SPEAKING NOTES
FOR
THE HONOURABLE ROY CULLEN
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY
TO THE
MINISTER OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
TO THE
CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE
99th ANNUAL CONFERENCE
"PROMOTING EXCELLENCE: STRATEGIC CONCEPTS
FOR POLICE EXECUTIVES"
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA
AUGUST 22, 2004
Check Against Delivery
Thank you Sgt. (Ron) Fairweather, and good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
I am delighted to be here today on behalf of the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Unfortunately,
Minister McLellan could not be here because of scheduling conflicts, but she
has asked me to extend her warm regards and best wishes for a successful conference.
Minister McLellan also asked me to convey an important message on her behalf. It is a message she communicated to your Board of Directors when she met with them in April, but it bears repeating today.
Policing is a priority for the Minister, for her department and for our government. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police is a valued partner and a vital link between government and police executives across Canada. Your organization and your committees are extremely well placed to determine the issues of greatest concern to the police community. We rely on you to bring these issues forward to us, and you can be assured that we rely on them to help inform our policy work.
As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister, I am looking forward to contributing to that process. I've been on a steep learning curve over the past few weeks, attending briefings, visiting RCMP headquarters, and travelling to Washington for meetings with U.S. Homeland Security officials and the FBI. Tomorrow, I will be meeting with local RCMP… (Alex to complete). I believe that this is a great opportunity for me to play a significant role, both in Parliament and at events such as this one. I look forward to assisting the Minister in advancing the work of the portfolio and building relationships with the Canadians who contribute so much every day to improving public safety and security across Canada.
While I have plenty to learn, I do bring some prior experience - as well as sincere interest - to this position. I was deeply involved, for example, in developing the Proceeds of Crime bill in my previous role as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance. And in my riding of Etobicoke North, I have been working with Police Chief Julian Fantino and the Toronto Police Service to address the difficult problem of gang-related crime and to implement new crime prevention initiatives.
One lesson I have learned through these experiences is that all partners in the policing and law enforcement community need to work together more closely if we are to effectively tackle issues like gun crime, organized crime, marijuana grow operations and child sexual exploitation.
That's why I am excited about the new federal approach to public safety and security introduced by Prime Minister Paul Martin last December.
By bringing together a wide range of resources and capabilities under a single Minister, the new department and portfolio of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness will allow for better integration across the public safety and security spectrum. It enables better partnerships and synergies among police and other elements of the public safety, law enforcement, corrections and intelligence communities.
The CACP's Board of Directors - and particularly your current President, Chief
Edgar MacLeod - have devoted considerable effort to encouraging inter-jurisdictional
dialogue on government roles and responsibilities for policing. We welcome this
at the federal level.
While the constitutional division of powers is very clear - the federal government
formulates criminal law and policy, and the provinces are responsible for the
administration of justice - this does not preclude enhanced inter-jurisdictional
cooperation. In fact, we owe it to Canadians to ensure that jurisdictional issues
do not become an impediment to effective, integrated policing.
The same can be said about issues of national security. The federal government has overall responsibility for national security issues - whether the threat be a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. But, we recognize that security starts much closer to home. Police and other first responders are on the front line when it comes to emergency prevention and response, and we will work with them in close partnership.
A good example of this type of partnership here in Vancouver is the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team. I understand there are four teams in the country now, and that two more will be established before 2006. These teams respond to information and bring together CSIS, RCMP, local police and other authorities to provide valuable support to police on the front line dealing with threats to national security.
Information Sharing
In the short time since becoming Parliamentary Secretary, it has become clear
to me that we are making progress on several important fronts - because of the
concerted efforts of governments at all levels and partners like the CACP. One
of these is the issue of information sharing among law enforcement agencies,
which will be explored during your conference this week.
As you know, we are moving toward implementing a first generation of the Canada Public Safety Information Network, a national initiative aimed at improving electronic sharing of offender and crime-related information required for public safety. Your association's Informatics Committee has been a key contributor to this initiative.
As well, the department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness recently
launched a project to develop a strategy for better integrating information
systems among all organizations that have a significant role in delivering public
safety and security. The ultimate goal of this project is to ensure that essential
information related to the safeguarding of our nation is accurate, timely and
available to those who need it - especially front line police officers.
Gun Control
Our government has also taken steps to improve inter-jurisdictional cooperation
on the issue of gun control, which remains an important component of public
safety. This past spring, we announced a comprehensive package of improvements
aimed at controlling the costs of the Canadian Firearms Program, enhancing the
capacity of law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime, and toughening the
gun crime provisions of the Criminal Code.
