The British Columbia RCMP commanding officer, Dwayne McDonald, has been relieved of his duties due to unspecified allegations from 2016 to 2018, as confirmed by a statement from the RCMP. John Brewer, who previously led British Columbia’s extortion task force, has taken over as the deputy commissioner and commanding officer for the province.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, in a statement released on Thursday, mentioned that further details about the allegations will not be disclosed at this time. However, he assured that the allegations are being investigated and will not impact RCMP operations or policing services in British Columbia.
McDonald, who also served as the deputy commissioner of the RCMP and held key roles in law enforcement, including as the top cop at the Surrey RCMP and as the RCMP’s criminal operations officer for federal and organized crime investigations in British Columbia, has had his bio removed from the RCMP’s senior executive committee page.
John Brewer, now serving as the interim commanding officer of E Division and deputy commissioner, was previously an assistant commissioner within the RCMP. Commissioner Duheme expressed full confidence in Brewer, describing him as a respected member of the RCMP’s senior leadership team.
McDonald’s accolades include receiving the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2015. The B.C. RCMP’s E Division is the largest among the 15 divisions of the RCMP.