Steven Mace
02-13-2002, 08:44 PM
Monday, February 11, 2002
Canadian air marshals learning how to shoot guns on planes
'Members will be trained how to avoid directing their activities in that direction': Deputy RCMP Commissioner
by Bill Curry
The Hill Times
Canada's new air marshals are being trained to know where to shoot bullets without de-pressurizing airplanes, says Deputy RCMP Commissioner Garry Loeppky.
Mr. Loeppky revealed the information before a recent meeting of the Senate Security and Defence Committee, which is approaching the end of its detailed study of Canada's national security. Over the past couple of weeks, the Senators have managed to extract several details about Canada's new policy of placing air marshals, who are undercover RCMP officers, on random international and domestic flights. Air marshals will be on all flights landing at Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C. because of its proximity to the Pentagon.
"Part of the training program speaks to that issue, in terms of the vulnerable areas of an aircraft where depressurization would occur more quickly if a shot was fired through a particular area as opposed to another area," said Mr. Loeppky on Jan. 29.
"I do not want to get into the actual description of where those would be, but the members will be trained on the location of the points that would create the most critical situation for the aircraft, and how to avoid directing their activities in that particular direction."
When asked by Liberal Senator Colin Kenny (Rideau, Ont.), who chairs the Senate's National Security and Defence Committee, what advice he would give to passengers who see an undercover police officer in a "threatening" situation, Mr. Loeppky offered the following cryptic response:
"My first piece of advice would be that these constables are highly-trained in terms of addressing those types of situations. He or she will take action that will seek to deal with a situation and protect their safety, and be very careful about injury to them. Given the post-Sept. 11 environment, I suppose that self-preservation will dictate that if people saw the situation out of control after the air marshal was engaged, passengers would certainly attempt to take the situation into their own hands. I certainly do not support that, but I understand that when every other step has been taken... assuming that the situation remained out of control, then the sense of self-preservation would dictate to me that they would take action."
Mr. Loeppky told the Senators that the RCMP officers have travelled around the world to learn about other similar programs in order to develop the extra training for Canadian sky marshals.
"The training program will provide training beyond the levels we currently have as a basic requirement for people on board," he said. "A program has been established now, and we are training people through that. That program will involve the use of force continuum as it pertains to an aircraft, as well as enhanced skills in terms of negotiation. There will also be training in terms of the hard skills such as shooting skills, and the different equipment that would be used on an aircraft, as opposed to that of a front line general-duty constable. We are not taking our responsibilities lightly in terms of being prepared with the best trained and the most highly skilled individuals because it is a big responsibility."
At another meeting on Jan. 30, Christine Nymark, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister for Transport Canada, confirmed that Canadian RCMP officers are now on every flight to Reagan International Airport, which is 15 minutes from the Pentagon.
"That was one of the conditions to resume service to Reagan International Airport," she told the Senators. "It will be random to other destinations, but it was a condition flying into Reagan."
As for establishing which other flights will get an RCMP officer, William Lenton, Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP, told the Senators that once the program is completely up and running, "There will be a risk-assessment process and we will choose on which flights, both domestic and international, there will be air marshals potentially onboard."
http://www.thehilltimes.ca/hilltimes/air_0211.html
Steve Mace
Canadian air marshals learning how to shoot guns on planes
'Members will be trained how to avoid directing their activities in that direction': Deputy RCMP Commissioner
by Bill Curry
The Hill Times
Canada's new air marshals are being trained to know where to shoot bullets without de-pressurizing airplanes, says Deputy RCMP Commissioner Garry Loeppky.
Mr. Loeppky revealed the information before a recent meeting of the Senate Security and Defence Committee, which is approaching the end of its detailed study of Canada's national security. Over the past couple of weeks, the Senators have managed to extract several details about Canada's new policy of placing air marshals, who are undercover RCMP officers, on random international and domestic flights. Air marshals will be on all flights landing at Reagan International Airport in Washington D.C. because of its proximity to the Pentagon.
"Part of the training program speaks to that issue, in terms of the vulnerable areas of an aircraft where depressurization would occur more quickly if a shot was fired through a particular area as opposed to another area," said Mr. Loeppky on Jan. 29.
"I do not want to get into the actual description of where those would be, but the members will be trained on the location of the points that would create the most critical situation for the aircraft, and how to avoid directing their activities in that particular direction."
When asked by Liberal Senator Colin Kenny (Rideau, Ont.), who chairs the Senate's National Security and Defence Committee, what advice he would give to passengers who see an undercover police officer in a "threatening" situation, Mr. Loeppky offered the following cryptic response:
"My first piece of advice would be that these constables are highly-trained in terms of addressing those types of situations. He or she will take action that will seek to deal with a situation and protect their safety, and be very careful about injury to them. Given the post-Sept. 11 environment, I suppose that self-preservation will dictate that if people saw the situation out of control after the air marshal was engaged, passengers would certainly attempt to take the situation into their own hands. I certainly do not support that, but I understand that when every other step has been taken... assuming that the situation remained out of control, then the sense of self-preservation would dictate to me that they would take action."
Mr. Loeppky told the Senators that the RCMP officers have travelled around the world to learn about other similar programs in order to develop the extra training for Canadian sky marshals.
"The training program will provide training beyond the levels we currently have as a basic requirement for people on board," he said. "A program has been established now, and we are training people through that. That program will involve the use of force continuum as it pertains to an aircraft, as well as enhanced skills in terms of negotiation. There will also be training in terms of the hard skills such as shooting skills, and the different equipment that would be used on an aircraft, as opposed to that of a front line general-duty constable. We are not taking our responsibilities lightly in terms of being prepared with the best trained and the most highly skilled individuals because it is a big responsibility."
At another meeting on Jan. 30, Christine Nymark, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister for Transport Canada, confirmed that Canadian RCMP officers are now on every flight to Reagan International Airport, which is 15 minutes from the Pentagon.
"That was one of the conditions to resume service to Reagan International Airport," she told the Senators. "It will be random to other destinations, but it was a condition flying into Reagan."
As for establishing which other flights will get an RCMP officer, William Lenton, Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP, told the Senators that once the program is completely up and running, "There will be a risk-assessment process and we will choose on which flights, both domestic and international, there will be air marshals potentially onboard."
http://www.thehilltimes.ca/hilltimes/air_0211.html
Steve Mace