a materiel management framework is in place, including disposal strategies, and monitoring and reporting systems. Furthermore, surplus assets should be disposed of in compliance with the TB Directive on Disposal of Surplus Materiel. If the estimated total costs of disposal are likely to exceed the proceeds of sale then the department must consider other disposal methods, such as transfer, donation and conversion to waste in an environmentally sustainable manner (recycling).

The RCMP's Asset Management Manual (AMM) and Transportation Management Manual (TMM) contain guidelines on the disposal of assets. Specifically, the TMM states that all vehicles should be inspected prior to disposal, and that all markings that identify the vehicle as being RCMP-owned must be removed.

The Commissioner approved an adjustment to the 2020-2021 to 2024-2025 Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan to enable this review to be undertaken.

Objective, scope and methodology

Objective

The objective of this review was to assess whether the RCMP has an effective process in place that is consistently followed for the decommissioning of vehicles prior to disposal.

Scope

The scope of the review included the vehicle decommissioning process, and an analysis of the cost of decommissioning vehicles. The review focused on the decommissioning of light duty policing vehicles including police pursuit vehicles and special service vehicles from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020.

The scope excluded the decommissioning process for covert vehicles and special purpose vehicles (e.g. Police Dog Services vehicles or vehicles used for explosives operations). Additionally, the Review team did not conduct physical inspections at the RCMP's post garages due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Methodology and criteria

The review was conducted between February 2021 and May 2021. The review team employed various techniques including interviews, documentation reviews and data analysis.

Specifically, the review team:

• conducted interviews with key personnel in Corporate Management & Comptrollership, Materiel and Moveable Assets, National Fleet Management, Regional Fleet Management, Divisional Fleet Management and Divisional Post Garages
• reviewed policy and procedural documents related to the decommissioning of police vehicles to assess governance, roles and responsibilities, monitoring and control mechanisms
• sampled 30 disposed vehicles from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020 ^{Endnote 4} to assess compliance with the decommissioning process, along with an analysis of decommissioning practices across the Force, as per Table 1 below
• used data analytics to determine whether total decommissioning costs were captured in the cost of sale

Detailed criteria are contained in Appendix A of this report.

Statement of conformance

The review engagement conforms applicable standards in the Institute of Internal Auditor's International Professional Practices Framework and the Treasury Board of Canada Directive on Internal Audit, as supported by the results of the quality assurance and improvement program.

Observations

Governance

Policy, procedures, and process

The RCMP's Asset Management Manual (AMM) and Transportation Management Manual (TMM) contain requirements for the disposal of assets.

As per the AMM ch.5.2 and TMM ch.7.1, the RCMP will ensure that all RCMP markings, inventory stickers, ammunition, drugs and hazardous substances, dangerous goods, classified, protective and sensitive information and equipment are removed before disposing of an asset.

Additionally, the TMM ch.7.1 was updated in February 2020 to reflect requirements related to removing contraband and hazardous substances from vehicles prior to disposal. Since February 2020, Form 6529 (Vehicle Inspection Tracking) is expected to accompany the vehicle from the detachment to Fleet and subsequently to GCSurplus prior to disposal. In March 2021, as a result of the moratorium, National Fleet Management directed GCSurplus and the regions to strengthen the removal of markings that may be perceived to be identified as a police vehicle, which included grinding off reflective markings of vehicles going for destruction. This was intended to ensure consistency in the method of removing markings from vehicles going for destruction.

The TMM ch.6.4 states that when decommissioning a vehicle, every effort will be made to minimize damage to the vehicle, so that it does not negatively impact the resale value of the vehicle. Moreover, when possible and economically feasible, equipment that has been removed should be reused on other vehicles.

The decommissioning of vehicles is a decentralized process that is overseen by Regional Fleet Management and managed by divisional Post Garages. Based on interviews with Regional Fleet Management and Post Garages, the decommissioning process varies across the Force. The review team developed a process map depicting the general decommissioning process across the Force (see Appendix C).

