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RCMP to freeze more assets in widening SNC-Lavalin probe
(May 24) The RCMP is moving to freeze millions of dollars in bank accounts and real estate holdings in Montreal and Florida as part of its expanding probe into Canadian engineering firm SNC-Lavalin. The force's foreign anti-corruption unit is alleging that two former SNC-Lavalin executive vice presidents — Sami Bebawi and Riadh Ben Aïssa — are guilty of fraud, bribery and laundering $120 million. more>>
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RCMP Google Doodle salutes 140 years of Mounties
(May 24) Google Canada has marked the 140th anniversary of the founding of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP), the force that later merged with the Dominion Police to become the RCMP. The CBC's Digital Archives has an interview with a NWMP veteran, William Henry Walden, who joined the force in 1877. He was interviewed in 1964 by CBC Radio when he was 106. more>>
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Border dogs better at sniffing out meat than drugs, data suggests
(May 23) According to federal data, dogs used by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to sniff out contraband meat products and illicit drug shipments have been 20 times more successful at doing the former than the latter. Dan Robinson, spokesman for the union that represents Canada's border officers, said the stats are misleading, however, because dog teams are spread thinly compared with the total number of CBSA agents working border crossings. He added that ”dogs are much quicker at searching big ships and cargo containers." more>>
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RCMP responds to female Mountie?s sex abuse lawsuit
(May 23) The RCMP has responded to a lawsuit recently filed by Staff Sgt. Caroline O’Farrell, a former Musical Ride member, that alleges sexual abuse and harassment more than a quarter century ago. The national police force says it addressed her allegations at the time - 1986/7 - and is "disappointed" they have re-surfaced. more>>
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U.S. killer tornado: two schools destroyed and 24 dead
(May 21) The most powerful type of tornado - classified by weather experts as an EF-5, with sustained winds of more than 322 km/h - tore apart two elementary schools and several homes in Moore, Oklahoma on Monday. Two dozen people were killed, including nine children. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that the affected area would receive federal emergency aid to help with the recovery. more>>
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Mountie sues RCMP, senior officers over alleged abuse
(May 22) The RCMP is facing new allegations of sexual harassment and abuse against a female officer during her time on the force's iconic travelling equestrian show, the Musical Ride. RCMP Staff Sgt. Caroline O’Farrell alleged Tuesday that she was repeatedly dragged through horse urine and manure, openly mocked, subjected to degrading sexual remarks and bullied by her male co-workers when she was one of the only female constables on the Ride in 1986 and 1987. She alleges that an internal investigation revealed there were in excess of 100 substantiated incidents of assault or abuse. more>>
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Chinese government cyber-attacks on US targets resume
(May 21) In February, U.S. computer security company Mandiant published a report detailing cyber-attacks associated with Unit 61398 of China's People's Liberation Army. Following the report, the unit's hacking activities stopped, but they recently started up again. One senior American official recently told The New York Times that "this is something we are going to have to come back at time and again with the Chinese leadership ... [they] have to be convinced there is a real cost to this kind of activity." more>>
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US CBP presents plan to eliminate sequester furloughs
(May 21) U.S. Customs and Border Protection has submitted a plan to Congress that would eliminate sequester furloughs for the agency despite $600 million in mandated cuts. “While these reductions are not without significance and will continue to impact our mission, they are preferable to the personal hardships and operational impact of incurring furloughs at this point in the fiscal year,” wrote CBP deputy commissioner Thomas Winkowski. more>>
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Police warn Canadians about fake $100 polymer bills
(May 20) Police are warning Canadians to be on the lookout for counterfeit $100 polymer bills after seven imitation notes were discovered in April in New Westminster, B.C. "This is the first instance where we’ve seen them being counterfeit," said Sgt. Diana McDaniel of the community's police force. more>>
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RCMP has ?no interest? in harassment suit negotiations
(May 20) A lawyer representing 300 women who worked for the RCMP and have alleged harassment and gender-based discrimination in a lawsuit says the RCMP is declining an offer to mediate. Earlier this year, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said the force would "expeditiously resolve, wherever appropriate, outstanding harassment-related lawsuits." more>>
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Cyber experts fear escalation of attacks
