T.M. 'Scotty' Gardiner, Supt. RCMP (retired)
Scotty Gardiner was born in 1931 on a farm near Biggar, Saskatchewan and moved at age five to his ancestral home in Fifeshire, Scotland. There he received his education before and during World War II. With his family he returned to Canada in 1948 and settled in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. He joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1951. Throughout his 31-year career he served in six Provinces, working in small prairie communities, then ten years as a plainclothes detective, on to senior Officer rank directing major crime investigations locally, nationally and internationally.
Following his RCMP career, Gardiner served 13 years as a senior investigator with the BC Ombudsman Office. Recalled from retirement in 2000 by the BC Ministry of Attorney General, he organized and directed a select group of investigators over a three-year period investigating allegations of sexual abuse in custodial institutions.
Scotty Gardiner and his wife Mary live in Victoria, BC.
Scotty Gardiner's epic memoir is one of the most insightful books about the R.C.M.P. in decades: 131 chapters of true adventures
"The RCMP of today is in desperate need of more Scotty Gardiners. In the Mind of a Mountie traces a most successful 31-year career served in six provinces from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He recounts investigations with a crisp, no-nonsense manner, yet in an exceedingly entertaining style." -- from the foreword by The Honourable Ted Hughes, OC, QC, LLD (Hon)
Over 300,000 words of fascinating 'cops-and-robbers' stories
"A great book, a fine read and written by an outstanding member of the RCMP.
Scotty Gardiner was an exceptional policeman, a man of ultimate integrity, fair
minded and an inspiration to his peers. He provided unrelenting service to his
country plus he has a marvelous sense of humour. I salute him," writes The Honourable Garde B. Gardom, QC, OBC, Lt. Governor of BC 1995-2001.
"A fine book, immensely readable, and an important record of the mind of a very special Mountie dedicated to justice," says Stephen Owen, QC, PC, Vice President of External, Legal and Community Relations, University of British Columbia; former Ombudsman for BC.
Don Wilson, RCMP Deputy Commissioner (Retired), says, "Scotty Gardiner was the consummate investigator, meticulous in his methods
and demanding of himself and those who worked with him. This autobiographical
look into his accidental career reveals the man, but also crime problems and
investigative techniques as they were found a half century ago, before organized
crime as we know it today, DNA identification, automated fingerprint identification systems, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It was a simpler era in policing, but in many ways more demanding. Self sufficiency, initiative, commitment and perseverance were the measurements of success. These characteristics Scotty had in abundance, and passed to those of us he mentored through his remarkable career within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."
"A clear and kindly account of how the RCMP actually works in a vast and diverse land -- one man's personal story of success and fulfillment as he rises through the ranks, from a constable on patrol alone in the prairie winter, to a leadership role in solving cases of rape, murder, gold heist, international drug deals and social injustices.
"The methods and sociology described in the case studies alone should make this book required reading for anyone joining the RCMP Canada's essential national police force. Scotty's stories emphasize the tact, discipline, confidence, self-reliance and openmindedness needed now more than ever before in our social history," says W.A. Geoffrey Voss, Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta.
"A remarkably rich and personal memoir, full of stories that illustrate both the routine and complex in police work. The book is also a testament to how a combination of hard work, intellectual imagination, integrity, and self-discipline served Scotty well as a Mountie in postings across this vast country. It is an account of a life's work that needs to be told, especially in these times when the Force seems in disarray and those values compromised,"
writes John McLaren, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Victoria.
"A fascinating account of a highly successful career. The many ingredients of effective police work are revealed: the team-work, the patience, the ingenuity, the dedication, the high degree of self-discipline are all there. A great read," notes Patrick Crofton, Lt. Commr, Royal Canadian Navy (Retired); former Member of Parliament.
Based on Chapter 115 from "In The Mind Of A Mountie" by Supt. T.M. 'Scotty' Gardiner (ret'd)
RCMP targeted drug importers at the source wherever possible. Scotty sent a radio technician to Hong Kong Harbour to bug a smuggler's boat -- but it would take ingenuity and flexibility to find and enter the boat.
Buy this Book
In The Mind Of A Mountie is available in paperback and jacketed hardcover editions, plus PDF eBook download.
The 772-page hardcover with dust jacket is us$49.95. Buy from your closest Amazon website (USA, Canada, UK):
The 680-page quality trade paperback is a slightly larger format, priced at us$28.50. Buy from your closest Amazon website (USA, Canada, UK):
To arrange an interview with the author, please contact Bruce at Agio Publishing House, or the author at 250-385-2872 or
tmscottygardiner (at) gmail (dot) com
"The RCMP of today is in desperate need of more Scotty Gardiners. In the Mind of a Mountie traces a most successful 31-year career served in six provinces from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He recounts investigations with a crisp, no-nonsense manner, yet in an exceedingly entertaining style."
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