Robert Henry Simmonds (April 6, 1926 – January 17, 2023) was a Canadian police officer who served as the 17th
commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) from 1977 to 1987.
Early life and career
Robert Henry Simmonds was born on April 6, 1926, in Keatley near Hafford,
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...
. Simmonds grew up on a farm and was educated in a one-room schoolhouse. He joined the Royal Navy
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
, served overseas during the last year of the Second World War.
RCMP career
Simmonds joined the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; french: Gendarmerie royale du Canada; french: GRC, label=none), commonly known in English as the Mounties (and colloquially in French as ) is the federal police, federal and national police service of ...
on April 23, 1947, where he trained at “Depot” Division in Regina. The following year, while touring with the RCMP Musical Ride, he performed highway patrols in Edmonton. He was subsequently posted to “K” Division, serving
Edmonton
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, Innisfail, Three Hills, Wetaskiwin, Hanna and
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
.
In 1953, Simmonds was part of the Canadian Contingent during the
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in England. In 1957, he moved to Calgary Subdivision as a Criminal Investigator. In 1966 he moved to
Burnaby
Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...
, British Columbia as Sub-Inspector, but transferred to
Victoria in 1971 to work in the staffing and personnel department. Three years later, he was promoted to Superintendent and charged with commanding the Victoria Subdivision. In 1976, Simmonds was promoted from Chief Superintendent to Deputy Commissioner of Administration in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
. On September 1, 1977, he was appointed Commissioner of the RCMP.
Simmonds was supportive of the organization of a British Columbia Police commission to mediate between police and the public. He felt that the RCMP should conduct themselves in an ethical manner and be accountable to the Government for their actions. In 1984, the RCMP Security Service was replaced by the
Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Throughout his term in office, Simmonds guided the Force through a time of heavy media scrutiny because of a series of sensational criminal investigations the Government was involved in at the time. He employed great discretion in speaking to the public and the media in order to avoid compromising the cases. Heavily active during his term as Commissioner, Simmonds was named Vice President of the International Criminal Police Organization (
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
), as well as the
Dominion of Canada Rifle Association
The Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA; french: Association de Tir Dominion du Canada) is a Canadian shooting sports organization. It was founded in 1868 and incorporated by an Act of Parliament 63-64 Victoria Chapter 99, assented to Ju ...
.
Post-RCMP career
After retiring in 1987, he negotiated peace between warring tribes in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and became the senior law enforcement officer of the United Nations Fund for Drug Abuse Control (UNFDAC) in Vienna.
Simmonds died in
Ottawa, Ontario on January 17, 2023, at the age of 96.
Honours
Simmonds was awarded the
RCMP Long Service Medal in 1967, accompanied by the bronze Clasp in 1972. He received the
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'argent de la reine Elizabeth II) is a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. The medal is p ...
in 1977, appointed
Commander of the Order of St. John
The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...
in 1978, and received the
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
He became an Honorary patron of the Parents’ Resource Institute for Drug Education (PRIDE), whose primary goal was the prevention and reduction of drug use among youth. In 1987, he was appointed an Officer of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
.
References
*
*RCMP Museum -- ''Friendly Notes'' Vol.14, No.3, Summer 2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmonds, Robert
1926 births
2023 deaths
Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II
Officers of the Order of Canada
Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioners