Nunavut RCMP encouraged to continue wearing name tags

While on-duty RCMP officers are no longer required to wear name tags on their uniforms nationally, Nunavut RCMP are going in a different direction.

Officers are encouraged to continue wearing name tags, with their names in English and Inuktitut syllabics as well, said an unsigned statement provided to Nunatsiaq News from the Nunavut RCMP.

The email lists three Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit principles as the Nunavut RCMP’s foundation: Inuuqatigiittiarniq, which means respecting others; tunnganarniq, or fostering a welcoming spirit; and aajiiqatigiingniq, which is reaching consensus through discussion.

The RCMP made the country-wide change to make name tags option on March 30, according to reports from the Globe and Mail.

Britt Bancroft, board director with the National Police Federation, the union that represents members and reservists with the RCMP, said the change was in response to officers being doxxed and having their families identified and harassed.

“We’re supportive of the option to remove name tags and instead display their badge for accountability when members feel a situation is unsafe,” Bancroft said in a statement to Nunatsiaq News.

That said, the National Police Federation supports the Nunavut RCMP’s decision, Bancroft said.

“On a day-to-day basis, and particularly in smaller areas, members are well known to the people and communities they serve and that will continue under this new policy,” she wrote.

“The North is a special place to serve as a police officer, and the people who seek that out want to be a part of their local cultures and communities.”