RCMP set to control Parliament security

Tories giving Mounties power over once-independent team

OTTAWA— Nearly a century of parliamentary tradition is coming to an end with the RCMP poised to take control of security inside the Parliament Buildings.

The Conservative government is giving the Mounties power over what used to be an entirely independent security team patrolling the halls of the House of Commons and Senate, sources familiar with the plan tell The Canadian Press.

Members of that tight-knit Commons team, led by former sergeantat-arms Kevin Vickers, were responsible for stopping a gunman’s rampage last October. The gunman made it past RCMP officers stationed on Parliament Hill on the morning of Oct. 22. The force has long had control over the parliamentary grounds, but not inside the buildings.

Ongoing reviews of security on the Hill following the attack indicate a need for more unification among security personnel.

The government says the move will make one police force accountable for protecting Parliament.

The first step was to eliminate the two separate forces inside the building, one on the Senate side and one for the House of Commons. That happened in November. The RCMP was also given responsibility for the prime minister’s personal security whenever he was in the building.

Now, the Mounties will take over command of security for all of Parliament Hill, multiple sources say.

The existence of an independent police force inside Parliament Hill dates back to the formation of the RCMP itself in 1920.

At the time, parliamentarians didn’t want members of that force patrolling the Commons so a distinct security services team was created.

The current team won’t be disbanded but will report to an RCMP boss.