OTTAWA - A senior Mountie says the RCMP needs a more visible presence along the Canada-U.S. border to bolster security.
Assistant Commissioner Mike Cabana says the stronger presence would help the force gather information from people in border communities about criminal threats.
He told the House of Commons committee on public safety and national security that it's a missing piece of the border security puzzle.
MPs on the committee grilled a panel of RCMP members on the flood of American handguns spilling onto Canadian streets.
Cabana said he's not satisfied with the state of border security.
But MPs were unhappy with the RCMP's answers on action to stem the flow of guns.
