Policing, Profit, and Systemic Neglect

RCMP: A Century of Control and Controversy — Part 6: Policing, Profit, and Systemic Neglect

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

⚠️ Content Warning: This post discusses graphic crimes, including murder, systemic racism, and police negligence. Reader discretion is advised.

Policing isn’t just about enforcing laws — it’s also about power, priorities, and sometimes profit. Modern RCMP operations reveal a force stretched between public safety, private contracts, and political influence. Billions in funding, overtime, and militarized equipment often go to show strength — but what about real protection for vulnerable communities?

Take the shocking case of Robert Pickton, Canada’s most notorious serial killer. Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, Pickton murdered at least sixteen women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside — most of them Indigenous. Evidence later suggested the number was closer to 49 victims. Yet, despite multiple tips, complaints, and warnings, the RCMP and Vancouver Police failed repeatedly to intervene. Families were ignored, reports dismissed, and officers either underestimated the danger or let systemic bias dictate their response.

This tragedy highlights a broader truth: Indigenous women and marginalized people are often deemed “less worthy of protection”. The RCMP’s failure here was not about incompetence alone — it was racism embedded in the system, a continuation of centuries of marginalization.

Meanwhile, the RCMP continues to manage private security contracts, lucrative overtime assignments, and militarized policing, sometimes prioritizing money and visibility over community safety. The duality is striking: billions spent on shiny vehicles, tactical gear, and ceremonial uniforms while those most at risk are left unprotected.

The cases of Pickton and the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) crisis reveal the same painful pattern we saw in history: control, neglect, and lack of accountability. Public inquiries, reports, and commissions exist, but meaningful change is slow — and sometimes absent.

If we ignore these lessons, the gap between the RCMP’s public image and its real impact continues to widen. Protecting the vulnerable, holding officers accountable, and addressing systemic racism must be priorities — or Canada will continue to fail those most at risk.

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Reflection Questions

1. How did systemic racism affect police response to Robert Pickton and the broader MMIW crisis?
2. Why do you think funding and public image are prioritized over protecting vulnerable communities?
3. What reforms or accountability measures could prevent similar failures in the future?

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Mini Quiz

1. Who was Robert Pickton?
   • A) A politician
   • B) A serial killer targeting Indigenous women ✅
   • C) A police officer
2. How did systemic racism influence policing during the Pickton case?
   • A) Police ignored tips and dismissed complaints about Indigenous women ✅
   • B) Police protected all communities equally
   • C) Police immediately acted to prevent crimes
3. What does modern policing reveal about priorities in some RCMP operations?
   • A) Safety of vulnerable communities always comes first
   • B) Profit, image, and militarization sometimes take priority ✅
   • C) Officers have unlimited accountability