SUPPORT OF ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER RHONDA BLACKMORE: INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT OF RCMP DISCIPLINE
- Jun 25, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 26, 2025
(Treaty 6 Territory, Saskatoon, SK) – The FSIN Executive requests clear disclosure and oversight regarding the June 3rd removal of Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore from her post as the OIC of F Division RCMP.
The recent removal raises deep concerns regarding Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore as commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP “F” Division on June 3rd, 2025. Her removal, reportedly based on anonymous complaints, has sparked widespread dismay among First Nations leadership and the communities they serve.
“We firmly stand with Assistant Commissioner Blackmore,” said File Hills Qu’Appelle Council, Tribal Chief Jeremy Fourhorns, “Her time as F Div. CO has been defined by unwavering integrity, accountability, and a dedication to First Nation communities.”
Blackmore has built a distinguished 30-year career with the RCMP, from joining in 1995 to serving in Saskatchewan towns such as Assiniboia, Regina, and Buffalo Narrows, and later at national headquarters in Ottawa, she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a strong commitment to public safety. Notably, as head of the National Police Intervention Unit, she advanced critical reforms following the 2014 Moncton Mounties tragedy, overseeing the roll-out of crisis intervention/de-escalation training and less-lethal equipment integration. In 2022, she played a key role in the RCMP’s response to the tragic events on James Smith Cree Nation, earning praise for her leadership in crisis.
Prince Albert Grand Council, Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte states, “Rhonda showed strong leadership during a time of crisis for James Smith; she, along with her team, worked hard to develop trust through her compassion and understanding of the importance of that tragedy.”
Blackmore was also dedicated to addressing community issues personally and has enhanced relationships with the RCMP and our First Nations through various working agreements that ensure the RCMP’s commitment to community policing and accountability.
Rhonda spearheaded an aggressive provincial Indigenous recruitment strategy that addressed the systemic barriers to ensuring the RCMP reflects the communities they police.
Her removal without explanation or transparent review undermines public confidence in fair treatment, particularly for those in frontline leadership roles who champion reform and accountability. We are additionally concerned that actions taken against Assistant Commissioner Blackmore and her executive team are a clear display of internal corruption from the highest levels of the RCMP.
Yorkton Tribal Council Tribal Chief Isabel O’Soup stated; “Assistant Commissioner Blackmore has always demonstrated respect and honesty when working with our communities. She listens, she consults, and she has never shied away from tough conversations to improve safety for our people. Removing her in this manner is unfair and undermines the trust we are trying to build.”
Tribal Chief Jeremy Norman, Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC), added: “We demand transparent, independent oversight of RCMP disciplinary processes. Decisions based on anonymous complaints, absent due process, erode trust, especially in our communities still healing from historical injustices.”
Blackmore, in her personal message to RCMP staff, affirmed she has “worked very hard over the past almost 30 years to have a reputation of standing up for those around me and advocating for positive change… It is who I am and I won’t apologize for doing what is right to improve things in our division and organization”.
Battleford Agency Tribal Council representative, Neil Sasakamoose states, “I’m disappointed by how Assistant Commissioner Blackmore was removed from her post with no consultation with our nations, it seem like whenever we have a positive relationship with a RCMP officer, they are moved, in this case the circumstances appears questionable. We expect better treatment for someone who has given much to the people of Saskatchewan”.
Chiefs’ Key Demands:
Immediate reinstatement of Assistant Commissioner Blackmore until a full, transparent external investigation can be conducted.
Immediate creation of independent oversight for this disciplinary action within the RCMP, including:
Clear criteria for handling anonymous complaints to ensure the National Whistleblower Policy is being used correctly and not for personal gain.
Public reporting on investigation processes and outcomes
Formal commitment to protecting officers who strive for positive change and justice.
FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron states: “We expect the Office of the Public Sector and Integrity Commissioner to conduct a nonpartisan investigation into public concerns of serious wrongdoing and misuse of the RCMP’s internal whistleblower policy in attempts by the National RCMP Leadership to silence Rhonda Blackmore. The FSIN Executive consider Rhonda and her team as strong allies, who have worked passionately to address systemic issues for our people. We want to ensure justice is done — for Rhonda Blackmore, for the integrity of the RCMP, and for the First Nations people across Saskatchewan,” Cameron concludes, “failure to do so reflects internal corruption.”
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. FSIN is committed to honouring and upholding the spirit and intent of the Treaties and advocating for the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises made more than a century ago.
For more information or to coordinate interviews, please contact FSIN Communications – Myrtle Morin at communications@fsin.com, or 306-250-1931