RCMP slow to notify public
Emergency alert request from Mounties to Nova Scotia EMO took more than three hours after vehicle found
AMHERST, N.S. – Nova Scotia’s premier is deflecting criticism that the province waited too long Wednesday to issue a public alert of a gunman in the province, suggesting any blame should be pinned on the RCMP.
“I believe (the RCMP) needs to look at their protocols when it comes to when they send out an alert and how quickly they want us to react,” Stephen McNeil said.
Questions still remain about why it took hours for a provincewide alert to be issued Wednesday after police learned a suspect wanted in a New Brunswick shooting was in Nova Scotia. His vehicle was reportedly discovered in Amherst by police at around 8 a.m. Wednesday. Roughly three-and-a-half hours passed before the province’s Emergency Management Office received an alert request from Nova Scotia RCMP. The provincewide alert was issued seven minutes after it came in at 11:35 a.m., according to EMO.
McNeil said the RCMP needs to “fix their protocol” around requesting a public alert.
“The RCMP has an issue when it comes to whether they want to use emergency alerts.”
Nova Scotia RCMP responded in a statement by Chief Superintendent Chris Leather, who defended the timing of the alert and the force’s reliance on social media to keep the public abreast of their search for the alleged shooter. Leather said both the Nova Scotia and New Brunswick RCMP were involved in a thorough, behindthe-scenes investigation that led to the arrest of the suspect.
“When we were confident a public alert would not impede his apprehension, jeopardize public or police safety, we requested an alert be issued,” he said.
The turn of events leading to the arrest of the suspect echoes the response to the Portapique massacre during which social media was primarily used by RCMP, but no provincial alert was ever issued.
In his statement, Leather said that at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, New Brunswick RCMP tweeted that the suspect’s car had been found by Amherst Police Department. The statement also defended the Amherst force’s decision to also not request a public alert.
“I can say that at that time the RCMP would not have issued an alert either, despite the public and political calls for an alert.”
He said New Brunswick RCMP was continuing to lead the investigation.
“Officers in both provinces were doing police work, gathering facts, following up on leads, and speaking with suspect family members and close contacts to find and arrest the suspect.”
Cumberland North MLA Elizabeth Smith-McCrossin took aim at the province for not issuing an alert earlier. Her Amherst constituency office is one block from where the suspect was eventually arrested without incident.
She said shortly after 8 a.m., she learned the accused’s car had been found in downtown Amherst. Shortly after, she called RCMP, town police and the Department of Justice to inquire why an alert hadn’t been issued yet.
“I requested one be made immediately.”
She said she’s especially concerned at the timing because the suspect had previously been identified by the RCMP in New Brunswick.
Despite Smith-McCrossin’s 8 a.m. call to the Department of Justice, Chuck Porter, the minister responsible for EMO, said he was first informed of the alleged gunman’s presence in Nova Scotia at 10:45 a.m. He said the department discussed with the RCMP what would be in the emergency alert.
Police forces in other jurisdictions, including New Brunswick, have the authority to issue a public alert on their own. Porter said his department is discussing that option with the RCMP. But he dismissed criticism that his department acted inappropriately in issuing the alert.
“I have every confidence in the world we have a good system,” he said.