Replies to post #115851 on DD Support Board and Research Team

[1manband]

They tried that in British Columbia, and disbanded it after about 9 years. In that time they got two convictions. Maybe they'll do better in Alberta.

That was IMET. And they actually had 4 IMET teams across Canada. They did last about 9 years before being disbanded, and Vancouver was, I believe, the most successful of the 4 teams. They actually had a total of 3 convictions in 9 years, which beats the Toronto team that I believe had none. By any measure, the IMET program was a colossal failure.

The new teams are quite a bit different from IMET and incorporate the lessons learned. Instead of the RCMP forming all new investigative units from the ground up from largely inexperienced civilians and beat cops as they did with IMET, these new units are under the supervision of the Provincial Regulators and are primarily composed of their experienced investigators and specialists. The RCMP just gives support and access to their criminal files, which can be important when investigating across Provincial borders or Internationally.

So far, the new JSOT teams have been much more successful than the old IMET teams, but really that isn't saying much. And overall, their potential is limited by the Canadian judicial system which does not lend itself to quick prosecutions and harsh penalties.