RCMP associations raise concerns after prisoner breaks free during transport

It isn't uncommon for an RCMP officer to transport a prisoner on their own in rural Manitoba, but that doesn't meanit's safe, say two organizations that represent Mounties.

The Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada and theNational Police Federation areraising concerns over prisoner-transport protocol one day after a prisoner assaulted a Mountie and escaped; hours later he was fatally shot by RCMP.

"He was able to overpower the officer,"Const. L.P.Theriault, president ofMPPAC.

"We have very little details of what happened, but it just shows the risk that an average officer working front-line on patrol faces everydayespecially anRCMPofficer who is most of the time alone."

On Tuesday night, an 18-year-oldin custody was being transported from Ashern, Man., to Winnipegwhen he assaulted and stole apistol from the lone Mountie who was transferring him.

The man, identified by family as Bill Saunders, led police on an hours-long manhunt that ended Wednesday morning when RCMP fatally shot him on Lake Manitoba First Nation.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, which reviews all serious incidents involving police in the province, has taken over the case. Few details have been released,but the IIUconfirmed Thursday the RCMP officer transporting Saunders was by himself.

He was injured and treated and wasreleased from hospital.

'Long time' lone Mountie problem

BrianSauvsaid there are "clear safety concerns" based on the fact the officer was alone during the transport of a prisoner, a practice he says has been around for "a long time."

"In a perfect world we would've had a second person in that van to ensure the safety of the prisoner as well as the safety of the members," saidSauv, managing co-chair of the board of the National Police Federation.

RCMPpolicy allows a single Mountie to escort and drive a singleprisoner.

The same goes for officers with the Ontario Provincial Police.

"I can't go into the specifics of our policies as it's an operational document. However, I can confirm that the policies applies at any given time day or night," Sgt. Carolle Dionne with OPP wrote in an email.

But SauvandTheriaultsay many municipal police forces have more strict rules for transporting prisoners.

2-officer units

Const. Rob Carver with the Winnipeg police said all such transports in the city require a minimum of two officers.

A Manitoba government spokesperson said in a statement that Sheriff's officers "do not do transports alone" and that at least two are present per transport.

"The only time an officer would be on their own is if their partner had to use the restroom or escort an inmate to the washroom in a secure location," the provincial spokesperson wrote in an email. "At this time, other inmates would remain in the locked compartments of the van."

The IIUhas not confirmed whether the original assault occurredwhile the vehicle was at a stop, nor whether preliminary evidence suggests the prisoner requested the Mountie pull over to let him relieve himself on the side of the highway where the vehicle was stolen.

Often alone in rural areas

Theriaultadmitted he doesn't know what happened, but he said RCMP officers who are alone during transports are often left with difficult decisions when a prisoner needs to go to the bathroom.

"That officer has two options: either let the prisoner relieve himself in the car, make a mess in the car who's most likely going to have to clean himself, or give the guy a break and let him relieve himself once he's on the side of the road."

Theriaultsaidin other parts of the country, officers aren't allowed to transport prisoners alone at night. He'd like to see the same happen in Manitoba.

MeanwhileSauvcontends RCMP run into riskier situations because their job often takes themintorural areas with the nearest backup sometimes hundreds of kilometres away. That presents safety issues for responding officers in the event a Mountie calls for help somewhere far afield, he said.

"You have someone driving 100, to 200, to 300 kilometres very quickly through smaller communities, through school zones, through playground zones, through traffic and we're putting the public at risk responding to those emergencies, in addition to the responding police officers' safety, in addition to the police officer who is in distress at the scene," Sauv said.

RCMP understaffed, association says

RCMPstaffing levels are also much lower than what they need to be and that plays a role, he says.

In March of this year,CBCNews reported there were 1,063 regular serviceRCMPmembers in Manitoba, and just under 86.5 unfilled positions. That translated to an eight per cent vacancy rate.

"There's a conundrum thereand a number of issues that need to be addressed simply by the resource levels that we're providing,"Sauvsaid.