As per Table 2 below, the RCMP uses various providers (either internal or external) for the removal of RCMP equipment and markings (decals) across the divisions. Some divisions (e.g. H, J, L, and C Divisions) do not have RCMP Post Garages, therefore, decommissioning services are contracted out to third-party service providers. Furthermore, the majority of divisions rely on GCSurplus to remove the decals. When GCSurplus is used to remove decals, the cost of de-decaling is absorbed through the proceeds of sale.

Divisions are responsible for overseeing the following vehicle decommissioning activities:

• Remove RCMP equipment (if done in-house) or send the vehicle to an approved third-party service provide;
• Remove RCMP decals (if done in-house)
• Complete second vehicle inspection and finalize Form 6529 (Vehicle Inspection Tracking)
• Complete and provide disposal recommendation on Form 1989 (Disposal Report)
• Deactivate the vehicle in the ARI system (i.e. fleet vehicle credit card tracking system) and cancel the licence plate
• Complete the GCSurplus Sales Request (if applicable)
• Liaise with GCSurplus for transfer of the vehicle to their facilities (if applicable)
• Liaise with third-party service provider for the transfer of vehicle to destruction facilities (if applicable)
• Track the movement of the vehicle throughout the decommissioning process

Regional Fleet Management completes Form 1989 (or regional equivalent) to document the disposal authority and disposal method.

The review found that there was not a national defined list of RCMP equipment and markings required to be removed from the vehicle available to Regional Fleet Management or Post Garages. However, the review found that the statements of work (SOW) provided to third-party service providers included a detailed list of equipment to be removed from vehicles as part of the decommissioning process (see Appendix D for an example of K Division's list of equipment stated in the SOW).

Roles and responsibilities

National Fleet Management is the policy centre for the vehicle disposal process, which includes the vehicle decommissioning process. As per the AMM ch.5.1, the Asset Management and Programs Branch (known at the time of this review as Materiel and Moveable Assets) is responsible for providing directives for the disposal of moveable assets. However, other than what is identified in the RCMP manuals, there is little national guidance provided to Regional Fleet Management and divisional Post Garages with respect to the technical aspects of decommissioning vehicles. Furthermore, the review found that National Fleet Management had little visibility over the decommissioning process at the regional and divisional level.

As per the AMM ch.5.1, Regional Asset Management units are responsible for managing the disposal of moveable assets. Additionally, as per the RCMP's Delegation of Financial Signing Authorities Matrix (DFSA), Regional Fleet Management holds the disposal authority for vehicles, however, this does not specifically include an authority to decommission Regional Fleet Management is not required to physically inspect the vehicle prior to the approval of disposal. The review found that in some divisions (e.g. E Division) Fleet Management has a representative at the Post Garage that will inspect vehicles prior to disposal.

Conclusion

National Fleet Management is the policy centre for the vehicle disposal process, which includes the decommissioning of vehicles. The decommissioning of vehicles is a decentralized process that is overseen by Regional Fleet Management. Fleet Management and Post Garages clearly understand their roles and responsibilities within the decommissioning process.

Although vehicle decommissioning is addressed in RCMP manuals, the technical aspects of removing equipment and decals is not formally documented and varies across the divisions. There is a lack of national and regional guidance and tools to provide specific direction related to the technical aspects of decommissioning of vehicles.

Why this is important

Documenting the decommissioning process, specifically the technical aspects of the process, will clearly identify expectations related to decommissioning activities and provide management a basis to assess performance. Not having a formally defined decommissioning process could lead to process controls not being consistently applied. If controls are not working as intended there is a risk of non-compliance with policy and an increased reputational risk to the RCMP if improperly decommissioned vehicles are misused after sale.

Recommendation

In support of Vision 150 and modernization efforts, the RCMP should enhance the national governance framework and related practices supporting the vehicle decommissioning process.

Information systems and decommissioning costs

Information systems

Several information systems are used to various degrees to track and monitor the decommissioning of vehicles. These systems are separate and non-integrated.

