Transport committee  I don't have that information. I can't make that comparison.

Transport committee  You're throwing an open-ended question out here. Obviously, we would always welcome new or additional resources, but the reality is that we have to work in an environment in which sometimes the demand exceeds capacity. We put in place strategies to prioritize our work activity, to identify risk, and to try to risk out as soon as possible those that are low-risk and focus on the high-risk activities.

Transport committee  In some instances, depending on the type of operation, we do not normally share the number of resources we have in specific locations. I'll have to go back to assess to see what kind of security classification would have been placed on this information. To clarify, the role of the RCMP at Montreal and Toronto is focused on the federal policing mandate.

Transport committee  Yes. I think it goes to the great work of the airport authorities in bringing the multi-agency committee together as well as of assessing security risks and identifying responses to the broader risks within the airport environment. We're always concerned about internal conspiracies at airports, whether by somebody who is involved in international drug trafficking or someone who may attempt to unlawfully interfere with an aircraft.

Transport committee  If information comes to our attention that raises concerns particularly with the policing community about an individual's potentially becoming radicalized, I'm reassured, with the process we have in place—the ability for us to share that information with Transport Canada, and their ability to initiate in a timely manner a review for cause of that individual's security clearance—that those measures will allow a timely assessment to be made.

Transport committee  I can only speak to those areas where the RCMP is the police of jurisdiction. I'm aware that, in some instances, there are arrangements that have been made based on the standard set by Transport Canada that the police have to have a certain response time to certain types of alarms.

Transport committee  Many lessons have been learned over the years, and both organizations have put in place a one-vision strategy that brings the organizations together. There's actually very robust information-sharing, and real-time, ongoing, day-to-day contact and initiatives. The service and the RCMP work very closely, sitting together and co-located in some cases.

Transport committee  I'll just give a bit of an explanation. There are two processes. One is the criminal records repository, which is where fingerprint records are established in order to produce a verifiable criminal record of an individual. CPIC is the infrastructure, the computer system that accesses the criminal record, but it also accesses information that is uploaded daily by the place of jurisdiction.

Transport committee  In terms of the support it provides to Transport Canada, the RCMP relies heavily on the entire Canadian police community. For instance, there are protocols in place to allow the RCMP to do kind of an index check on 187 other law enforcement agencies' records. When we come across information, because it's their information and there are third-party protocols that exist around it, we have to go to the police of jurisdiction and seek their authority to share that information with Transport Canada.

Transport committee  The RCMP will provide advice on, for instance...certain behaviours may be criminal behaviour. The RCMP will provide advice on what that behaviour may indicate but ultimately decision-making comes down to the Minister of Transport who has the authority to issue, revoke, or suspend.

Transport committee  Thank you for the question. I will answer in English, if I may.

Transport committee  Prior to the enhanced protocol or MOU that we signed with Transport Canada, Transport Canada did have access to limited databases. Through the 2009 MOU we agreed with a funded initiative that provided previously unavailable access to databases. So it's more comprehensive searches compared to what we were doing from 2004 to 2009.

Transport committee  Obviously, the RCMP has to operate within the mandate and the law in order to deal with investigations involving potentially radicalized individuals. In most cases that information would come to the attention of police either through proactive investigations or through information that is received from individuals within the community, in some cases it may be family members and in other cases it may be individuals who become concerned by the change in behaviour of individuals.

Transport committee  I can say that in areas where the RCMP is a member of the multi-agency security committee at airports, information is shared in terms of security threats and risks at airports. In cases where a threat is identified, it could be through the police of jurisdiction or it could be through the airport authority.

Transport committee  Again, there are a number of ways that may occur. If there is a suspicion that an individual is becoming radicalized, is radicalized, we go through our internal security process where we would try to assess that risk in a timely manner. Transport Canada would be involved in terms of re-evaluating the security clearance that they've provided.