The British Columbia commanding officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been removed from his position due to unspecified allegations spanning from 2016 to 2018, as per an official statement from the RCMP. Dwayne McDonald has been replaced by John Brewer, who previously led the extortion task force in British Columbia.
The statement, attributed to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme, mentioned that further details regarding the allegations will not be disclosed at this time. Duheme assured that the allegations are currently under investigation and that there will be no disruption to RCMP operations or policing services in the province.
McDonald, who also served as the RCMP’s deputy commissioner, previously held key positions such as the top officer at the Surrey RCMP and as the criminal operations officer overseeing federal and organized crime investigations in British Columbia. His bio, which highlighted his extensive law enforcement experience spanning nearly three decades, has been removed from the RCMP’s senior executive committee page.
John Brewer, the newly appointed interim commanding officer of E Division and deputy commissioner, was commended in the RCMP statement by Commissioner Duheme, who expressed full confidence in Brewer’s leadership abilities and described him as a respected member of the RCMP’s senior leadership team.
McDonald, a recipient of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces in 2015, had a significant role as head of the B.C. RCMP, responsible for the largest division within the RCMP’s structure. Brewer, previously an assistant commissioner within the RCMP, now assumes the role of commanding officer of E Division on an interim basis.