At the national level, TEAM ^{Endnote 5} is used to track when the vehicle is sold. The review also found that in E Division, Regional Fleet Management would attach invoices related to the contracted decommissioning services in TEAM. The ARI fleet management system is used, at the divisional level, to track charges against the vehicle's ARI card. It is also used to record the date the vehicle is taken out of service and the date the vehicle is sold, and to track the deactivation of the vehicle's ARI card. The review found that National Division and O Division Post Garages use Virtual Garage (a sub-set of ARI) to submit work orders for decommissioning services. In C Division, decommissioning services are charged to the vehicle's ARI card.

The practices observed in E, National, O and C Divisions are effective because they provide an audit trail to track the labour hours of RCMP technicians and contractor costs related to decommissioning services.

The Post Garages in Northwest Region (NWR) use the Service Desk Express ^{Endnote 6} (SDE) system to track and monitor vehicles. SDE is also used as a work order system for the NWR Post Garages. These are also effective practices because they provide an audit trail to track the labour hours of RCMP technicians and contractor costs related to decommissioning services.

The review found that all Post Garages use MS-Excel spreadsheets to track the movement of vehicles throughout the decommissioning process. However, the format and information collected differs across the Post Garages.

Reporting requirements

The review found that divisional Post Garages are not required to provide reports to Regional or National Fleet Management with respect to decommissioning activities. However, in March 2021, in response to the Minister's moratorium on the sale of RCMP vehicles, National Fleet Management directed Regional Fleet managers to send weekly reports to GCSurplus with the number of vehicles stored, decommissioned, and destroyed. The purpose of these reports was to align the resources of the RCMP and GCSurplus with regards to the disposal process.

Additionally, National Fleet Management provides monthly GCSurplus Sales Reports to Regional Fleet Management and Post Garages. The reports are used to update the vehicle status in ARI and input net proceeds in TEAM.

Cost-benefit analysis

The review found that when a police vehicle reaches the end of its lifecycle, a cost-benefit analysis is consistently performed at the divisional and regional level prior to selecting a disposal method. Performing the cost-benefit analysis aligns with asset management policy requirements, such as in AMM ch.5.2, and guidance in the RCMP's 2019 Materiel Management Disposal Process Map and Guidance Document. Interviews with Post Garage managers and Fleet managers, as well as the review team's file review indicated that vehicle condition is a key consideration in determining the method of disposal. Post Garages are encouraged to obtain the best value for the Crown. If a vehicle's condition is such that the vehicle is still roadworthy, it will generally be disposed of via resale. If the vehicle's condition is beyond repair, for example severely damaged as a result of a motor vehicle accident, the vehicle will generally be disposed of via destruction.

Tracking of decommissioning costs

Regardless of the method of disposal, a police vehicle still needs to be decommissioned prior to disposal. The cost of decommissioning a vehicle involves the RCMP incurring costs to remove police, emergency and safety equipment, and markings. TEAM, ARI, SDE, work orders and contractor invoices are among the various information systems used to track decommissioning costs within the Force.

In assessing ARI and TEAM data to determine whether total decommissioning costs were captured, the review determined that decommissioning costs were not present in ARI or TEAM in a manner that could be readily linked to the vehicles to which the costs were associated. The RCMP can report on the expenses of GCSurplus related to the disposal of a vehicle (i.e. towing, storage, cleaning, removal of decals, sales commission), but these costs do not include the RCMP's costs incurred to decommission the vehicle.

National Fleet Management indicated that the proceeds from the sale of decommissioned vehicles are a means to offset the decommissioning costs that occur regardless of the disposal method (i.e. sale or destruction). Of the 30 vehicles sampled in this review, 27 were sold and the remaining three were destroyed. As costing information (i.e. through invoices, work orders and GCSurplus reports) was available for 19 of the vehicles sold, the review team assessed costs and proceeds of sale for these vehicles. The analysis did not include indirect costs, such as operating overhead, as these costs are not readily recorded in information systems or vehicle files. For the sample of 19 vehicles, the total cost of decommissioning was approximately $23,000, and the total net proceeds of sale was approximately $44,000.

