Eric Malcolm Durling

Divisions Served: “D,” “H,” “HQ”

Pillar Location: Pillar VI, Row 14, Column C

Story: 

My Story from 1972 to 2007

I joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in September 1972, after completing my Nova Scotia, Grade 12 education in June. I was 19 years old and joining in September was like returning to school in many ways. For a young person interested in the RCMP, I hope reading my story invigorates the same interest as it did for me.

At the age of 19, I was already skilled in carpentry having worked with my father for many years. I was also skilled in dairy farm operations from my two uncles’ dairy farm in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia, where I spent every summer from age 5 to age 16. I was athletic and possessed a private pilot’s licence.

So, my interest in the RCMP began in grade 9 in high school. With my pilot’s license, I also had interest in the Canadian Armed Forces, but the RCMP became my choice, with the possibility of joining the Air Division of the RCMP.   Traveling within Canada while doing my job was especially appealing, with the aspect of adventure and new experiences to be exposed to.

After training, I was posted to the RCMP Centennial Review in 1973, which was a two hour indoor performance, professionally staged, utilizing a variety of special audio-visual effects to illustrate the history and capabilities of the RCMP. 169 members participated and toured from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia. I was part of the gymnastic, self-defense and precision foot drill teams. The RCMP Band and the RCMP Musical Ride were the centre pieces of the entertainment. We toured from May until September. The RCMP Centennial Review created real Canadian Nationalism for me. This event provided me with exposure to the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver, Klondike Days in Edmonton, Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto and the Calgary Stampede. Anyone joining the RCMP has the same potential for adventure as I did in 1973, albeit, that the RCMP Centennial Review was a unique time in the Force’s first 100 years of existence. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time! It was quite an experience and building block for life!

There was some police exposure though. We, as a group, traveled on four Voyageur Bus Lines buses and on this occasion while departing from Victoria, British Columbia, the buses traveled through a business section when the talk on the bus became louder from noticing what looked like four male persons breaking into a building. All four buses stopped and we, as members, chased the suspects down and they were held until the arrival of the local police. The suspects never encountered so many policemen at one time, 169 to be exact.

Up to this point, I had not done a stitch of police work until I was posted to Thompson, Manitoba. The winters were cold and the summer days long in daylight! I began working on my commercial pilot’s license and one winter day flying in Thompson, my engine on the Cessna 172 stopped. It was bitterly cold and I sustained carburetor icing on my final approach to the airport, but glided safely in. The work of pushing the aircraft off the runway and onto the taxi strip in the cold was grueling. To warm up, at age 20, this was my first cup of coffee!

Police work was a steep learning curve in Thompson City Municipal Detachment. I was exposed to shift work for the first time and learned many aspects of policing. After a year in Thompson I applied for and was accepted to the RCMP Equitation Training Course for the Musical Ride in Ottawa. While in Ottawa, I was planning to further my flying license. Once the equitation course was completed, I was posted to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia for general duty police work, with the acceptance of returning to Ottawa for a position on the RCMP Musical Ride.

Rural policing in New Glasgow was right up my ally. I not only enjoyed it, but thrived very well with it. It was challenging every shift with all aspects of investigations from property crimes, assaults, homicides, drugs, traffic enforcement, firearms investigations, domestic disputes, public relations events and so on. Suffice to say that my foundation in police work was laid in New Glasgow. Ironically, it became a pattern of attending Supreme Court sittings for trials lasting two weeks every year in the autumn and in the spring. It was great experience. As a result, my interest in flying diminished and I declined my position to the RCMP Musical Ride for something I really enjoyed.

There was an education program called the A-250 Program provided by the RCMP to allow Members to enroll in university courses. I began in 1976. I spent five years in New Glasgow and met the most special person in my life, my wife, Sheila.

Following New Glasgow, I was posted to Pugwash, Nova Scotia, where policing was completed by a three person detachment. It was here in Pugwash, where I learned how important the aspect of Community Policing existed and played a roll for any police department to function with success. Pugwash was also the home of the Thinkers Lodge, National Historic Site, where world Peace Conferences were held as well as world leading scientists meetings to discuss environmental and planetary issues.

I learned the mechanics of the infrastructure of the Force by applying the procedures of the various administration, operational, laboratory and manuals towards the application of law enforcement, that guided me throughout the rest of my policing years. Pugwash was a cornerstone building block that benefited me in challenging and successful ways. I was posted in Pugwash for 3 ½ years and moved onto Halifax Detachment.

In Halifax Detachment, I enjoyed much success with the enforcement of the Criminal Code. In early July of one Canada Day weekend, two investigations of thefts of taxi fares were assigned to me. In each case, the suspect was described as a very large man, maybe 6’8” in height, in excess of 300 pounds and dressed in a business suit. In both cases, the suspect was dropped off on a rural road, not in the same location, but in close proximity of one another. At one location, the suspect said he had no money on him and that he would go into the house to pay the taxi driver. The suspect was gone and did not return. The taxi driver never received his fare. The second location, the same suspect gave the taxi driver his wallet, to secure in good faith that he would return with the rest of the money. The wallet was empty and the suspect never returned to pay his fare. The empty wallet was examined by the Document Section and determined to have some letters embossed in the plastic folder. The Document Section determined the letters to be _ _ z e a u. One stop at the local Canada Post Office and talking to the Post Mistress, the suspect’s identity was soon determined. The suspect was apprehended, processed, charged and restitution of the lost taxi fares made. Small complaints were as important as serious complaints and all deserved that you give your best! I benefited from every complaint and did learn to become a better investigator.

I spent 4 years in Halifax Detachment and then transferred to Cole Harbour, N.S. Public Relations became my main focus. The news media became a brand new learning curve and it was actually enjoyable! Promoting Block Parents, Neighbourhood Watch Programs, Safe Graduation for Students and Safe Driving Campaigns for Christmas Holidays were the driving forces of the public relations.

I became a Watch Supervisor at Lower Sackville Detachment. It is sufficient to say that the finest men and women anywhere worked here and supported one another. One Sunday morning before the completion of a coffee, all eight (8) members of the watch went next door to an apartment complex to remove a man involved in a domestic dispute. He was a 400 pound man, who I lodged in our cells. He was irritated and wild. He thumped so hard on the cell bars that it   dislodged from the concrete support.

The apex of my career was serving 13 plus years in Halifax Commercial Crime. I had completed many courses at Saint Mary’s University and received my degree in Criminology. These courses helped augment my enforcement of frauds, misappropriation of funds, large thefts, bankruptcies, and the enforcement of counterfeit currency and credit/debit cards.

I was trained as a Body Guard for VIP Security and in this position met many world leaders, as well as Federal and Provincial Canadian leaders. On September 11th, 2001, right after the attack on Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, I was assigned locally to the Body Guard detail for the Consul General of the United States of America for three months. I was honoured to have played a small but critical role in this significant  international tragedy.

There have been eleven (11) family members who have served in the RCMP as peace officers. My son, Craig Durling has been a serving member of the Halifax Regional Police for the past 15 years and is presently a Police Service Dog (PSD) Handler.

My career in the RCMP was filled with adventure, challenges and many friendships, as a result of my employment exposure. It was truly rewarding. The photo I included with my story shows me proudly holding my granddaughter Quinn, and son Craig holding our second granddaughter Samantha. 

Eric M. DURLING, Cpl. Retired
BA Criminology