The theme, starting off, was the erosion of public confidence in the force. An agency usually adopts the character of the leader. The work and spirit of the membership follows that of the leader.
I gave as the reason for the letter the good of the force. I felt it my obligation to the members of the RCMP and the citizens of Canada to share my observations.
I described the management style that I felt was impeding the force. Certainly the senior members were disengaged, and then that cascaded down through the ranks. I spoke of interference in operations. And I also spoke of the partnership-building that's required of senior police leaders.