Mr. Scheer (Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask.), in his role as House Speaker and chair of the Commons Board of Internal Economy which ultimately oversees the roughly 300-member Commons security service and other internal House issues, issued a statement Tuesday saying the board has been briefed on security measures that have been implemented since 32-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau stormed Parliament on Wednesday, Oct. 22 shortly after shooting Cpl. Nathan Cirillo who was standing guard at the National War Memorial.
The statement pointed to Mr. Scheer’s statement last week that he had requested a “comprehensive review” of the security system in the wake of Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau’s attack.
But the statement suggested the results of the review and any new measures will not be made public.
“The Board of Internal Economy has been briefed on the security measures that have been implemented since Oct. 22, 2014,” Mr. Scheer’s statement said. “The Board of Internal Economy would like to affirm its united commitment to ensuring that Parliament remains an institution that is both open and secure.”
The statement noted Mr. Scheer’s Oct. 23 announcement that he had “requested a comprehensive review of all actions that were taken, specifically to examine security systems and procedures, to identify what worked, and to make improvements where necessary.”
Though the statement said “more information about analysis and next steps will be made available in due course” it did not indicate that any conclusions about possible security failings would be made public and added that no further details about the security apparatus on Parliament Hill will be released.
“For the safety and security of everyone on Parliament Hill, specific details about security practices and enhanced measures will not be shared,” Mr. Scheer’s statement said.
Mr. Scheer’s communications director, Heather Bradley, emailed the media advisory to The Hill Times in response to an email seeking confirmation that the Commons security service has temporarily assigned armed security personnel to accompany unarmed Senate security officers, at least in the main rear door of the Senate side of the Centre Block.
Although the Senate last spring approved the establishment of an armed contingent of 12 security officers, out of just more than 60, the training of the officers has been delayed.
Since Monday, an RCMP officer with a holstered handgun has been stationed outside the main entrance to Parliament under the Peace Tower, and another has been stationed with an unarmed Senate security constable outside the main front door of the Senate entrance.
As well, following RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson’s statement last week that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s RCMP escort detail would be with Mr. Harper (Calgary Southwest, Alta) “24/7,” Mountie plainclothes officers carrying concealed handguns are accompanying the Prime Minister wherever he goes inside the Parliament Buildings. In the past, prior to the armed attack, the RCMP detail would remain outside the Parliament Buildings and transfer protective responsibilities to armed Commons plainclothes officers inside.
Meanwhile, the RCMP has beefed up both surveillance and security muscle on the grounds outside the Parliament Buildings, with more patrol cars and more officers in more locations. Initially, the Mounties also stationed a black heavy-duty SUV van with police bumpers on the front grill beside the Peace Tower.
After he shot Cpl. Cirillo twice at point blank with a high-powered lever-action repeating rifle, Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau took only 84 seconds to make his way from an eastern entrance gateway onto Parliament Hill from Wellington Street, and was not spotted by the RCMP road patrol officers, the first ring of security on Parliament Hill, until seconds after he hijacked a minister’s limousine in front of the Senate East Block and drove it up the Hill to the side of the Peace Tower, more than 40 seconds after he ran through the gate.
Unarmed Commons guards directly inside the main entrance doors to the Centre Block were unable to overcome and stop Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau, who also made it past the third wall of security, armed plainclothes guards at the top of the interior entrance steps. The armed guards at one point had to halt initial shooting at Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau out of concern they could hit the two unarmed officers still at the bottom of the interior stairs, one of whom had been shot in the foot attempting to disarm Mr. Zehalf-Bibeau.
After Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau made it past those two lines of guards, he ran toward the Library of Parliament at the end of the grand entrance hall, called the Hall of Honour. An armed plainclothes guard stationed at the entrance to a committee room off the centre of the hallway is said to have shot Mr. Zehalf-Bibeau in the shoulder. Mr. Zehaf-Bibeau fired back, but missed, his bullet lodging in the stone wall entrance way leading to the committee room, where Mr. Harper was meeting with his Conservative caucus.
A second shot by the constable at Mr. Zehalf-Bibeau missed, and appears to have gone through an exterior door to a committee room on the other side of the Hall of Honour, lodging in a thick padded soundproofing door behind the wood door. The NDP caucus was at the time trapped inside that committee room.
RCMP and Commons security officers pursuing Mr. Zehalf-Bibeau and firing at him cornered him in a stone alcove in front of the Library of Parliament doors, where Commons Sergeant-At-Arms Kevin Vickers fired the final close-range shots that took Mr. Zehalf-Bibeau down.
Mr. Scheer’s statement outlined security upgrades that have taken place since the last review and indirectly responded to news reports that have highlighted a 2012 recommendation from Auditor General Michael Ferguson for a unified security service on Parliament Hill.
The grounds and buildings inside are currently overseen by three separate command and operation systems under the House of Commons security service, the Senate security service, and the RCMP.
“The House of Commons is a partner in the Master Security Planning Office (MSPO), which is the outcome of a joint initiative by the Senate, House of Commons and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, established in 2007,” Mr. Scheer’s statement said.
“Their key planning document, the Master Security Plan, was endorsed in 2009 and focuses on three main pillars essential to ensure a safe Parliamentary Precinct: prevention, detection and response. The MSPO works to ensure that security is integrated, consistent, common and constant. Key advances made possible by the Master Security Plan include improved coordination and communication with security partners, alignment of protocols and training, the enhanced vehicle screening facility, and improvements to perimeter security,” the statement said.
“The 2012 Auditor General’s (OAG) report on the performance audit of the House of Commons Administration asserted that: Security operations are in place to provide authorized access and a safe environment,” Mr. Scheer’s statement said, citing a more positive conclusion in Mr. Ferguson’s report to Parliament.
“The OAG report also called for strengthened coordination, the exploration of the possibility of creating a unified security force with security partners and the development of an overall security policy. These are matters that the Board Sub-Committee on Security and its Senate counterpart have been discussing and to which the respective administrations have dedicated significant resources and attention,” the Speaker’s statement said.
Original Article
Source: hilltimes.com/
Author: Tim Naumetz
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