Canada’s reputation internationally has been damaged not by the many who protest before the parliament buildings, international bridges, and downtowns of Canada but by our inept and cowardly leaders.
We have seen Bill Blair, Doug Ford, Justin Trudeau, police chiefs of various Canadian cities throughout our nation pass the buck, point their fingers at others in an attempt to not face any accountability for their actions or should I say inaction during these crises. The Bridge in Windsor and Ottawa are smack in Ontario, yet Premier Ford says it’s a federal matter. Bill Blair places any decision-making upon these cities’ police chiefs and Mayors. What has happened is a municipal and provincial matter, yet they all point to The Prime Minister Trudeau who has said all along that the provinces needed to take charge of the situation.
Bill Blair was an opportunist from the get go as police chief in Toronto, and he is so as a federal minister. Doug Ford is fighting a provincial election, so the bad press will be damaging to his brand. Justin Trudeau has just won an election and is supported by Jagmeet Singhs NDP, so he could have stood up and become a leader of the fight for justice and law faction which most Canadians are a member, and yet most blame will fall upon the wee city mayors and their police chiefs. Local heads will fall, like the resignation of police chiefs in Ottawa and surely a mayor or two.
Our police are not the best in the free world, but they certainly try to do their jobs. The fault should fall upon the police who the politicians rely upon for advise. The truck convoy to Ottawa should never have been allowed into the downtown core or even off the main highways they were traveling on to Ottawa. If an accident happens on a highway do the police not close all arterial roads onto the highway, redirecting the traffic away from the accident? Ottawa’s Police knew the convoy was coming days before it arrived. Inaction has resulted in what we have today before our parliament buildings. We are told that politicians cannot influence the police, therefore the Mayor’s and Police Chiefs should bear the brunt of blame.
Our police are also far too worried about hurting others’ feelings or receiving the politicians displeasure.
How do you deal with a protest like what’s happening in Ottawa? Well, I know how to establish and grow a protest and how police will manage and make a protest disintegrate.
Everything is centered upon the following
1. Intelligence Gathering-Every police objective is reliant upon intelligence. Ottawa has proven they have a lousy intelligence department, otherwise, the truck would never have gotten to Ottawa in the first place. So they are there. What to do? Undercover officers must move among the protesters acting as though they sympathize and are a part of the movement.
2,. Intelligence locates protests leaders, trouble makers and which protesters have elderly and children with them. One cannot make a move upon you have a plan.
3. Undercover officers cordon off those mentioned above and locating the innocent must protect and relocate them away from assumed problem area. Friendly, wise persuasion often works. Should potential violence be feared officers will surround and protect the innocent.
4. Officers move towards and into the crowd. The intention is to slowly divide the mass of people away from the mass’s center. The appearance of uniformed officers often gives protesters a chance to re-evaluate their situation and leave. The police will try to find the core of hardliners who will not leave quietly.
Non violence is always the word, after all a fist usually gets a fist in return. Police are to be firm but friendly at all times. Persuasion always trumps unneeded force.
5. Leaders, innocents must be isolated and protected. The police must begin to dismantle any permanent structures asap to dissuade a return of protesters.
6. Should initial violence happen, it will be from a group of protesters and not the police. Remember the police are to be determined but friendly. Always nice and polite until action is needed. The protection of the population is always of prime concern.
7. If there is fear that some protesters may have hidden weapons the police will station snipers at key out of view area’s whose job is to view the crowd and relay intelligence. The use of drones will be very useful. These are used in Britain and the EU. Pretty certain the Ottawa Police don’t have any such advanced technology yet.
Police in Canada often responds to potential violence with violence, as they were trained to do. If all else fails, or you feel threatened fire away. This shows a total lack of real-world training and experience.
With the emergency law passed in Ottawa this week, I fear the police will stop the proposed reforms of their departments and return to their antiquated training. With power comes great responsibilities. I wish these officers and their managers would realize that. The police should be trained as peace officers, and not paramilitary organizations.
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
[email protected]
