The deep personal conflicts among RCMP brass are part of growing tensions over the pace and direction of reforms in the embattled organization, insiders and experts say.
Sources said Commissioner William Elliott, who was appointed three years ago to revamp the national police force after years of controversies, still has many plans for the RCMP, including a large shuffle in management ranks.
But some of the reforms could be delayed because at least seven senior officers have complained to their bureaucratic bosses about Mr. Elliott's management style. While everyone agrees that he can be tough and demanding, some officers feel the commissioner is abusive and dictatorial.
The state of reform in the RCMP is at the heart of many tensions. Sources said some of the officers who complained about Mr. Elliott's style are frustrated at their lack of influence in the force or their inability to move up the ranks.
But senior officers are also complaining that they lack funds and personnel to undertake what they believe are essential elements of the RCMP renewal, especially in their federal mandate of fighting terrorism or organized crime.
High-ranking members said they are continuously engaged in cost-cutting exercises and wonder whether Mr. Elliott - a long-time bureaucrat who in 2007 became the first civilian leader of the RCMP - is truly fighting for the force.
"There are many people in senior management who wonder if he's not there to do the government's work," a senior RCMP insider said.
Mr. Elliott's supporters say he has worked to improve members' pay and to create new policies for officers working in isolated areas, among several accomplishments.
"People in the organization keep saying that nothing has changed, but when you add up everything that has changed, there is a lot. It's just not evident to everyone," said an RCMP insider.
There are many examples of differing opinions within the force. For example, Mr. Elliott created a change management team two years ago, headed by Assistant Commissioner Keith Clark. Mr. Clark is now on French-language training, and the team's responsibilities have been scattered throughout the organization, and no longer fall under the responsibility of a single senior officer.
"The whole process has been shelved," an RCMP insider complained.
But others say the team had reached its goals and that the new structure is more efficient.
"You can't have a special project running forever. At a certain point, it is supposed to be a part of the culture," said a senior member of the force.
The government is refusing to pick sides in the dispute over Mr. Elliott's management style, calling on everyone to follow the conflict-resolution process called a "workplace assessment."
"I know both the Commissioner and the others involved, who brought forward the complaints," said Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. "I respect all of them, and what I want to see is a quick resolution of this issue in a mature manner."
The RCMP's senior executive committee - made up of the highest-ranking members, including Mr. Elliott and some of the people who made the complaints against him - promised to co-operate with the adviser doing the workplace assessment and to keep up with ongoing reforms. The government has declined to name the adviser.
"We are confident that the pace of progress and our successes in bringing about positive change in the RCMP will continue to accelerate and grow," the group said in a statement.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper will ultimately have to decide whether Mr. Elliott remains in his position, and determine what kind of reforms the government wants to see in the RCMP.
"What will change things is a leader who can command respect, a leader who demonstrates that he or she is open for change," said Liberal Senator and RCMP expert Colin Kenny, who is calling for a large increase in funding to the force.