Conclusion

Due to the decentralized nature of Fleet and Post Garage operations, and the variety of information systems used, there are inconsistencies in how decommissioning costs are captured. Accordingly, there are challenges in obtaining a complete picture of the total decommissioning costs.

Why this is important

Having a single system of record to track all decommissioning costs (i.e. cost of RCMP labour, contractors, and GCSurplus) would increase the RCMP's ability to track and report on the total cost of decommissioning.

Recommendation

In support of Vision 150 and modernization efforts, the RCMP should enhance the tracking and reporting of costs of decommissioning vehicles.

Monitoring and oversight

Monitoring

Existing monitoring and oversight mechanisms supporting vehicle decommissioning activities rest principally with the RCMP Post Garages. Regional Fleet Management authorizes the disposal of a vehicle once it has been decommissioned. National Fleet Management sets policy and provides national direction but it does not oversee the decommissioning process. However, as a result of the moratorium, National Fleet Management instituted a practice in March 2021 related to monitoring the number of vehicles ready for disposal. Generally, National Fleet Management does not have sufficient visibility to ensure oversight of decommissioning activities carried out Force-wide. This risk is compounded when considering that third-party service providers perform decommissioning activities.

The RCMP's contractual arrangements with third-party service providers for decommissioning services include certain monitoring provisions including the requirement to maintain records of items removed from vehicles as part of the decommissioning process. Post Garage managers and Fleet managers indicated that third-party service providers maintain records and provide them periodically to the RCMP for reconciliation purposes.

As with Post Garages, third-party service providers are instructed to remove and reuse the police emergency and safety equipment and communications equipment as much as possible. Items removed from vehicles are expected to be individually detailed on completion lists provided to the RCMP. Where equipment has serial numbers, they are expected to be recorded on completion lists, which are provided to the RCMP.

Role of GCSurplus in vehicle decommissioning

While the RCMP is not obligated to sell retired vehicles, if the decision is to sell vehicles, the RCMP is required under TB Policy to use GCSurplus for their sale. GCSurplus is the organization within Public Services and Procurement Canada that operates the online site where surplus Crown-owned assets are listed for sale and disposal ^{Endnote 7}.

As previously identified, GCSurplus performs specific decommissioning activities on behalf of the RCMP, including the removal of decals and vehicle cleaning prior to the vehicle being sold. GCSurplus also provides towing services between the RCMP/third-party service provider and GCSurplus facilities, and storage prior to disposal.

Arrangements with GCSurplus to remove decals and prepare a vehicle for sale are less clear than the RCMP's contractual arrangements with third-party service providers. There is no official agreement (i.e. contract, memorandum of understanding, or service level agreement) in place between the RCMP and GCSurplus for the additional services (i.e. de-decaling, cleaning) provided by GCSurplus. The GCSurplus Standing Operating Procedures (SOP) extract reviewed states that as per the TB Federal Identity Program, all federal vehicles must have all of their decals removed, including glue residue left behind, prior to sale. The GCSurplus SOP does not clearly outline who is responsible for de-decaling nor how the RCMP will monitor if GCSurplus provides this service. Interviews with Post Garages and Fleet Management consistently identified that once a vehicle is with GCSurplus, the RCMP no longer monitors the vehicle.

National Fleet Management identified that GCSurplus inspects vehicles received from the RCMP prior to posting online, and Post Garage managers informed us that they are notified if GCSurplus finds items that were not removed from the vehicle, however, these are not formally tracked by the RCMP, nor are they included in vehicle files. National Fleet Management has also informed us that since the moratorium came into effect, the RCMP and GCSurplus have been engaged in discussions to improve processes between both organizations.

Based on our sample, 19 out of 27 sold vehicles had decals removed by GCSurplus. None of the vehicle files had evidence to indicate that the RCMP had verified that the decals were completely removed prior to posting online. However, the review team identified four out of 19 vehicles de-decaled by GCSurplus online and noted the following observation: two of the vehicles posted online had visible decal shadowing (i.e. it was visible where the RCMP decals had been); and two of the vehicles posted online had no visible decals or evidence of decals.

