The Ottawa police are establishing a parliamentary unit in response to growing security concerns for MPs, according to a letter obtained by CBC News.
Liberal MP Pam Damoff was informed about the new Parliament District Detachment in a letter she received Wednesday from Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonnell, in response to her request for more protection on Parliament Hill.
McDonnell also confirmed his office has worked with the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) to establish a secure perimeter around West Block, where MPs attend question period.
“We trust that this will allow you and your staff to travel to and from West Block without incident,” McDonnell wrote.
The letter also said the public no longer has access to the Parliamentary Precinct via the Bank and Wellington street entrances or the O’Connor staircase when the House is sitting.
The move comes after several high-profile altercations between anti-government demonstrators and MPs, who’ve reported being harassed, followed and assaulted just steps away from the House of Commons.
An incident involving Jagmeet Singh went viral last month after the NDP leader confronted protesters after someone accused him of being a “corrupted bastard.”
In a video posted to a YouTube page called Canadian Free Living, two men are seen following NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh on Parliament Hill and someone is heard yelling, ‘Corrupted bastard.’ In the video, you see Singh turn around and ask two men who made the comment.
A few days later, Liberal MP Taleeb Noormohamed told CBC Radio’s The House he was recently surrounded by a group of demonstrators, who yelled profanities at him, while he was leaving Parliament Hill. He said someone laid their hands on him and shoved him out of the way.
Funded with federal assistance
Damoff, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs for consular affairs, wrote to McDonnell on Sept. 18 asking him to boost security.
“I feel unsafe, and I am worried that someone is going to be seriously injured,” Damoff wrote.
“The level of harassment towards Parliamentarians and parliamentary staff is clearly increasing, and I do not find security to be acceptable.”
In his reply, McDonnell said the Ottawa police had stationed officers in key locations around the Parliamentary Precinct during sitting hours within the last week.
He said the first contingent of officers dedicated to the new parliamentary unit will start work in the coming weeks. McDonnell said the unit is being funded through financial assistance from the federal government, but didn’t specify how much.
CBC News has asked the Ottawa Police Service for comment, but hasn’t heard back.
McDonnell also said the PPS has increased its presence by having constables available to intervene as needed on Wellington Street and the O’Connor staircase, which MPs use to access West Block.
The PPS is responsible for the security of Parliament Hill and the Parliamentary Precinct, which is located south of the Ottawa River and north of Wellington Street between the Rideau Canal and Kent Street. It includes buildings where senators and MPs work.
Parliamentary officers do not have peace officer status, so they can’t charge anyone with criminal offences. Instead, they rely on Ottawa police, as the service of local jurisdiction.
The RCMP are also involved in the protection of Canadian dignitaries, such as the prime minister, Governor General and internationally protected persons or ministers based on a threat assessment. However, the RCMP have reported the number of MPs asking for security has doubled within the last five years.