Politicians continue to receive further threats. RCMP chief says new tools may be needed to protect them

RCMP Commissioner Mike Duhem said he hopes the government will consider drafting new legislation to make it easier for police to prosecute people who threaten elected officials.

Duhem said in an interview that Mounties have seen an increase in vitriol directed at politicians, including multiple comments from the same person.

However, in many cases, the conduct does not meet the criminal law criteria for a crime of intimidation.

“So it’s difficult sometimes,” Duhem said.

“But are there other tools we can use? Are there other things we can add to the criminal law that can address the situation?”

Duhame said the RCMP wants to work with Public Safety Canada and the Department of Justice on possible new provisions to address this phenomenon.

“It would be nice to consider that,” he said.

“People are more free to express what they really think, and that’s a good thing, but it has to be done in a civil manner. All elected officials have the right to feel safe in carrying out their duties. There is.”

Duhem’s comments come amid growing concerns about the safety of politicians.

Lawmakers have been followed on the streets and received death threats. The growing situation is prompting efforts to strengthen protection and security measures.

Ontario Liberal MP Pam Damoff recently announced that she will not run in the next election, saying she is afraid to appear in public due to the intimidation and misogyny she has experienced.

Increasingly common threats: report

Duhame said the RCMP is in regular contact with other police forces about threats against politicians. In addition, the Cavalry Corps has a liaison team that liaises with federal agencies on daily safety needs and works closely with the House Sergeant at Arms when it comes to protecting members of Congress.

Mr Duhame said the force sometimes turned to “disruption measures”, with officers knocking on the door of someone who had made a concerning comment and “talking to them”.

RCMP behavioral science experts also investigate incoming cases, and the force has noticed that disturbing comments sometimes come from people known to the force from previous incidents, he added. Ta.

An intelligence report released in March found that threats against politicians were “increasingly commonplace” due to extremist rhetoric prompted by personal grievances and fueled by misinformation and deliberate lies. He said there was.

A June 2023 report produced by a federal task force aimed at protecting elections found that unsubstantiated theories, misinformation, and disinformation are spreading to wider audiences and that online users are becoming more aware of science, the government system, and He said that they are exposed to a vast network of discourses that undermine the traditional image of the nation. authority.

“Violent rhetoric routinely clings to elected officials and is particularly hostile to prominent women,” the report said.

Watch | Some members of Congress are adopting additional security measures.

Lawmakers now carry panic buttons as threat grows

As serious threats against politicians grow, electronic panic buttons are now available to members of Congress, and some are already carrying them.

In recent years, countries such as Bolivia, Brazil and Tunisia have introduced legislation to curb violence against women in politics.

Chris Tenove, deputy director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions at the University of British Columbia, said it’s important to ensure social media platforms enforce terms of use that minimize any sense of violence.

He said the recently introduced federal Online Harms Bill is one way to help establish standards regarding expectations for such platforms to deal with harassment, intimidation and hate speech.

While much of the abuse takes place via cyberspace, it can also spill over into the physical realm, Tenobe said.

“I mean, I got threats online, and then it came to my house because there were protests…and I’ve been yelled at at city council meetings,” he said. They are often quite mixed.

Tenove added that it is important for party leaders and staff to make clear to supporters that it is inappropriate and undemocratic for party leaders and staff to threaten or harass opposing parties online.

“And it would be good to see more of this public expression, because we really need this kind of bipartisan unity around what’s appropriate.”