Public Safety Portfolio Pocket Book
The Portfolio
The Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Portfolio was established in 2003 with the goal of consolidating a range of responsibilities in the safety and security realm under one Minister. Your general powers, duties and functions are set out in the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act (PSEP Act).
The Portfolio is composed of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (the Department, PS); and five agencies: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), and the Parole Board of Canada (PBC); and three review bodies: the RCMP External Review Committee (ERC), the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (CRCC), and the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI).
The Portfolio is the biggest, non-military Portfolio in the Government of Canada. The Portfolio’s 2019-20 budget is approximately $9.8 billion, and it employs more than 66,800 people working in every part of the country and internationally. Each organization contributes to public safety and to the mission of building a safe and resilient Canada through its unique mandate and responsibilities.
The Department’s principal role is to bring strategic focus, coordination and direction to the government’s overall safety and security agenda. It plays a key role in the development, coordination and implementation of policies and programs in the areas of national security, community safety, crime prevention, law enforcement and emergency management. The Department’s annual budget is approximately $915 million with 1,136 employees. The majority of the Department’s employees work in the National Capital Region, but regional offices are also located in five regions: Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut, Atlantic, Prairies and Northwest Territories, and Pacific (British Columbia and Yukon) regions.
The Department is made up of the following five Branches:
- Community Safety and Countering Crime Branch
- Policing, law enforcement and border strategies, crime prevention, corrections and criminal justice.
- Corporate Management Branch
- Finances, human resources, IT/IM, procurement, security.
- Emergency Management and Programs Branch
- Emergency management, programs, national disaster mitigation, Government Operations Centre.
- National and Cyber Security Branch
- Critical infrastructure, cyber security, national security.
- Portfolio Affairs and Communications Branch
- Countering radicalization to violence, international affairs, Cabinet and Parliamentary affairs, Ministerial correspondence, strategic policy and planning, communications.
The Five Agencies
RCMP – The RCMP’s mandate is to: prevent and investigate crime, maintain peace and order, enforce laws, contribute to national security, ensure the safety of senior officials and foreign missions, and provide operational support services to other law enforcement agencies within Canada and abroad.
CBSA – Provides integrated border services in support of national security and public safety priorities by enforcing Canadian laws governing trade and travel, facilitating legitimate cross-border traffic, collecting duties and taxes and interdicting goods and people that pose a potential threat to Canada.
CSIS – Investigates and reports on activities that may pose a threat to the security of Canada. CSIS also provides security assessments, on request, to all federal departments and agencies.
CSC – Responsible for administering court-imposed sentences of two years or more for adult offenders and supervising offenders on various forms of conditional release in the community.
PBC – Independent administrative tribunal that has exclusive authority to grant, deny, cancel, terminate or revoke day parole and full parole, and authorize or approve temporary absences for federal offenders and offenders in provinces and territories that don’t have their own parole boards.
The Three Review Bodies
ERC – Provides civilian oversight of labour relations within the RCMP by conducting independent reviews of certain types of grievances as well as demotions and dismissals.
CRCC – Receives complaints from the public about the conduct of RCMP members and conducts reviews when complainants are not satisfied with the RCMP’s handling of their complaints. It also initiates complaints and investigations into RCMP conduct when it is in the public interest to do so, holds hearings, and reports findings and makes recommendations.
OCI – Conducts independent investigations about issues related to CSC that affect offenders either individually or as a group. The Office is also responsible for reviewing and making recommendations on CSC’s policies and procedures associated with the area of individual complaints to ensure that systemic areas of concern are identified and addressed.
Media Lines
Key message:
- I am honoured that the Prime Minister has entrusted me with a mandate of such importance and significance.
- Canadian communities are fundamentally safe and peaceful places to live, work and play but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more work to do.
- In the days ahead, I look forward to working with the Public Safety portfolio to move forward on keeping people safe while safeguarding Canadians’ rights and freedoms.
- Our platform commitment is to:
- Ban assault rifles and crack down on gun crime.
- Combat terrorism and prevent the radicalization to violence that puts people and communities at risk.
- Improve public safety in First Nations communities.
- Help Canadians deal with the realities of increased climate-related risks and disasters.
- Take steps to ensure our borders are secure.
Hot Issue Messages:
Guns and Gangs
- The Government of Canada is committed to keeping Canadians and communities safe.
- Our cities, towns and some First Nations communities have identified gun and gang violence as a significant public safety issue.
- An effective gun and gang strategy needs to take a holistic and blended approach that supports prevention, gang exit and enforcement initiatives, and takes into account regional variations and specific community issues.
Border Integrity and Irregular Migration
- The first priority of the Government of Canada is to protect the safety and security of Canadians.
