Lawrence Herchmer

File:Lawrence Herchmer.png

Lawrence William Herchmer (25 April 1840 – 17 February 1915) was a Canadian and British police commander and army officer, who was also employed as a farmer, brewer and civil servant. He served as the fifth Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police,<ref>Now the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)</ref> from April 1, 1886 to July 31, 1900.<ref name="dcbo">Template:Cite DCB</ref>

Born in Shipton-on-Cherwell, England,<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Herchmer served with the British Army and, during 1872–4, as supply officer of the British Boundary Commission, then as Indian agent in Manitoba in 1876.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He was named RCMP Commissioner in 1886.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Although a former military officer, he had not served in the police, and was a civilian at the time he was named as Commissioner of the force.<ref name="dcbo" /><ref>The news media described William J. S. Elliott, appointed in 2007, but who had not served in the armed forces or the police, as the first civilian RCMP commissioner.CBC News,CanWest Template:Webarchive</ref>

Herchmer was "a capable administrator",<ref name="ReferenceA"/> but being hot-tempered and overbearing,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> he gained a "reputation as a tyrant" during his tenure as commissioner. Nevertheless, the force under his command gained better benefits, living conditions, organization, and training, and more respect, with a marked improvement in esprit du corps.<ref name="dcbo" /> His personality earned him a number of political enemies, leading to charges of mismanagement that produced a judicial inquiry in 1892 (which cleared him)<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and culminated in his dismissal in 1900,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> while he was serving with the Canadian Army in South Africa. Herchmer considered his firing unjust, and continued to say so until his death.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Herchmer introduced the wide-brimmed hats (later adopted as official uniform), and the famous musical ride display of horsemanship.<ref name="dcbo" />

His family had connections with John A. Macdonald, first prime minister of Canada, who appointed him. He had the political backing to make many important changes to the administration and organization of the force.

He died in Vancouver, British Columbia at 74.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>