Parliamentary Committee Notes: Funding to Increase Protection for Public Figures and Democratic Institutions
Proposed Response
- In recent years, the threat and security environment for Parliamentarians has continued to evolve, as public officials continue to be increasingly subject to a broad range of threats, ranging from harsh online comments to direct threats of harm.
- Through its Protective Policing Program, the RCMP continuously monitors and assesses potential threats directed at political leaders and ensures that the appropriate security resources are deployed to address them.
- The RCMP is committed to modernizing the Protective Policing Program to better meet client’s needs and expectations by bolstering capacity to provide close protection security services in an evolving threat environment.
Financial Implications
- The RCMP is seeking $26.3 million ($22.7 million in voted authorities and $3.6 million in statutory authorities) for 2024-25 in support of providing protective services for Public Figures. More specifically, this funding will support the following lines of effort:
- hiring new Close Protection Officers and International Protection Officers.
- improving supporting functions, including VIP Intake and Assessment, and increase Divisional Situational Awareness through a Real-Time Protective Operations Centre.
- increasing intelligence and threat assessment capabilities.
- hiring of training resources to support the Protective Policing Program.
If questioned about current efforts to address threats against public officials.
- The RCMP is mandated to provide protective services, including close physical protection for public officials, in Canada and abroad, whether or not there is an imminent threat to their security.
- In addition to the Prime Minister and the Governor General, the RCMP is responsible for protecting federal cabinet ministers and persons designated by the Minister of Public Safety on a case-by-case basis.
- The level of protection offered and the nature of the security measures implemented are determined by the Protective Policing Program and are based on the latest risk and threat assessments, security considerations and a number of other factors.
- Protective measures are intelligence-led, to this end, the RCMP works closely with law enforcement and intelligence partners, including the relevant police forces across the country.
Background
The RCMP has a broad mandate to provide protective services to officials through its Protective Policing Program (PPP), which is also responsible for the protection of designated sites and Government-led events. Composed of approximately 435 personnel nationally, including 250 Close Protection Officers (CPOs), the PPP provides close protection to the Prime Minister (and family), the Governor General, Supreme Court Justices, Ministers of the Crown, Internationally Protected Persons, and other designated individuals. The RCMP actively engages with law enforcement partners such as Parliamentary Protective Services and Ottawa Police Service to assess and respond to evolving needs and trends. The RCMP also carries out investigations of individuals who have been identified as potentially posing a threat to public officials.
Ensuring the safety of Parliamentarians requires a constant review of protective priorities and identification of any residual concerns to ensure the appropriate leveraging of security resources to deliver security services that are customized and scalable to address personal, physical, and digital security. The RCMP is always pursuing opportunities with its Public Safety partners to bolster the capacity and resources of the PPP to mitigate the threats within this environment.
Some of the steps that the RCMP has already taken to enhance parliamentary security include:
- maintaining a ministerial liaison team (MLT);
- supporting enhancements to behavioral analysis capacity;
- engaging in regular outreach with Ministers and staff to increase awareness of threats and available services through the MLT;
- delivering security awareness training and briefings to Ministers, Chiefs of Staff, and other senior officials; and,
- advancing work on new projects to support the front-line demands, such as enhancing experienced police officer recruitment, and a direct entry capacity that will streamline the traditional approach to hiring and training CPOs.
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