Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good afternoon, members of the committee.
I appreciate having the opportunity to speak with you all today, in person for a nice change, regarding your ongoing study of Bill C-44. I'm appearing today on behalf of the Canadian Police Association, an organization that represents over 54,000 front-line civilian and sworn police personnel serving Canada's communities from coast to coast to coast.
My opening statement will be quite brief this afternoon as I hope to leave enough time to answer any questions you might have. I'm going to focus particularly on the area of the protection of human intelligence sources by law enforcement in the course of our duties. That being said, this is my first opportunity to appear here in Ottawa since the tragic events that took place on October 22, which claimed the life of Corporal Nathan Cirillo only a few blocks from where we're sitting today. He was shot by a terrorist who would have claimed even more victims if not for the courageous actions of those who are sworn to protect Canadians. To members of the Ottawa Police Service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the House of Commons Security Services, I'd like to offer my personal thanks for their efforts that day.
I raise this, particularly in the context of my appearance here today, to highlight the need to adapt our laws in this country to provide law enforcement with the necessary tools to combat the rapidly evolving threats that can very clearly cause tremendous danger here in this country. That is why we're quite pleased to speak in support of Bill C-44 here today.
One of the most important jobs that have been given to our national security services, which would certainly include both municipal and provincial police, is the gathering of the necessary intelligence that would eventually help our members prevent attacks from taking place within our communities. Gathering that intelligence, however, has never been more difficult. Technology has given criminals and terrorists rapidly evolving tools that often allow them to appear to be steps ahead of those who are working to protect Canadians. Whether it is in the national security context or dealing with local street crime, finding and protecting informants is often an invaluable tool for police when it comes to levelling the playing field and obtaining the intelligence necessary; and I firmly believe that Bill C-44 and the provisions within it that deal with the protection of sources will be a positive step in protecting Canadians.
I should also note, particularly with respect to informants, that their use often goes beyond one single case, and that fact underscores their continued importance and the reason so many efforts are taken to protect their identities. Compromising their anonymity can not only put their personal safety at risk but also jeopardize months' and sometimes years' worth of investigations and police personnel time.
Furthermore, informants would often be reluctant to step forward to provide valuable information to law enforcement without as many guarantees as possible regarding their safety and anonymity, as they are often called on to testify against those who may know them best—their former and sometimes even current colleagues, family members, and other people with whom they've developed relationships.
As I mentioned, I did want to keep my opening remarks brief as I understand members may have questions regarding the current practices within law enforcement in Canada, and I'll try to do my best to provide that information.
Once again, thank you very much for the invitation to appear today. I look forward to any questions you might have.