Oversight

In divisions where Post Garages receive vehicles after they have been decommissioned by third parties, an oversight mechanism exists in that RCMP personnel will physically inspect vehicles prior to transfer to GCSurplus for disposal.

This is an additional measure to ensure that police emergency and safety equipment and communications equipment have been appropriately removed. Such a mechanism does not exist in H, L and J Divisions, where vehicles are transferred directly from the third-party service provider to GCSurplus, without RCMP personnel physically inspecting vehicles.

The RCMP's contractual arrangements with third-party service providers have provisions for the RCMP to conduct onsite inspections of the third-party service providers' facilities. Post Garages and Fleet indicated that RCMP personnel inspect facilities prior to contract award, and that RCMP personnel have attended third-party service provider facilities periodically.

Evidence of monitoring and oversight

Photos are generally not taken to document the decommissioning process regardless of whether it is carried out by Post Garages or by third-party service providers. Photos of decommissioned vehicles are only taken and retained systematically on vehicle files when a vehicle is destroyed. In the northern divisions (M, G, V Division), photos are taken by RCMP employees to obtain the Post Garage approval on the decommissioning and as part of the local sale process (photos for upload to GCSurplus Sales website).

When a vehicle is disposed via regular GCSurplus sale, GCSurplus takes photos of the vehicles for public viewing, and they are retained on the GCSurplus website for a period of two years. The RCMP does not require the sale photos from GCSurplus.

File testing results

The review team sampled 30 decommissioned vehicles. Of the 30 decommissioned vehicles, 27 were sold and 3 were destroyed.

Form 1989 (or regional equivalent) is intended to document the disposal authority and disposal method of decommissioned vehicles. As of June 2021, Materiel and Asset Management is in the process of modernizing the disposal of assets to improve data retention and capturing disposal authority. The intended output will be a national electronic-based disposal form that is linked to the DFSA. It should result in greater efficiency in tracking and reporting on asset disposition, with related improvements in monitoring and oversight.

Based on file review results, 60% (18 out of 30) of vehicle files had Form 1989 (Disposal Report) on file, 5 out of 12 files that did not have Form 1989 were from E Division. E Division completes bulk Form 1989s for all vehicles sold during a month. One vehicle was from M Division where Form 1989 is only used for vehicles going for destruction. The remaining 6 files were from Atlantic Region and Central Region; both regions could not locate the disposal forms for these vehicles.

The review noted that 2 out of 30 decommissioned vehicles would have been required to complete Form 6529 (a measure National Fleet Management put in place in February 2020 to ensure vehicles were inspected for contraband and hazardous substances prior to disposal or decommissioning). Both vehicle files complied with this requirement.

Furthermore, 3 out of 12 decommissioned vehicles were sent for destruction. They all had evidence on file to show that the vehicle had been destroyed.

Overall, the vehicle files did not have evidence to support that the decommissioning (i.e. removal of equipment and decals) occurred as per RCMP standards. However, the review team was able to review 11 of the 27 sold vehicles' GCSurplus sale photos to determine if they were decommissioned before they were sold. GCSurplus sale photos were not available for the remaining 16 sold vehicles. As per Figure 1, the review team found instances where the sold vehicles reviewed had indications that they were previously a law enforcement vehicle. Examples include vehicles with markings from where decals had been removed, as well as others with reflective tape and dome lights left in the vehicle.

Conclusion

Monitoring of the decommissioning process occurs at the Post Garage level and there is active oversight over decommissioning activities. In the event of other incidents of misuse of former police vehicles, documenting this oversight would enable the RCMP to demonstrate with evidence that the decommissioning process was followed.

There was inconsistent evidence in the vehicle files to validate that vehicles were fully decommissioned prior to sending to GCSurplus. The review team found that some of the vehicles sold through GCSurplus had some markings and equipment that could identify them as previously law enforcement vehicles.

There is an opportunity to strengthen monitoring and oversight controls when vehicles are being prepared for decommissioning both internally and externally.

