RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki to Step Down Next Month

Controversial RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki has announced her intent to retire next month.

Lucki took over as the force’s 24th commissioner in 2018, and has faced strong criticism from both sides of the political aisle ever since.

In 2021, Stikine MLA Nathan Cullen sent Lucki a letter asking her to personally look into the use of force along the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

His letter came after months of militarized enforcement resulted in the arrest of numerous Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan land defenders.

But, Lucki’s response was to defend the actions of officers, claiming the arrests were in accordance with the injunction order covering the route.

That came despite Lucki’s acknowledgement of, and vows to address systemic anti-Indigenous racism in the RCMP.

Last January, the courts found she had violated her legal obligations by taking far too long to investigate and respond to complaints of police misconduct.

She has also come under fire from Conservative MPs over the past year, over her role in the use of the Emergencies Act to break up the Ottawa convoy protests.

Lucki’s last day in the top spot will be March 17th.