RCMP can't dent organized crime

OTTAWA - The RCMP cannot afford to fight the majority of organized crime activity in Canada, Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli said yesterday.

"At this point in time, our best guess is that we're able to tackle maybe a third of what we know is out there, in terms of serious organized crime," he said, adding that is probably a generous estimate. "And remember, when I say one-third, that's of what we know."

Although the Mounties' budget has doubled over the past seven years, Commissioner Zaccardelli told the Standing Senate Committee on National Security and Defence he still has "serious issues to deal with, in terms of resources."

Foes of the force include outlaw motorcycle groups and Italian, Russian and Asian organized-crime organizations, many with a well-established presence at Canada's vulnerable land, sea and airports.

Committee chairman Colin Kenny pressed the commissioner to explain why Canada has only about 100 Mounties to cover 89 airports across the country and just 30 officers patrolling its 19 marine points.

Commissioner Zaccardelli responded the force has adopted intelligence-led policing tactics to identify and target the most dangerous organizations, but "given the resources we have and our limitations, we know there are groups that we can't go after."

That terrorist groups appear to be increasingly involved in organized crime activities makes the issue all the more troubling, he suggested.

"There clearly is more and more indication that some terrorist groups are clearly getting some of their finances by either directly supporting some criminal activity, or indirectly being fed resources that are the product of illegal activities," he explained. "That is a trend that we're watching and monitoring and has the potential to cause serious problems."

Yet despite his complaints about lack of resources, Commissioner Zaccardelli told the committee he was "very pleased" with the federal budget last week.

The Tories pledged $37-million to expand the RCMP's training facilities in Regina, and $161-million for more police officers and federal prosecutors. According to budget documents, the funding "will enable the RCMP to to fill 1,000 vacancies by 2010."

But testimony yesterday revealed that is an optimistic target.

Department of Justice officials are expected to take about $25-million for new lawyers, leaving $136-million for police.

"We're looking at about $192,000 for a fully operational police officer at the federal level, so when you start doing the math ... it tells you," Commissioner Zaccardelli said.

The math says 1,000 new officers would cost $192-million, $56-million more than has been committed. The commissioner said he was under the impression the initial pledge was "to start getting us up there," however.

While the commissioner's testimony raised many questions, he brushed by reporters following the hearing without answering them.

Mr. Kenny said in an interview the fact the RCMP can only touch on one-third of known organized crime in the country is a "big-time" concern.

"What about the other two-thirds?" he asked. "We've come out with reports on ports and airports and on the border, and time and time again we come back to the question of: We don't have enough cops. Bottom line."

He also expressed concern regarding terrorist involvement in organized crime.

"[Narco-terrorists] come and they distribute drugs through Canada and get a hell of a lot of dough for it," he said. "We have an incredible distribution network that would put UPS to shame in terms of how drugs are distributed across the country."

Commissioner Zaccardelli was spared questions regarding the recent decision to arm Canada's border guards, a move he strongly opposed in the past.

He told a Senate committee last spring that while the border is a dangerous place, "having a customs officer run out of his hut and shoot after" criminals was the wrong move.

The comment enraged border union officials, who have long been lobbying for more protection.

Mr. Kenny said the plan will be very costly to implement, however, noting his first choice would have been to boost RCMP presence at Canada's frontier.

"To do it is going to be very complicated," he said. "At the end of the day, you're going to have a more expensive border guard as well."

(National Post Tuesday, May 09, 2006)