Where there’s a white flag, there’s the RCMP

Written by Shawn Ruest on 09/08/11

Photo by RCMP

When someone mentions National Peacekeepers’ Day, some of us may picture soldiers wearing blue and white UN uniforms. But did you know that RCMP officers take part in peacekeeping missions?

RCMP officers have taken part in peacekeeping missions all over the world. They provide support to other countries in a variety of ways, such as protecting human rights, guiding foreign police forces, investigating international criminal activity and more. Every mission normally has specific objectives, however peacekeepers have to be able to adapt to unexpected events. For example, in Haiti, the main responsibility of RCMP officers is to provide guidance on how to effectively use police resources but when the 2010 Haiti earthquake occurred, officers also helped with emergency tasks.

RCMP peacekeepers have been known to go above and beyond the call of duty while serving abroad. In Haiti, an RCMP officer and a team of Haitian police officers drove a pregnant mother (who was in labour at the time) to a hospital outside of the capital city. However, the RCMP officer had to deliver the baby before they got to the hospital. The mother named her daughter after the RCMP officer as a token of her gratitude (RCMP – GRC).

These brave peacekeepers have shown us the good we can do if we venture beyond our boundaries. Sure, not all of us would be comfortable delivering babies, but we can all aspire to be like a peacekeeper by doing something to help out others.

Links

Haiti: Minustah – RCMP-GRC
Trainer, mentor… birth coach? – RCMP-GRC