Neill Allison Trail

Divisions Served: “P,” “D,” “F,” “O,” “D,” “F,” “HQ,” “NWR,” “Depot”

Medals & Honours: Long Service Medal

Pillar Location: Pillar VII, Row 32, Column C

Story: 

Neill Allison TRAIL
Regimental Number 25894 – Officer Number O.1460

Marital Status: Married to Linda Teague in 1972 and have three mature children – two daughters, Jody and Carla, and one son, Kristopher.

First Posting: Constable, Stonewall Municipal Detachment
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Stonewall, Manitoba.

Final Posting: Officer In Charge North West Region Audit & Review Services
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Located at “F” Division HQ, Regina, Saskatchewan.

As a nineteen year old farm boy from Fredericton, New Brunswick, I was engaged in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on July 13, 1967. I had just completed my 2 years at New Brunswick Teacher’s College and graduated receiving my Teacher’s Licence when, as result of my previous application process, I received a call from Staffing giving me my date for engagement in the RCMP. With the job market in New Brunswick depressed at the time, my choice was to abandon my teaching profession in favour of a career in the RCMP offering reasonable compensation benefits and chance to travel Canada and elsewhere. Since that time, I was continuously employed with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for more than 41 years, retiring in 2008. During that time and by many transfers throughout most provinces in Canada, I was involved in many facets of criminal law enforcement and investigation and overall police experience.

My first solo trip away from home was to Depot Division aboard a train with 2 other boys from Fredericton and others who would become my troop mates in Troop #11 67/68. Our train trip took us through Montreal during EXPO ’67, which permitted us to have a short tour before continuing on our two day trip to Saskatchewan. Training was a new experience for me. 32 men bunking together in 1 large room and considering it “home” was a bit strange to me but an experience I grew to enjoy. Being familiar to hard and strenuous work on our farm, I did not find the physical part of training to be a problem. However, being a non-swimmer, I found my time spent in the pool to be the most difficult and disliked part of training. Despite my dislike of the pool, I did become a swimmer. After 3 months training in Regina our troop was moved to Penhold, Alberta to complete our final 3 months (winter) training before being given our first posting. Mine was to “D” Division, Stonewall, Manitoba. Not yet being 21, I was not legally permitted to enter licensed premises, but for a few months, occasional bending of the rules allowed me to perform my first required policing duties.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

I spent my first 5 years in uniform in contract divisions performing mainly rural, municipal and first nations policing duties. During the period 72-77 was my initial exposure to specialized and plain clothes duties, wherein I was involved in the investigation of several significant organized criminal activities mainly in the non-contract divisions. These were “white collar crime” investigations, and were of a more sophisticated nature, requiring more time and resources and a more in-depth use of analytical abilities and information sources. Investigations involved the interview of persons from all walks of life and every status, including elected representatives and corporate officials. In one particular investigation of fraud against the government, examination of a specific manual typewriter resulted in evidence for a conviction as well as the case being reported in Case Law Reports. I later extended this experience in the contract divisions for a combined total of 10 years in Commercial Crime investigations as well as 2 years in the Major Crime and General Investigations (Drugs / Federal) area. It was during this period that I first became involved in the provision of personal and site security for a number of dignitaries (including Governor General, Prime Minister, and members of parliament during Gulf War Crisis, several members of the Royal Family, the Pope, and several foreign diplomats that had occasion to visit). During my tenure in General Investigations Major Crimes Unit in Winnipeg from 78-80, I investigated and supervised several complicated cases, including homicides, serious assaults, sexual assaults as well as child abuse matters. One particular homicide case of 1979, in which I was the principal investigator, was later solved as result of the thorough investigative work done at the time and the accuracy of records maintained, combined with a later undercover operation that produced sufficient evidence to convict the original suspect.

Other experience involved 6 years in the Informatics area as Officer In Charge of the Records Management policy centre in the HQ Ottawa environment. The duties included the development of policy and procedures for the proper recording, handling, storage, retrieval and final disposition of all recorded information within the Force. Determining and assigning security classification standards, rights of access and methods for disclosure under Access to Information, Privacy Act and Freedom of Information legislation were also functions performed in this branch. Successful service to the clientele required exercise of much tact, diplomacy and interpersonal skills.

My final posting was as the Officer In Charge Audit and Review Services, North West Region located in Regina, Saskatchewan for a continuing period of 14 years ending with my retirement in 2008. I was responsible for the planning, development and implementation of a comprehensive internal audit program intended to provide an independent assessment of the adequacy of program administration and delivery. Duties, which were of a highly investigative nature, involved the review of application of regulations, legislation, policy and best practices to operations, and policy development for programs, and monitoring the day to day management and supervision of all regional programs and resources within the North West Region. I conducted several management reviews, internal audits and program reviews on divisional and regional issues of concern. The objectives of these reviews were to determine the effectiveness of our police service delivery and implementing organization and resource reallocation strategies and policy direction. I was involved in many presentations and facilitation / training sessions to operational personnel, as well as to senior managers on both operational and administrative matters.

During that time I also acted as Officer In Charge Client Services “F” Division for a 2 year period. Among other things those duties included responsibility for strategic planning, project management, internal communication, ministerial liaison, and provision of executive services for the Commanding Officer. I was involved in a number of presentations and meeting facilitations to outside personnel as well as to senior management and other operational personnel at all levels. I dealt with provincial government representatives on police service delivery issues including business case presentations in support of resource increases with the Province of Saskatchewan. I was involved in dealing directly with community concerns on police service delivery involving the restructuring and amalgamation of several detachments at a time of major government financial cutbacks. During this time my team and I faced many difficult challenges in balancing the policing needs of communities while satisfying the government’s requests to manage within greatly reduced budgets and financial constraints.

Significant Achievements and Highlights:

• Received Teacher’s Licence for the Province of New Brunswick in 1967.
• Engaged and trained at Depot Division as a regular member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1967.
• Marriage to Linda Teague of Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1972.
• Birth of daughter Jody in London, Ontario in 1974.
• Birth of daughter Carla in London, Ontario in 1976.
• Received Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Winnipeg in 1980.
• Birth of son Kristopher in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1981.
• Received Certificate in General Police Studies – Canadian Police College – 1981.
• Received Certificate in Advanced Police Studies – Canadian Police College – 1981.
• Received Diploma in Police Management Studies – Canadian Police College – 1983.
• Received Language Training Achieved French Language Levels of CBBB – 1988.
• Received Alternate Dispute Resolution training.
• Received NCO promotions in 1975, 1982, and 1985 and became a Commissioned Officer in 1988.
• Appointed as a board member on several Adjudication and Discharge Boards for Code of Conduct Hearings into accusations of Disgraceful Conduct
  by members of the Force.
• Appointed as a board member on several Officer Candidate Boards, one of which processed Commissioner Brenda Lucki, first government appointed
  female commissioner of the RCMP.

Retiring after 41 years of continuous service, I then spent over 8 years part-time employment in the retail sector while waiting for my wife to retire from her nursing career after completing her pension requirements. Nearly every year during my service, as a family, we had traveled across Canada to visit various family members. Our only foreign travel after retiring was to attend my youngest daughter’s wedding in the Dominican Republic, in 2008. In early 2017 my wife and I relocated from Regina, Saskatchewan to Brockville, Ontario to be closer to our own children and grandchildren.