Julien Gignac, Centretown News
Senator Vern White says increased security wouldn’t affect public access to Parliament Hill grounds. On Oct. 22, gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau shot and killed Cpl. Nathan Cirillo while he was standing guard at the National War Memorial. Afterwards, the attacker continued his pursuit into the Parliament Buildings where he was eventually shot and killed.
Former Ottawa police chief Vern White, now a Conservative senator, says developing a more secure perimeter around Parliament Hill is necessary to prevent future extremist attacks.
“When you look at security measures you need to have time and distance. You need to be able to push back your threat,” he says.
White served for almost 31 years as a police officer and was appointed a Senator in February 2012. White says closing off two of the five front entrances or conducting security checks at the front gates, such as passing visitors’ bags through a metal detector test, would be appropriate.
He says he’s aware of some people’s concern with regards to limiting public openness to Parliament, but says security checks at the perimeter gates would not impact accessibility, because the only changes would be a quick scan and a 20-second conversation with security officials.
“(Afterwards) you would have the same access to the front of the lawn, and the front of the buildings would have that same open environment that the Canadian public has come to expect,” he insists.
Wayne Boone is an assistant research professor of asset protection and security at Carleton University and also a retired military police officer. He says there are alternatives to White’s proposed tightening of perimeter security. “There should not be any more restrictions upon the entrance onto the ground,” says Boone, who argues there should instead be greater surveillance of irregularities in actions. Boone says the idea of increased security measures at the gate entrances is “excessive” but having more people armed on Parliament Hill is “excellent” for security.
According to White, there are now more officials on Parliament carrying firearms.
Mayor Jim Watson says he trusts the RCMP and Parliamentary authorities to tend to the security needs of the Hill, but Watson also underscored the importance of maintaining an accessible Parliament for Canadians.
“I think what’s essential is that we don’t make security decisions based solely on the actions of one person or one event. We should always be assessing our city’s security and making the necessary adjustments but those decisions should and are being made based on comprehensive analysis and empirical evidence,” he says.