Murray Brewster, Whistler, B.C. (Canadian Press) - Several members of the Canadian military and the RCMP security force guarding the Vancouver Olympics have been sent home for disciplinary reasons.
RCMP Assistant Commissioner Bud Mercer, who is in charge of the Integrated Security Unit overseeing the 2010 Games, says two members were relieved of duty and sent home for what he described as breaches of “ethics and values” in separate incidents.
“Both incidents were considered minor in nature,” Mercer told a teleconference briefing on security Wednesday.
He would not elaborate, except to say that no alcohol was involved in either case and there are no criminal charges pending.
Rear-Admiral Tyrone Pile, the commander of the military task force supporting the Games, says there have been members of the Forces also sent home for the same reason.
He declined to offer specifics but described what happened as “inappropriate behaviour.”
Pile indicated that approximately 50 soldiers, sailors and aircrew have had to return home, the vast majority on compassionate grounds.
A military spokesman said late Wednesday that four forces members were involved, but Maj. Dan Thomas didn’t say whether they were regular force or reserve members, or what they were accused of doing.
“None of these departures have adversely affected our ability to support the RCMP with the security of the Games,” Thomas said in an email note.
He noted that the alleged inappropriate conduct involved “less than 0.0009 per cent of our assigned force of 4,500 personnel.”
Mercer also said he believed the incidents must be kept in perspective, given that there are 6,000 police officers from 118 police agencies across the country involved in Games security.
Some of the police and military who’ve dealt with family matters have returned to duty.
There were reports of friction between soldiers and police officers aboard a ship operating out of the Squamish area -accounts the military denied.
When asked on Tuesday whether ship crew members or any other military personnel had been sent home for disciplinary infractions, a spokeswoman for the Integrated Security Unit denied anything of the sort.
On Wednesday, Pile said the incidents in question were minor, but still serious enough to be dealt with through the military justice system.
The job of securing all 30 venues for the Games is largely complete, Mercer said.
The more than 16,000 police officers and military personnel will be out in full force Friday during the opening ceremonies in Vancouver.
Over $900 million is being spent on the security operation for the Games.
Mercer said spectators are told to expect “airport-like” security procedures and to arrive early at Olympic venues.
Organizers and police are expecting between 1,000 and 1,400 protesters with a variety of causes, but they don’t believe there will be major trouble.
The threat level for the Games is still considered low, Mercer said.
Police have thus far made only a couple of arrests involving torch relay protests. In Vancouver, the worst they have faced have been a few drunken people who’ve tried to scale fences around a venue.
Recent Comments