(May 18) U.S. cyber security officials and private sector experts are very concerned about the potential capacity of malware - possibly already on some computer networks and waiting to strike - to wreak havoc on critical infrastructure or infiltrate corporations to steal intellectual secrets or spy. Cyber espionage is already "the greatest transfer of wealth in history," National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander, the top U.S. general in charge of cybersecurity, told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit in Washington this week. "Disruptive and destructive attacks on our country will get worse," he said. "Mark my words, it will get worse." more>>
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RCMP watchdog to investigate torture, rape allegations
(May 17) The civilian watchdog that oversees the RCMP says it will investigate allegations of abuse by Mounties in northern B.C. Interim chair Ian McPhail said this week he has reasonable grounds to begin an investigation. The complaints about threats, torture and sexual assault by officers were made public earlier this year in a report by Human Rights Watch. more>>
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Alleged Hezbollah, Hamas men in NY smuggling ring
(May 17) A multi-agency policing effort resulted in search warrants being executed Thursday and 16 people arrested in various eastern U.S. states in connection with a cigarette smuggling ring that authorities believe has been the work of Hamas and Hezbollah operatives. The scheme allegedly took in at least $65 million and involved Palestinians smuggling up to 20,000 cartons of cigarettes per week from low-tax states for illegal resale in New York and other high-tax states. more>>
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Canada adds Taliban, Haqqani network to terror list
(May 16) Canada is the first NATO country to use its domestic laws to outlaw the Taliban as a terrorist group. The Taliban's militant Islamist allies, the Haqqani network, which has carried out some of the most brazen attacks in Afghanistan, have also been put on the Canadian list of 46 terror groups. more>>
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SNC-Lavalin Intl. used secret code for ?bribery? payments
(May 16) SNC-Lavalin International, a division of Canadian engineering giant SNC-Lavalin, has used a secret internal accounting code for years that former employees say was for bribes on projects across Africa and Asia. Former employees say some of the money was earmarked to help the company win contracts funded by international development agencies such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank. more>>
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Loss of RCMP firearm labs will hurt police, critics say
(May 16) Due to federal funding policy, the RCMP is shutting down several regional forensic laboratories where the Integrated Ballistics Identification System or IBIS helps police analyze bullets and shell casings picked up at crime scenes. Closing the laboratories will save an estimated $3.5 million, but critics say doing so will likely create backlogs and problems for police. more>>
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Bullets decoded: Inside the Toronto police ballistics lab
(May 15) Police have been using the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS), a Canadian-designed technology that analyzes unique bullet markings. Police say IBIS has helped draw hundreds of links to specific weapons and prior shootings in Toronto. more>>
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Quebec RCMP officers protest budget cuts in Montreal
(May 15) About 100 RCMP officers rallied in Montreal on Tuesday to protest what they describe as strained working conditions and labour relations. Mounties were protesting budget cuts that have affected undercover wardrobe expenses and reduced healthcare and pension benefits. more>>
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OPP testing unmanned aerial drone
(May 14) The Ontario Provincial Police are testing a remote-controlled aircraft that roughly resembles a small helicopter to see how much help it can give them while investigating accidents. OPP Sgt. Dave Woodford said the drone "will be able to map and take photos of the whole [accident] scene and hopefully down the road open up these highways a lot sooner than we normally see.” more>>
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Drug cartel member to do 35 years in prison and pay $15B
(May 14) A high-ranking Mexican drug cartel chief, Aurelio Cano Flores, has been jailed for 35 years for smuggling huge quantities of cocaine and marijuana into the U.S. The 40-year-old has also been ordered to forfeit $US15 billion in drug proceeds as part of a financial judgment. more>>
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Mafia sweep leads Italian police to dead Canadians in Sicily
(May 13) Italian police discovered the burned corpse of a former associate of Montreal Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto during a recent anti-Mafia operation. The sweep netted 21 people; however, two suspects - a former Toronto resident and a Canadian in his mid-thirties - are still at large. more>>
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19 hurt in New Orleans Mother?s Day parade shooting
(May 13) Gunmen shot at dozens of people marching in a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans on Sunday, wounding at least 19 individuals: 10 men, seven women, and two children. The FBI said the attack appeared to be "street violence" and was not terrorism-related. more>>