- The Government of Canada stands committed to working in close collaboration with partners, both domestic and international, to ensure early detection and prevention of any potential threats to the public.
- Canada and the United States share the same interest in maintaining a strong and secure border, while making it more efficient and expeditious for legitimate trade and travel.
Returning Foreign Fighters
- It is a Criminal Code offence to travel abroad to engage in terrorist activity. Those individuals did so out of their own free will, and must live with the consequences of their decisions.
- When the government learns that an extremist traveller is planning a return, a coordinated whole-of-government approach is initiated so every measure to mitigate any potential threat can be leveraged, prior to their arrival in Canada. Our objective in dealing with these individuals is arrest and prosecution.
- While Canadian law enforcement actively pursues investigations to lay criminal charges, the national security and intelligence community also uses a number of other tools to keep Canadians safe, including surveillance and monitoring; intelligence gathering; terrorism peace bonds; Criminal Code terrorist listings; no-fly listings; refusals, cancellations or revocation of passports; and, legally authorized threat reduction measures.
5G Telecommunications
- An examination of emerging 5G technology and the associated security and economic considerations is underway.
- The Government of Canada is carefully assessing the security challenges and potential threats involved in future 5G technology, while recognizing the potential this technology holds for Canadians.
- Many countries, our allies in particular, have been taking a close look at this matter for some time. We are constantly reviewing evolving information to make sure our understanding is complete, accurate and up to date.
- We will be taking appropriate decisions in due course. The safety and security of Canadians is our paramount concern. We will ensure that Canada’s public interest is protected.
The RCMP Ortis Case
- The RCMP acted as soon as possible to arrest the individual.
- The full scope and extent of any injury is not yet known. The investigation is still in the early stages.
- The RCMP is aware of the potential risk to its investigations and those of its partners in Canada and abroad. Necessary mitigation strategies will be employed as required.
- Recognizing this matter is before the courts and the investigation is ongoing, we will provide as much information as possible as we learn more.
- Canadians can continue to have confidence in their security and intelligence agencies to protect our safety and rights.
Eliminating Administrative Segregation
- The Government of Canada continuously works to ensure that federal correctional institutions provide a safe and secure environment for staff and inmates, support the rehabilitation of offenders and reduce the risk of re-offending to keep our communities safe.
- Once in effect, Bill C-83 will significantly strengthen our federal corrections system in a variety of important ways, including eliminating administrative and disciplinary segregation in all federal institutions, increasing mental health services for inmates and implementing Structured Intervention Units (SIUs).
- Bill C-83 creates a mechanism for binding independent external review throughout an inmate’s SIU placement. It bolsters oversight by establishing independent external decision-makers to make decisions in certain circumstances as to whether the inmate should be released from the SIU or if conditions of confinement be altered.
- These measures will ensure inmates have access to the interventions, programs and mental health care they need to safely return to the general inmate population and make progress toward successful rehabilitation and reintegration.
Key Contacts
Public Safety Canada
Gina Wilson, Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada [on leave]
Office: 613-991-2895
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: gina.wilson@canada.ca
Monik Beauregard, Associate Deputy Minister, Public Safety Canada
Office: 613-990-4976
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: monik.beauregard@canada.ca
Ellen Burack, Assistant Deputy Minister, Community Safety and Countering Crime Branch, Public Safety Canada
Office: 613-990-2703
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: ellen.burack@canada.ca
Patrick Amyot, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management Branch, Public Safety Canada
Office: 613-990-2615
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: patrick.amyot@canada.ca
Patrick Tanguy, Assistant Deputy Minister, Emergency Management and Programs Branch, Public Safety Canada
Office: 613-993-4325
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: patrick.tanguy2@canada.ca
Dominic Rochon, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, National and Cyber Security Branch, Public Safety Canada
Office: 613-990-4976
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: dominic.rochon@canada.ca
Jill Wherrett, Assistant Deputy Minister, Portfolio Affairs and Communications Branch, Public Safety Canada
Office: 613-949-6435
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: jill.wherrett@canada.ca
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Brenda Lucki, Commissioner, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Office: 613-843-6400
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: brenda.lucki@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Canada Border Services Agency
John Ossowski, President, Canada Border Services Agency
Office: 613-952-3200
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: John.Ossowski@cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
Canadian Security Intelligence Service
David Vigneault, Director, Canadian Security Intelligence Service
Office: [Redacted]
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: [Redacted]
Correctional Service of Canada
Anne Kelly, Commissioner, Correctional Service of Canada
Office: 613-995-5781
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: Anne.Kelly@csc-scc.gc.ca
Parole Board of Canada
Jennifer Oades, Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada
Office: 613-954-1154
Cell: [Redacted]
Email: Jennifer.Oades@pbc-clcc.gc.ca
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