Report of the Border Security Committee

National Board of Directors Meeting

April 2010

 

 

Chair:                                     Jean-Pierre Fortin

 

Committee Members:             Peter Russell

                                               Florent Roy

                                               Dan Sullivan

                                               Michael Coene

 

Observer:                                Keith Palmer

 

Resource person:                   Laurel Randle

 

 

 

3 Year Recertification & Skills Maintenance Sessions

 

The committee discussed the CBSA plan and has concerns with the CBSA approach of sending everyone to Ottawa for 5 days due to cost and time. The chair will be raising this issue of cost and the related budgetary situation of the government, with the Minister on April 21, 2010. To our knowledge, no other law enforcement agency requires a full recertification of their skill maintenance including CDT every three years.

 

CIU has asked the question about whether or not the CBSA is approaching these sessions as pass/fail and has made the request that trainees can attend in short sleeves.

 

 

Practice Sessions

 

The CBSA has decided to allow members to practice shooting on their own time (in addition to the two mandatory supervised practice session). There is a delay of a couple of months for these sessions to begin.

 

 

Work Refusal St. John NB

 

The chair informed the committee that there were two work refusals in St. John last week. The members, BSO’s, refused to clear a charter flight because they had been told that they had to remove their firearm. It should be noted that there is no police presence at this airport. Labour Canada determined that there was no danger. This decision has been appealed. The CBSA has committed to review the policy of having to remove the firearm in such circumstances.

 

The committee is asking the Board to support and promote the CIU position that no Officer should agree to remove their firearm and perform CBSA duties, especially in the case of a joint forces initiative.

 

 

Rigaud Facilities

 

Preparations for construction on the new ranges at Rigaud will begin this summer. The work is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2012 when there will be 2 ranges with 18 lanes each.

 

The committee discussed the recommendations contained in the Independent Third Party Review Report as they relate to the arming training and hope that the CBSA will adopt the recommendation to train to 25 metres but test to 15 metres.

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Jean-Pierre Fortin

Chair