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RCMP to examine senators? expenses
(May 12) The RCMP will examine the spending of three senators - Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Mac Harb - after Deloitte audits revealed they billed thousands of dollars in ineligible housing expenses. According to Senator James Cowan, the Senate could take further disciplinary action against the senators and a criminal investigation may also be launched. more>>
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Police officers charged in violent arrest caught on video
(May 11) Four Trois-Rivières, Quebec police officers caught on video kicking and punching a robbery suspect who appeared to be surrendering are facing criminal charges. Marc-André Saint-Amant, Barbara Provencher, Dominic Pronovost and Kaven Deslauriers were charged with various offenses, including assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, and obstructing justice by hiding the video. more>>
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Third man arrested in VIA Rail terror plot
(May 10) A former Canadian resident, Ahmed Abassi, a Tunisian citizen, was charged in New York on Thursday in connection to the alleged plot to derail a passenger train outside of Toronto. The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that Abassi had fraudulently applied for a U.S. work visa in order to remain in the country to facilitate an act of terror. more>>
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Mexican drug cartel courts civilians with parties for kids
(May 10) The powerful and deadly Mexican drug cartel, Los Zetas, appears to be shifting its strategy by throwing parties in order to garner public support. Last weekend, hundreds of kids in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas danced to bands and played with clowns hired by the cartel. "It is a relatively common phenomenon, but not for Los Zetas," said Jorge Chabat, a professor and researcher from the Centro de Investigación and Docencia Ecónomica in Mexico City. "It signals that they are trying to change their image. Los Zetas are not known for being a cartel that looks for a social base." more>>
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Dutchman in court for ?biggest ever? cyber attack
(May 9) A Dutchman, Sven Olaf Kamphuis, was arrested in Spain last month in connection with history's most powerful cyber attack - 300 gigabytes of data per second - and extradited to the Netherlands this week. The attack earlier this year targeted Spamhaus, a Geneva-based volunteer group that publishes spam blacklists used by networks to filter out unwanted email. more>>
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Senate to investigate RCMP over allegations of witness intimidation
(May 9) A ruling Wednesday by Senate Speaker Noël Kinsella found that the RCMP’s recent action concerning one of its members, Corporal Roland Beaulieu, amounted to a “prima facie” breach of the privileges of Parliament's upper legislative house and will result in an investigation. The RCMP is facing an allegation that it essentially blocked Cpl. Beaulieu from testifying before a Senate committee earlier this week. more>>
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Are security firms the answer to rising police costs?
(May 8) Canadian Corps of Commissionaires executives told a parliamentary committee Tuesday that many “less-demanding” policing duties currently done by officers — crime scene security, offender transportation, front desk management — could easily be performed by private guards, allowing police to focus on more important tasks. However, Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, said that while police forces recognize they need to find ways to be more efficient, "I’m not sure the solution is simply to hand (certain duties) over to private interests that are focused on the bottom line." more>>
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US accuses China government and military of cyber-spying
(May 8) A recent U.S. Defense Department report says the Chinese government and military have targeted U.S. government computers as part of a cyber espionage campaign. Cyber spying has focused on collecting intelligence on American diplomatic, economic and defence sectors in order to benefit China's defence programs, the report states. more>>
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NDP, police group decry lack of oversight in RCMP Act changes
(May 7) New legislation to overhaul the RCMP Act - Bill C-42 - does not adequately address how to deal with harassment in the force despite government claims to the contrary, Mounties and NDP MPs said Monday. The chief objection is that the bill does not include a provision for the creation of a civilian review body, which members have been demanding for years, and gives the force’s commissioner greater powers to demote or fire members. Rae Banwarie, president of the Mounted Police Professional Association of Canada, said Bill C-42 “does not address core issues of harassment in the force.” more>>
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RCMP muzzling testimony at Senate committee, says officer
