How the RCMP is responding to ‘unprecedented’ threats against MPs and officials – National

the head of the RCMP The unit tasked with protecting politicians says the force is ready for a looming federal election, even as it faces an “unprecedented” level of threats against MPs and candidates.

Michelle Paradis, RCMP deputy commissioner in charge of protective policing, says protection requests continue to increase and more members are being recruited to meet demand. Those members receive constant training on new and emerging threats at home and abroad, with the goal of ensuring they are “constantly vigilant,” he said.

“What I want is for our officers to be trained in a way that… their heads are basically spinning,” Paradis told Mercedes Stephenson in an interview that aired Sunday night. The West Block.

“It is not complacency. “It’s about changing to address the threat environment.”

Asked if his unit is ready for an election, which could take place at any time amid the political tumult in Ottawa, Paradis said there is already a plan in place for when the next campaign begins.

“We know that if it is called tomorrow, we are ready for it,” he said. “We’ve done this before.”

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He said candidates will be sent a pamphlet with information on personal safety and best practices, along with who to call within the RCMP “if the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.”

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RCMP members will be prepared to travel to various cities across the country to ensure 24-hour protection, he added.

Members of Parliament have faced increasing verbal and physical attacks and threats in public spaces, including from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other senior officials.

Paradis’ unit is tasked with not only protecting politicians, but also high-profile figures such as Irwin Cotler, who faced a murder threat last fall He is believed to be linked to Iran.

In 2019, the office of the sergeant-at-arms of the House of Commons opened eight files on threats against parliamentarians. That number skyrocketed to 530 last year.

“Whether it’s here in Canada, online or someone in their basement in another country, they’re coming in at a rate we’ve never seen before,” Paradis said.

“This is an unprecedented time for us.”

Gabriel Letourneau, a threat specialist with the RCMP’s protective services unit, is the first officer tasked with profiling the people sending those threats and assessing how credible they may be.

He told Stephenson that threats that land on his desk are never considered “zero risk.”

What elevates it further, he explained, is if the person displays specific homicidal fantasies. Suicidal ideation would also suggest that the person is not afraid of dying when carrying out a violent threat, he added.

“They’re all bad, but some of them are much more graphic in nature or much more personal,” Letourneau said.

Paradis called the distinction “horrible but legal” in the face of a more direct threat of violence.

“If it gets to a stage of criminality – ‘I will kill you’ – then we will press charges,” he said.

“If it’s, ‘I hope you get hit by a bus,’ that doesn’t meet the threshold for criminality. But it does mean that whoever was targeted feels some kind of (threat). So we’ll go, knock on a door and say (to the person who sent the threat), ‘We’re aware of you.’ And many times that is enough to stop that.”

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Letourneau said the RCMP is seeing “an increase in ideologically motivated violence (and) extremism.”

The ideology behind those threats depends on the type of policies the government is pursuing at the time, he added, suggesting that they are not limited to either right-wing or left-wing politics.

Members are also being trained to adapt to threats and acts of violence that have arisen in the real world, Paradis said.

He pointed to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, killed with a homemade firearm. His protective equipment did not immediately respond when the gun was fired because the sound was different from that of a traditional firearm, he said.

“Now we’ve incorporated that into our training,” he said.

New York police and prosecutors have said Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was killed by a “ghost gun” created with a 3D printer in a December murder.

As the RCMP looks to respond to the growing threat environment, Paradis said it is committed to ensuring standards are not lowered while hiring and training additional officers, with a focus on “continuous learning.”

She added that she is “always concerned” about burnout among members and that “the well-being of our members is the most important thing.”

Letourneau said his job “is heavy on me” and that certain cases will keep him up at night, particularly if they are trying to catch someone before they potentially carry out a credible threat.

“Not doing my job well has immense consequences,” he said.

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