As part of this package, we announced additional funding to expand the Integrated Ballistic Identification System. Administered by the RCMP's National Police Services, this system helps police agencies across Canada establish links between firearms, spent cartridges and crime scenes.
We have also put in place long-term funding for the National Police Services' National Weapons Enforcement Support Team, which supports Canadian and international law enforcement agencies in addressing the problem of smuggling and trafficking of illegal firearms. This is a great example of integrated policing in Canada, and it has earned our continued support.
Crime Prevention
Another area where we have been working together is on the issue of crime prevention.
Through the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the federal government has been
collaborating with a wide range of partners to develop initiatives that create
and sustain safer communities.
The CACP and other police stakeholders have been key players in moving the
strategy forward. Your organization has taken a leadership role in educating
the police community on the concept of crime prevention through social development
and the role police can play at the national and community levels in preventing
crime. I wish you continued success in this regard.
Marijuana Grow Ops
Recent collaborative actions to tackle the issue of illegal marijuana grow operations
provide another good example of how we can work together. Various levels of
government and the law enforcement community are now cooperating more than ever
in the fight against these operations, which have clear links to the growing
problem of organized crime.
These efforts received an important boost in May of 2003, when our government announced the renewal of Canada's Drug Strategy, with a significant increase in funding. A good chunk of the new money - just under $22 million - is being used by the RCMP to establish and operate marijuana grow operations enforcement teams across the country.
These integrated teams are led by the RCMP and work very closely with local law enforcement and municipal officials to target the organized crime element involved in illegal grow ops. Enforcement teams are currently operating in British Columbia, Quebec and Alberta, and we expect additional teams to be established in Ontario and Atlantic Canada by the spring.
Protecting the Children
Our government is also encouraging a more integrated approach to protecting
children through the launch of a National Strategy to Protect Children from
Sexual Exploitation on the Internet, with funding of $42 million over five years.
Much of this funding will be used to enhance the work of the National Child
Exploitation Coordination Centre, which is housed in the RCMP's National Police
Services.
Provinces and municipalities have also responded to this horrendous problem by creating integrated units to aggressively investigate child pornography and sexual exploitation offences. Integrated Child Exploitation Investigation Units are established in Quebec and Manitoba, and I understand that steps have been taken to create such units in British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta and Atlantic Canada.
And of course, we continue to work with the provinces and territories toward implementing a National Sex Offender Registry that will allow police forces and other law enforcement agencies to track convicted sex offenders and to investigate crimes of a sexual nature. As you know, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act was passed by Parliament in April and will come into force in the fall.
Lawful Access
Let me also address the issue of lawful access, which is also on your agenda
this week. The CACP has been quite vocal in urging the government to update
federal legislation so that police can continue to lawfully intercept the information
they need to ensure public safety in the face of new and emerging technologies,
and I am pleased to say that this is something we are actively working on.
Lawful access laws were originally designed for rotary telephones - not cell phones or the Internet. The Minister understands the importance for officials to have the tools they need to undertake their investigative work. The department continues to work with our partners on lawful access legislation.
Policing in Aboriginal and Ethno-cultural Communities
Also on your agenda this week is the Law Enforcement Aboriginal and Diversity
Network, which was created in June 2003 at the urging of the CACP and RCMP.
Operating with support from Heritage Canada's Multiculturalism Program, the
LEAD Network now has representatives from more than 30 police agencies, all
of which are committed to strengthening the capacity of their officers to better
serve Aboriginal and ethno-cultural communities.
Although it is still in its early stages, our government recognizes that the LEAD Network is an innovative and effective means of sharing best practices and improving the capacity of law enforcement agencies to serve these communities. We will continue to work closely with the CACP and others to help ensure its success.
Conclusion
These are only a few examples of how governments and police across Canada are
collaborating to improve public safety and security. The Canadian Association
of Chiefs of Police has a big role to play in this regard, and it has shown
strong leadership in many areas.
I commend you for that, and I encourage you to continue to work with the federal government, the provinces and territories, and other key players to find new and better ways to safeguard Canada and its citizens.
I know I can speak for the Minister when I say that she and I look forward
to an ongoing, active dialogue with the CACP on a full range of policing issues.
You have been a strong partner of the former department of the Solicitor General
for many years, and we are confident that our relationship will continue now
that we are working within the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness portfolio.
You can count on my support.
Thank you, and good luck with your conference.
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