(May 7) Mountie Roland Beaulieu, a corporal, was supposed to be in Ottawa on Monday to testify before a Senate committee about harassment in the national police force. However, late last week an RCMP doctor sent him an email saying that if he is well enough to travel and testify, he's well enough to return to administrative work with the force. The 27-year RCMP veteran suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and has been on stress leave for two years after what he says were years of harassment by unfair, dishonest bosses. "I would call it bullying violence. I would call it violence, psychological violence, for what they did to me in my career," he said. more>>
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Fallen Guelph, Ont. police officer honoured
(May 6) Guelph Police Services Constable Jennifer Kovach, 26, died on duty in a traffic accident in March while responding to a call for help from a fellow officer. She was remembered in Toronto on Sunday during the 14th annual Ontario Police Memorial Foundation Ceremony of Remembrance. more>>
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Flooding spreads in Saskatchewan
(May 6) Thirteen communities in Saskatchewan have declared emergencies due to flooding and Regina has put thousands of sandbags and other water barriers along sections of a major creek to protect homes. "We're still seeing in the rural areas significant impact to infrastructure such as roads either overtopping or having to be cut, so most of the rural municipalities are still facing some challenges," Duane McKay, Saskatchewan's commissioner of emergency management, said Saturday. more>>
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RCMP report details 51 cases of disciplinary action
(May 3) According to the latest annual report on bad behaviour in the RCMP, between 2011 and 2012 dozens of Mounties were disciplined for actions that included driving a police cruiser drunk, viewing online porn at work, carelessly firing a gun, and deleting portions of a document that led to a stay of proceedings in a "major criminal case." Officers were reprimanded, docked pay, or demoted for code of conduct violations under the RCMP Act in 51 cases. Another 24 cases were resolved by resignations. more>>
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Canada’s SAR system gets a boost
(May 3) Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Thursday that the federal government is taking steps to improve Canada’s search-and-rescue capabilities and will reduce the size of its fleet of Challenger VIP jets to pay for the changes. Just over $16M will be invested in new satellite technology to better detect emergency beacons and an extensive review of the country’s SAR network will be undertaken. more>>
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U.S. paying for Canadian police emergency radios
(May 2) The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is paying up to $7,000 each for multi-band radios to be used by Canadian first responders in border cities that share American waterways. Officials say the communication equipment should make waterways between the United States and Canada safer. more>>
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Mounties? mental health issues have increased substantially
(May 2) The number of RCMP officers and soldiers suffering from mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder has soared over the last six years, significantly due to the decade-long combat mission in Afghanistan. The number of veterans, soldiers and federal police officers receiving disability benefits for mental health conditions has swelled to more than 16,200 from just over 11,050 half a decade ago. more>>
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Canada can not account for $3.1B in anti-terror funding
(April 30) The federal government needs to do better at tracking and evaluating some of its program spending to ensure taxpayer dollars are being well-spent, Auditor General Michael Ferguson found in his spring report released today, and one of the most striking examples is that it can't account for $3.1 billion in anti-terrorism funding. more>>
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Police smash Canada?s biggest bootleg DVD operation
(May 1) The largest counterfeit DVD burning and manufacturing operation in Canadian history has been taken down by Halton Regional police in southern Ontario. Three men, who generated about $500,000 per week in sales, are facing charges of defrauding the public, laundering proceeds of crime, and participating in a criminal organization. more>>
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Feds cannot account for $3.1B in anti-terror funding: AG
(May 1) Auditor General Michael Ferguson has told the federal government that it needs to do a better job at tracking and evaluating some of its spending following his audit which discovered that Ottawa cannot account for $3.1 billion in anti-terrorism funding. In his audit of the Public Security and Anti-Terrorism (PSAT) Initiative, Ferguson said there should have been a government review of PSAT spending between 2001 and 2009. more>>
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US at a crossroads in Mexico’s intelligence war on drug cartels
(Apr. 30) Between 2006 and 2012, Mexico and the U.S. forged an unparalleled alliance against powerful Mexican drug cartels based on shared intelligence, American training and joint operational planning. However, as the narco-war dragged on and more than 60,000 Mexicans ended up killed and another 25,000 vanished, political support from Mexicans for the conflict waned, resulting in the election late last year of PRI candidate Enrique Peña Nieto. The new government has moved away from the strategy of the former Calderon administration and toward drug crime prevention and keeping Mexico’s streets peaceful. Some U.S. officials fear an unofficial truce between Mexico City and the cartels. more>>