Why this is important

The RCMP is not in a position to visually demonstrate that police vehicles have been completely decommissioned. This risk is compounded when considering that the RCMP relies on GCSurplus for removing decals for most of the RCMP's marked vehicles disposed via resale, and that decals are among the most common identifiers of a police vehicle.

There is an opportunity to identify RCMP expectations with respect to removal of decals and perform enhanced monitoring of this activity.

The limited documentation increases the risk that the RCMP cannot support that the decommissioning of vehicles occurred according to policies in the event that a former RCMP marked police vehicle is misused after disposal.

Recommendation

In support of Vision 150 and modernization efforts, the RCMP should enhance national and regional monitoring and oversight over the vehicle decommissioning process.

Appendices

Appendix A – Review objective and criteria

Objective

To assess whether the RCMP has an effective process in place that is consistently followed for the decommissioning of vehicles prior to disposal.

Criterion 1

The RCMP has processes, procedures, and controls in place to ensure complete and appropriate decommissioning of vehicles prior to disposal.

Criterion 2

The processes, procedures, and controls in place to ensure complete and appropriate decommissioning of vehicles prior to disposal are consistently followed across the organization.

Appendix B – Management action plan

Appendix C – General decommissioning process map ^{Endnote 8}

General decommissioning process map - Text version

A process map diagram depicting the general vehicle decommissioning process.

The process begins with the decision to dispose of the vehicle.

The Post Garage or equivalent notifies the Unit that the vehicle will be disposed.

The Unit completes the first vehicle inspection using Form 6529.

The Unit sends the vehicle to the Post Garage or equivalent.

The Post Garage or equivalent will:

• Deactivate the ARI card
• Cancel the license plate
• Change the ARI vehicle status to "out-of-service"

If the vehicle is sent to the Post Garage for decommissioning, the Post Garage removes the equipment and decals (if applicable).

If the vehicle is sent to a Contractor for decommissioning, the Contractor removes the equipment and decals (if applicable) and returns the vehicle to the Post Garage or equivalent.

• The Post Garage or equivalent inspects the vehicle.
• Note: Exceptions in H, J and L Divisions where the vehicle is decommissioned and inspected by the Contractor and sent directly to GCSurplus or destruction facility upon direction from Fleet Management.

The Post Garage or equivalent completes the second vehicle inspection using Form 6529.

The Post Garage or equivalent recommends a disposal method using Form 1989 or regional equivalent.

The Fleet Management approves disposition of surplus asset using Form 1989 or regional equivalent.

• If the disposal method is to crush the vehicle, the vehicle is towed to the destruction facility and crushed. End of decommissioning process
• If the disposal method is to sell the vehicle, the Post Garage or equivalent prepares the sales request to GCSurplus

The vehicle is towed to a GCSurplus facility.

GCSurplus prepares the vehicle for sale – for example, they will remove decals (if applicable), clean the vehicle and take photos.

Lastly, the vehicle is sold.

Appendix D – Sample list of equipment removed from decommissioned vehicles ^{Endnote 9}

• Siren controller unit, keypad and Wiring
• Siren speaker and bracket
• Light bar assembly
• Headlight flasher (returned to original equipment manufacturer status) (OEM)
• Corner Light and power supply
• Rear traffic advisor and hardware
• Any additional lighting
• Horn transfer and vehicle lighting enable (returned to OEM status)
• Power distribution unit
• Added interior lighting (partition and additional roof lighting)
• Base wiring harness
• Police radio/s system
• Antennas and cabling
• Centre console assembly
• Dash mount system
• Laptop docking station
• In Car Digital Video System
• Prisoner partition shield
• Rear equipment/storage box or equipment tray
• Shotgun rack and/or carbine rack
• Rear and/or rear side window bars
• Radar system including Vehicle Speed Sensor cable installation and video interface cable
• Cell phone/hands free kit
• Secure idle (returned to OEM status)
• Door chime module
• All Integrated Police Vehicle equipment
• Other equipment components – (e.g. hidden lighting, lock boxes).
• Factory Up-fitter base wire change or addition
• Additional Battery maintainer
• Automated license plate readers

Date modified:

2022-10-25