Ministers’ teams don’t always agree with the RCMP’s assessments of danger levels
The RCMP’s close protection unit is running short of the specialized officers it needs to protect elected officials, undermining its ability to respond to federal ministers’ growing demands for security services, new figures show.
In the Ottawa region alone, 75 positions out of a total of 315 in the RCMP’s protection unit are unstaffed — a vacancy rate of 24 per cent — according to data obtained by Radio-Canada. Similar vacancy rates afflict the RCMP’s close protection units in other parts of the country, the RCMP said.
Several RCMP and government officials said the shortage of officers is complicating the force’s efforts to protect the prime minister, the Governor General, Supreme Court justices, diplomats and foreign dignitaries.
