5824-01567 — Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The complainant alleged that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) failed to conduct a reasonable search for records related to allegations of political interference with the Attorney General's functions concerning the SNC-Lavalin prosecution. The request covered records from July 8, 2022, to July 5, 2023. The investigation found that while the RCMP tasked relevant offices, these offices failed to search for records within the full specified timeframe. Specifically, Federal Policing and National Division did not search for records created after certain dates within the request's scope, and the Commissioner's Office's search timeframe was unclear. Furthermore, a 4600-page Police Reporting and Occurrence System (PROS) file, which the RCMP deemed irrelevant due to its 'occurrence time' being outside the request's timeframe, was found by the Commissioner to be relevant and to contain actions reported within the requested period. The Commissioner concluded that the RCMP did not conduct a reasonable search and ordered a new search and response. The RCMP agreed to implement the order.