Thank you, Chair and members of the committee.
My name is Darren Campbell, and I'm a serving member of the RCMP. My policing career began in September 1990, when I was sworn into the RCMP. On that day, I swore that I would faithfully, diligently and impartially execute and perform my duties, and to obey and perform all lawful orders that I receive without fear, favour or affection of or towards any person. That was an oath I took very seriously on that day, and one that I continue to take very seriously to this day.
My 32-year career with the RCMP has taken me from the Pacific coast to central Canada and to the maritime provinces. The bulk of my career has been focused in the area of major crimes, major case investigations and criminal operations. As part of my duties, I've been operationally deployed across our entire country and internationally. I'm committed to serving Canadians and the communities I've served and continue to serve.
I'm a proud member of the RCMP and at the present time I am the interim criminal operations officer for the RCMP in the province of New Brunswick.
In April 2020, I held the rank of superintendent and I was the support services officer for the RCMP in Nova Scotia. In that role, I was responsible for a number of specialized policing resources, including, but not limited to, the provincial major crimes unit and the critical incidents program.
As you are well aware, on April 18 and 19, 2020, the RCMP in Nova Scotia responded to a mass casualty incident where Gabriel Wortman took the lives of 22 innocent people and injured many others. This incident became known as the worst mass murder in Canadian history. The perpetrator's actions devastated the victims' families and survivors, and forever changed the lives of many.
This unprecedented massacre spurred a major case investigation entitled Operation H-Strong. The objectives of H-Strong were clear: to fully investigate the murders and attempted murders, and to gather sufficient evidence to determine Gabriel Wortman's involvement in these horrible crimes. Further, the objectives also set out to determine if anyone had assisted Gabriel Wortman in any way before, during or after the crimes, and if so, to gather sufficient evidence to successfully prosecute those believed to be involved.
I'm aware of certain allegations of political interference directed to the RCMP with respect to the investigation of the mass casualty incident. At the heart of the issue is my recollection of a meeting that I was called to attend on April 28, 2020. This meeting took place immediately after I completed a lengthy national press conference, which relayed the facts that could be disclosed to the public at that time. To that point, I had provided more than two hours and 15 minutes of live national news conferences about what the police knew and what we could share with the media and the public.
The meeting had been called by the commissioner of the RCMP and was attended by representatives from the RCMP in Ottawa, as well as Nova Scotia. Prior to that meeting, I did not specifically know why the meeting had been called. However, once the call commenced, the purpose of the call became very clear. The commissioner expressed in no uncertain terms her clear disappointment that I did not release specific information in my news conference related to the firearms used by the gunman. What was relayed to me and others during that call is at issue here today.
I made notes, as is my practice, specific to that meeting. I advised several of my colleagues that I had made notes about what had transpired in that meeting. I disclosed all of my notes as required to the Department of Justice for dissemination to the Mass Casualty Commission. I was not aware that my notes from April 28, 2020, had not been disclosed to the Mass Casualty Commission until recently.
I stand by the notes that I made on April 28, 2020. I have a distinct recollection of the content of that discussion between the commissioner, my colleagues and me. In my view, the purpose of the call was to allow the commissioner to express her disappointment with the fact that I did not relay specific or detailed information about the firearms used by Gabriel Wortman.
On several occasions during that call, the commissioner stated that she felt disrespected, that she was sad and disappointed with the fact that I had not released the information about the firearms used, and that she had been advised that I would release that information. The commissioner also said that she had promised the minister and the Prime Minister's Office that information about the firearms would be included in the press briefing.
As detailed in my notes, I attempted to explain to the commissioner that I could not and would not release that information at that time, as a premature release could have a negative impact on the investigation. It was at that time the commissioner told my colleagues and me that we didn't understand that this was tied to pending legislation that would make officers and the public safer. I left that meeting feeling deflated and, to borrow the commissioner's words, sad and disappointed.
My position was firm. I would continue to protect the integrity of the investigation by not releasing any information that could have a negative impact on ongoing investigative efforts. We owed this to the victims' families, to the survivors, to the public and to those tasked with completing an impartial, competent and professional investigation. There are very good reasons for that.
The approach to not releasing specific information related to firearms remained in place by the investigative team until information related to the firearms used by Gabriel Wortman was released in November 2020 through an access to information and privacy request directed at the Prime Minister's Office, not the RCMP. Within the disclosure of that information via ATIP was specific information related to the firearms used by Gabriel Wortman in the commission of the offences. The release of the unedited information would eventually have a negative impact on individuals and could have harmed the ongoing multi-agency investigation.
In summary, it was never my intention to enter into a political or public disagreement or discussion as to what took place in that meeting, nor was my response to the meeting based on any personal issues with the commissioner or indeed any other individuals, nor was it based on politics. At the heart of the issue was a matter of principle and sound investigative best practices related to protecting the ongoing investigation, which at the time was in its early stages. The principle was the oath that I swore to uphold as a young recruit over three decades ago. I could not and would not break that oath, which is sworn by all members of the RCMP.
Chair, this concludes my opening remarks. I wish to thank you and the committee for the opportunity to speak with you today. I welcome any questions that committee members may have on the issue.
