Two former police chiefs have feared an attack on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, similar to the one in Oklahoma City in 1995, and have called for a permanent ban on vehicles entering the area to ensure security.
Former Ottawa Chief of Police Senator Vernon White made the remarks at a parliamentary committee this morning, backed by former Chief of Police Peter Sloley, who stepped down in February in the wake of a convoy of truckers occupying the capital.
The Oklahoma City bombing in the United States was a car bombing carried out by two anti-government militants Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who were close to white supremacy. The attack killed 168 people and injured 680 others. It targeted a federal building, but destroyed 324 in a sixteen-block radius.
In the aftermath of the attack, Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was permanently closed to traffic and many called for the closure of Wellington Street in front of Parliament. Senator White believes the October 2014 shooting that killed two people on Parliament Hill should have already prompted the closure of the street.
However, Chief Sloley admitted when the convoy of truckers arrived that “we are not ready”, indicating that he had never seen anyone so motivated, funded and aware of the police.
Wellington Street has been closed to traffic since the occupation ended, but its future remains uncertain. Six different security services ensure the security of the sector.
The Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs is studying the extension of federal jurisdiction over the operational security of the Parliamentary premises. Members of Parliament are responding to a request from City Councilors in downtown Ottawa that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Parliamentary Security Services want to fully ensure the safety of Parliament Hill.
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