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CSIS websites show signs of spam-style ‘pharma hack’
(Apr. 30) Two Canadian Security Intelligence Service websites - www.csiscareers.ca and www. carriereauscrs.ca - appeared recently to have been compromised by rogue online vendors of Viagra and other pharmaceuticals. Infected CSIS pages read, among other things: “buy cheap viagra online without prescription”; “valtrex for cold sore prevention”; and “Tadalafilcialis brand lilly cheap 100mg generic with mastercard express shipping.” more>>
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U.S. Navy tests new aerial tools to monitor, fight drug smuggling
(Apr. 29) On Friday, the U.S. Navy on Friday began testing two new aerial tools - an aerostat and a drone - that officials say will make it easier to detect, track and videotape drug smugglers in action. The aerostat is a large, white, balloon-like craft tethered up to 600 metres above a ship's stern. The drone, a Puma All Environment unmanned aircraft system, can be launched by hand from the deck. more>>
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“I’m responsible for the RCMP”: Vic Toews
(Apr. 29) Following the revelation this week that the Harper government does not want the RCMP's top brass meeting with parliamentarians without prior approval, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says there is a “communications protocol” that needs to be followed. “I’m responsible for the RCMP. I need to know exactly what the RCMP is doing and saying because if I go into the House of Commons and I have no idea what is being said, I’m at a distinct situation where it appears that I’m not carrying out my responsibilities to the House of Commons,” Toews said in a recent interview with Global News. more>>
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Via terror plot suspect ?a very good boy?: mother
(Apr. 28) The mother of Chiheb Esseghaier, who is one of the two suspects accused of trying to carry out a plot to derail a Via Rail passenger train, says she does not believe the charges against her son because "he is a very good boy" and a genius who loves to study. The father, Mohammed Rached Esseghaier, questioned the evidence against his son: "When someone wants to derail a train, he needs equipment, something, or, at least, a plan with [targets] spelled out. But they have not found anything." However, he did admit that in the last few years his son had changed, which troubled him. more>>
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Eurocopter demos manned/unmanned EC145
(Apr. 26) Eurocopter’s ability to integrate unmanned flight capabilities into its helicopter family has been validated by an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) demonstration program, which used an EC145 to fly routes that included deployment of an external sling load and a representative observation mission. Conducted at the French Air Force base in Istres, France, this program was revealed today with an unmanned demonstration, which followed similar flights performed earlier in April. With this capability fully validated, Eurocopter is now positioned to pursue OPV flight capabilities for its product line of light, medium and heavy-lift helicopters – enabling these rotorcraft to be flown by pilots or in an unmanned mode. more>>
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Canada tried to deport terror suspect Raed Jaser
(Apr. 26) Nine years ago, Canada tried to deport Raed Jaser, one of the two men accused in the Via Rail terror plot, but authorities did not proceed. Jaser and his parents and siblings had arrived in Canada in March 1993 using fake French documents. He then acquired a criminal record and was ordered out of Canada in 2004. However, he claimed he was a stateless Palestinian, and was ultimately pardoned and granted permanent residency. more>>
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Senior Mounties told not to meet MPs without prior approval
(Apr. 26) RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson has ordered all senior Mounties to get clearance from his office before agreeing to any meetings with Members of Parliament or senators. The police commanders are to notify a liaison office that co-ordinates with the office of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews. Opposition MPs are accusing the government of undermining the independence of the police. "It's not appropriate for the government to reach into the police operation," said NDP MP Randall Garrison. more>>
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U.S. DHS considering new border-crossing fee
(Apr. 25) New York Congressman Brian Higgins is trying to stop a new toll fee on vehicles and pedestrians crossing the Canada-U.S. border in the latest Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget. “Putting up barriers to regional and bi-national commerce is the absolute last thing we should be doing if we want to grow the economies of Western New York and the US,” Higgins said in a statement. "I was shocked to see a proposal for a new toll at the Northern Border and I will fight to put the brakes on this shortsighted fee.” more>>
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