Follow-up from SECU appearance of February 25, 2022, regarding authorities used by the RCMP
Study:
Occupation of Ottawa and the Federal Government’s Response to the Convoy Blockades
February 25, 2022
Question
(1440)
Ms. Raquel Dancho: I just have less than a minute left. Could you provide for the committee the list of emergency powers that the RCMP used?
D/Commr Michael Duheme: I don't have a specific list with me right now but I can tell you that I know with the perimeter being erected, when we put the perimeter up, we did intercept people who tried to come in with gas or medical supplies but to quantify everything that was done under the act—nationally at that—I don't have those numbers.
Ms. Raquel Dancho: Can you provide that list? It is important that the committee and Parliamentarians are aware of what specific emergency powers the RCMP used.
The Chair: Good, thank you very much.
Ms. Raquel Dancho: Could he just answer my question, Mr. Chair?
The Chair: We're out of time but if he can give a yes or a no, that will be fine.
D/Commr Michael Duheme: I can look into it to see if it's do-able.
Ms. Raquel Dancho: Thank you.
Response
To address the crisis in Ottawa, the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police, and Ottawa Police Service (OPS) established an Integrated Command Centre to improve collaboration, exchange information, and coordinate investigations and disruption activities. The RCMP was involved in the following three Emergency Measure Regulations, through operations led by the Ottawa Police Service:
- First, law enforcement designated a secure perimeter throughout the National Capital Region to support their operation, thereby refusing entry to individuals travelling to the illegal occupation with the intent of participating;
- Second, supporting an illegal assembly was also prohibited, and law enforcement had the authority to either deter or arrest individuals who continued to supply fuel, food, blankets, and shelter material to an area of an unlawful assembly; and,
- Third, law enforcement used these new powers to compel individuals to provide essential goods and/or services for the removal, towing, and storage of vehicles and equipment.
The RCMP also used powers under the Emergency Economic Measures Order. With the Act in effect, the RCMP provided relevant financial information to financial institutions, who then had the onus to determine which financial products could and should be frozen. Law enforcement information provided to financial institutions included the identities of individuals who were influencers in the illegal occupation in Ottawa, and owners and/or drivers of vehicles who did not want to leave the area. At no time did the RCMP disclose any information on donors or on those who purchased merchandise.
In particular, RCMP enforcement action culminated in:
- Financial institutions freezing at least 257 accounts, which included bank, corporate accounts, and credit cards;
- 57 disclosures (18 individuals and 39 vehicles) were made to entities, as defined in section 3 of the Emergency Economic Measures Order, which included individuals and owners or drivers of vehicles in the blockades; and
- the disclosure of 170 Bitcoin wallet addresses.
National border blockades in Emerson, Manitoba; Coutts, Alberta; Windsor, Ontario; and, Surrey, British Colombia were all successfully managed and resolved in advance of the announcements related to the Emergencies Act.
The RCMP continues to collate all information related to the invocation of the Emergencies Act and the events that led up to it, on a national scale. As such, some data may fluctuate.
In the coming months, the RCMP is committed to participating in the legislated Emergency Act inquiry, which will ensure an authoritative common understanding of how the Act was utilized.
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