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Q&A with all candidates: Deltaport police planning

The Optimist asked candidates running in Delta in this month’s federal election a series of questions on issues that have local connections
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The City of Delta wants policing issues addressed before any port expansion takes place at Roberts Bank.

The City of Delta has gone on record demanding that policing issues are addressed before any port expansion takes place at Roberts Bank. Since the Ports Canada Police was disbanded more than two decades ago, one councillor has suggested that policing Canada’s largest port has fallen through the cracks. What needs to be done?

Randy Anderson-Fennell - NDP

Canada is far from immune to organized crime, and our ports are vulnerable to it. An NDP government will work with the provinces, territories and Indigenous governments to support innovative models of community policing. Too many lives have been lost in Canadian cities to rising gun crime. We will work to keep assault weapons and illegal handguns off our streets and to tackle gun smuggling and organized crime, including at the ports.

 

Tanya Corbet - Conservative

The safety of our community is a top priority for me.  Conservatives have a plan for a safer Canada that includes more support for police agencies. We would create a CBSA firearms smuggling taskforce and implement a police infrastructure grant program. We will crack down on gang activity with stiffer penalties for gang members and invest in programs for youth at-risk.

 

Craig DeCraene - Green

Canada Border Services Agency needs to receive more funding so it can do more random searches. Three per cent isn’t nearly enough. Also better vetting of employees to make sure people linked to criminal activity don’t get hired at ports.

 

Angelina Ireland - People’s Party

In our rapidly ever-growing global trade and transport, the security at the Deltaport is of real concern. I would take a leading role to support an integrated approach that includes Ports Canada, Customs & Immigration, RCMP and CSIS — in conjunction with local and provincial resources, Delta police task forces, Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Ministry of Addictions and Mental Health and the longshoreman’s union to develop a “what are the issues” and “what are the solutions” and “who has what roles” so that a clear and workable strategy could be developed and instituted.

 

Carla Qualtrough - Liberal

Border and port safety are matters of national security. To address criminal activity at our ports, we must invest in policing. Nowhere is this more important than here in Delta. Our government invested significantly to reverse the decade of Conservative cuts to the RCMP and CBSA. This includes public safety initiatives to reduce gang violence, gun smuggling, human trafficking and drugs. For example, to enhance screening and detection, we hired 42 new CBSA employees at the Tsawwassen Container Examination Facility.

 

Tony Bennett - independent

The Ports Police needs to be brought back and reconfigured similar to IHIT with members being forwarded from all regional forces. This force should fall under national security in my mind and should be funded federally and be integrated with CSIS ( Canadian Security Intelligence Service) and the CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency).

 

Amarit Bains - independent

A better funded Delta Police Department will inevitably do a better job as they will have more officers and resources at their disposal. But securing our ports requires the joint effort of other agencies and departments including but not limited to Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), Transport Canada, and Harbor Patrol Officers. Funding our Delta Police Department will ensure out residents and ports are safe and secure. I will work hard to ensure all agencies are properly funded and working together.