Good morning, Mr. Chair and committee members.
My name is Mike Duheme. I am the deputy commissioner of the RCMP's federal policing program. I am joined here today by Inspector Taro Tan, the officer in charge of the Governor General's protection detail.
The protective policing program falls under my responsibility as the deputy commissioner of federal policing. This includes providing close protection services for designated officials, including the Governor General. Under the RCMP regulations, the RCMP is mandated to provide close protection services to the Governor General, both in Canada and abroad. The Governor General is provided with a level of close protection in line with the high-profile nature of the position.
It is important to note that the RCMP is responsible for the close protection of the Governor General, but it is not part of the decision-making regarding travel plans or agendas. As such, the protective plan developed by the RCMP is based on decisions that are made by the Governor General's office. Protective measures are intelligence-led and are proportional to any threats and risks assessed by the RCMP, in collaboration with external partners, to ensure that designated officials are provided with protection that is appropriate and required.
The RCMP's assessment process is founded on two central factors: the threat profile and the vulnerability assessment.
First, the RCMP intelligence groups work with external partners to develop a threat profile for the location the Governor General will be visiting. This general overview is made up of three components: the threat environment at the location, including threats to the event or the crime rate at the location; threats to the Governor General; and threats to Canadian interests, due to international conflicts, for example. Once this profile is complete, the RCMP proceeds with the vulnerability assessment.
This assessment of vulnerabilities considers several factors that include, but are not limited to, the protective measures offered by the host country if it involves international travel, and the accessibility to the general public at venues such as the accommodations of the protectee and the event areas the protectee will frequent.
Taken together, the threat picture and the assessment of vulnerabilities permit the RCMP to assess the overall risk and plan accordingly to ensure the safety of the protectee. Given the range of locations designated protectees may decide to travel to, costs can vary greatly depending on the details of the trip and the protective posture required to ensure the integrity of the protectee's close protection.
It's important to note that RCMP members providing such protective services are considered to be in travel status. Their travel arrangements are in accordance with the provisions of the national joint council travel directive.
An internal review of the global costs incurred by the RCMP in the provision of protection services to the Governor General since January 2014, including incremental salary costs and travel expenditures such as meals, incidentals, travel and accommodations, was undertaken in advance of this meeting. This review shows a general consistency in the cost of close protective services provided to the past governor generals and did not identify any discrepancies that could not be accounted for.
The only notable change occurred, obviously, in 2021-22, but these variants are explained by the reduction of international travel, and I would combine national travel as well, due to COVID.
The security environment for public figures is constantly changing, both in Canada and abroad, and the RCMP will continue to provide quality, professional protective services to designated representatives.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you about this important issue. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.