Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit
www.v2010isu.com
Common menu bar links
Canada’s police community set to secure Canada’s Games
A/Commr Bud Mercer on mobilization
Video Transcript
A - It’s approximately 15,000 people in total who will be involved in the security workforce for the Olympics. The numbers for the Paralympics are substantially smaller because certainly the scope and scale and size and duration of the Paralympics is smaller itself. When you look at the 15,000 people and how it breaks down, we’re looking at about 6,000 law enforcement people, approximately 4,500 partners from the Canadian Forces, and about 4,800 individuals that are part of our private security package for security. When you total them all together it’s about 15,000 people. The law enforcement family comes from 119 agencies from across the country. It breaks down even further from that to about 4,300 RCMP people, and about 1,700 law enforcement officers from agencies from right across the country other than the RCMP. So truly during the Olympic Games we are going to see police officers from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary standing beside Halifax, standing by Saskatoon, standing by the RCMP, and by Vancouver and Victoria police to name but a few.
Q - When you’re bringing in these people, when do they start to arrive and when can we see them in the overall area?
A - Our first wave if you will of police officers to arrive happened in November of last year in 2009. We brought in our venue commanders at that time, and began to socialize and familiarize themselves to the venues that they would have responsibility for. We had about a month and a half where we did not bring anybody else into theatre. Our security workforce then started to arrive the first week of January. It continues as we speak, and will peak in the early part of February here in just a few short weeks.
Securing the 2010 Olympic Games
118 Police Departments From Across Canada to Join RCMP
The response to assist the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit (V2010 ISU) with securing the 2010 Olympic Winter Games has been overwhelming from Canada’s law enforcement community. In all, officers from 118 Canadian law enforcement agencies will be joining RCMP members from all over the country to provide security for the 2010 Olympic Games being held from February 12 until February 28, 2010. The 2010 Winter Games is the largest domestic security operation ever undertaken in Canadian history.
Roughly 1700 personnel from provincial, municipal and aboriginal police forces across Canada and Sheriff Services from Alberta and British Columbia will work collectively with RCMP from across the country in the various duty areas of the Games Security Coverage Area. The total number of police security personnel will number about 6000 (approximately 10% of the country’s law enforcement population) and each officer will wear their respective uniform.
“These are truly Canada’s Games where one could see police officers from the Toronto Police Service, the RCMP and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary standing shoulder to shoulder in service to this country,” says Assistant Commissioner, Bud Mercer, Chief Operating Officer for the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit. “The representation from across Canada is amazing and the integrated delivery of security during the 2010 Winter Games will provide legacy value for future major events or large scale emergencies that occur in Canada.”
Depending on the duty assignment, police deployments will vary in duration. Deployment in and out of the Olympic Theatre will be conducted in phases with the earliest deployment starting mid-January 2010. Our policing partners will return to their home units between February 27 and March 4, 2010, as they will not be required to secure the Paralympic Games. Approximately 1000 police personnel from the RCMP and municipal police agencies within British Columbia will secure the Paralympic Games which are from March 12 to March 21, 2010.
"Every day, all across Canada, police officers pool their skills, expertise and professionalism to protect the public,” says Chief William Blair, President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. “Whether it's with adjoining services, or those thousands of miles away, the links are valuable and effective. The fact that the RCMP and 118 police agencies have come together to provide security for the 2010 Olympic Games is in the finest traditions of Canadian law enforcement."
At no time will the safety and security of any city or province be compromised by the deployment of police officers to the 2010 Olympic Games. Personnel have been carefully chosen to ensure the ongoing needs of a community, region or province can be met by those who remain behind. The security workforce personnel will be provided with transportation and accommodation during their deployment and their home agency will be reimbursed for the salary dollars and benefits as per their existing collective agreements.
Follow BC RCMP News on:
