OTTAWA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday appointed Brenda Lucki to head the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the first permanent female commissioner of the force.
Lucki, who has been with the force for 31 years, will take over as the chief of the RCMP in April, Trudeau told a televised ceremony at the RCMP Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan.
The RCMP, which has about 20,000 uniformed members and provides policing in eight of Canada's 10 provinces, has been dogged in recent years by accusations of discrimination and sexual
assault.
In her first public remarks as the incoming RCMP chief, Lucki outlined her vision for a more diverse RCMP.
The RCMP has been without a permanent commissioner since Commissoner Bob Paulson retired in June 2017.
Lucki has been the commanding officer of the RCMP depot division in Saskatchewan, Canada since October 2016. The depot division is responsible for training new cadets.
Lucki joined the RCMP in 1986 and has served in various divisions, including serving in the former Yugoslavia. She also trained police for the United Nations civilian police mission in Haiti, and has experience in undercover operations and drug units.
She has an arts degree from the University of Alberta and has received a number of awards, including being named a Member of the Governor General's Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2013 for her work on improving RCMP relations with First Nations people in Manitoba.
