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The RCMP are to take the helm in guiding security on Parliament Hill, with House and Senate security forces reporting to one Mountie.
The change essentially puts one person in charge of protecting the Hill, rather than the three representatives – one from the House of Commons, one from the Senate and a third from the RCMP – who have been meeting every morning for years in the Hill’s central command post.
A unified security force inside the parliamentary buildings would report to the officer put in charge of Hill security and be accountable to the RCMP for its actions.
The new command structure, which was to be announced Wednesday, would still see the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Speaker of the Senate in charge of security on Parliament Hill, and inside the buildings of the parliamentary precinct.
“What we want, they (the RCMP) will decide how it will be done,” said a source with knowledge of the changes.
Getting the change in place, however, could be tricky without Parliament approving legal changes to the act that guides the Mounties. Parliament would have to allow the Mountie in charge of the Hill to report to the two Speakers; the RCMP Act only allows officers to report up the line to the RCMP commissioner.
“So in this case, they’ll have to figure out how this person will be accountable to the Speaker,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the change was not yet public. “It won’t be easy.”
The change comes as parliamentarians try to improve how security is handled on Parliament Hill to prevent a repeat of the events of Oct. 22, 2014, when Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial, before running on to Parliament Hill and ultimately bursting through the front doors of the Centre Block.
It took less than a minute for Zehaf-Bibeau to run from Wellington Street to the Centre Block, commandeer a cabinet minister’s vehicle for a short drive to the Peace Tower, get inside and rush to the end of the Hall of Honour before being killed in a shootout with security forces. The shootout took place steps away from rooms holding Prime Minister Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and their respective caucuses.
Further changes to Hill security are to be agreed upon, or in place, by April, starting with the merger of House and Senate security forces.
All guards on the Hill are to finish their firearms training by the end of March, sources say, although it’s not clear that all those tested will pass the one-week training course that includes psychological testing and target shooting. Those who pass will be trained to the same level as RCMP officers.
The change will also reduce the role of the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms, who will likely take a more ceremonial role and only be in charge of security inside the Commons chamber itself.
That move will give the Sergeant-at-Arms a role similar to the Usher of the Black Rod, who is in charge of security inside the Senate chamber, and is the chief protocol officer on Parliament Hill.
Kevin Vickers, the Sergeant-at-Arms who is credited with helping kill Zehaf-Bibeau on Oct. 22, was recently named ambassador to Ireland and is no longer in the job.
jpress@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/jpress
查看原文...
The change essentially puts one person in charge of protecting the Hill, rather than the three representatives – one from the House of Commons, one from the Senate and a third from the RCMP – who have been meeting every morning for years in the Hill’s central command post.
A unified security force inside the parliamentary buildings would report to the officer put in charge of Hill security and be accountable to the RCMP for its actions.
The new command structure, which was to be announced Wednesday, would still see the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Speaker of the Senate in charge of security on Parliament Hill, and inside the buildings of the parliamentary precinct.
“What we want, they (the RCMP) will decide how it will be done,” said a source with knowledge of the changes.
Getting the change in place, however, could be tricky without Parliament approving legal changes to the act that guides the Mounties. Parliament would have to allow the Mountie in charge of the Hill to report to the two Speakers; the RCMP Act only allows officers to report up the line to the RCMP commissioner.
“So in this case, they’ll have to figure out how this person will be accountable to the Speaker,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the change was not yet public. “It won’t be easy.”
The change comes as parliamentarians try to improve how security is handled on Parliament Hill to prevent a repeat of the events of Oct. 22, 2014, when Michael Zehaf-Bibeau killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo at the National War Memorial, before running on to Parliament Hill and ultimately bursting through the front doors of the Centre Block.
It took less than a minute for Zehaf-Bibeau to run from Wellington Street to the Centre Block, commandeer a cabinet minister’s vehicle for a short drive to the Peace Tower, get inside and rush to the end of the Hall of Honour before being killed in a shootout with security forces. The shootout took place steps away from rooms holding Prime Minister Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and their respective caucuses.
Further changes to Hill security are to be agreed upon, or in place, by April, starting with the merger of House and Senate security forces.
All guards on the Hill are to finish their firearms training by the end of March, sources say, although it’s not clear that all those tested will pass the one-week training course that includes psychological testing and target shooting. Those who pass will be trained to the same level as RCMP officers.
The change will also reduce the role of the House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms, who will likely take a more ceremonial role and only be in charge of security inside the Commons chamber itself.
That move will give the Sergeant-at-Arms a role similar to the Usher of the Black Rod, who is in charge of security inside the Senate chamber, and is the chief protocol officer on Parliament Hill.
Kevin Vickers, the Sergeant-at-Arms who is credited with helping kill Zehaf-Bibeau on Oct. 22, was recently named ambassador to Ireland and is no longer in the job.
jpress@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/jpress
查看原文...
