The RCMP’s commanding officer in New Brunswick will be replaced at the end of the month, and now a letter has appeared suggesting that he was forced off the job by provincial attorney general Hugh Flemming.
In the letter to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki dated July 15, 2021, Flemming says Assistant Commissioner Larry Tremblay “no longer has my confidence” and should be replaced.
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Flemming goes on to say that the force needs to review its priorities to address drug-related crime in the province and reverse the trend of diminishing RCMP accountability to local government leaders.
University of New Brunswick law professor Nicole O’Byrne says that under the province’s agreement with the RCMP, the minister has the right to request the officer’s removal, but without knowing Flemming’s exact reasons, he believes a perception of political interference in surveillance.
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Angela Chang, director of strategic communications for the RCMP of New Brunswick, said in an email that the force is on track to meet all of its key performance indicators related to drug crime.
He said Tremblay made a personal decision to retire in late October after more than 35 years of service, and did not want to provide an interview.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca