The RCMP has officially launched its new National Division, which will focus on “sensitive, high-risk investigations” into threats to the country’s “political, economic and social integrity.”
RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson, Assistant Commissioner Gilles Michaud and Prime Minister Stephen Harper marked the occasion at a ceremony in Ottawa Monday morning.
Paulson said the division, which replaces the old “A” Division, will focus on “safeguarding Canada’s political, economic and social integrity through investigations that focus on corruption and criminality here and abroad.”
The division will also be responsible for protecting Canadian dignitaries including the prime minister in Canada and overseas, as well as VIPs visiting Ottawa. The division will also be tasked with ensuring the security of Parliament Hill, Rideau Hall, and the prime minister’s residence at 24 Sussex Dr.
“It gives you can idea of how important this particular division is going to be, because look at the number of things that we’ve been talking about that they are going to be handling, whether it’s Canadians going overseas to engage in terrorism, like the two young men in Algeria, like a Senate expense scandal or a variety of other political threats, including election fraud,” CTV’s Mercedes Stephenson reported Monday morning.
“So you’re talking about very high-profile, very sensitive investigations that deal with national security, political threats, threats to the economy, and social threats as well.”
But former RCMP superintendent Garry Clement praised the creation of the new division, saying it will improve the force’s ability to investigate extremely sensitive cases.
“This gives the RCMP the flexibility to bring the best experts in to deal with these highly sensitive and they are going to be fairly complex (cases) because you are dealing with politicians,” Clement told CTV News Channel. “You want to be able to put the best case forward, you’re not going to go with a 50-50 case… I have to laud the RCMP for what they’re doing.”
