The RCMP formed the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit (V2010 ISU) in 2003, uniting the police, military and security forces that will work together to secure the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Over the past year, the V2010 ISU has grown substantially, adding personnel from the RCMP, Vancouver Police Department, West Vancouver Police Department and Department of National Defence.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The RCMP is the federally mandated agency to lead security planning for the 2010 Games. The RCMP is unique in the world since it is a national, federal, provincial and municipal policing body.

We provide a total federal policing service to all Canadians and policing services under contract to the three territories, eight provinces (except Ontario and Quebec), more than 190 municipalities, 184 Aboriginal communities and three international airports.

Department of National Defence

Canadian Forces members are proud to serve Canada by defending its values, interests and sovereignty at home and abroad. Canadian Forces personnel belong to air, land, sea and special operations components.

There are approximately 62,000 Regular Force members and 25,000 Reserve Force members. (including 4,000 Canadian Rangers)

Vancouver Police Department

The Vancouver Police Department will work in collaboration with the RCMP on 2010 Integrated Security plan.

With over 1100 sworn members, the VPD's role is to maintain public order, uphold the rule of law and prevents crime.

West Vancouver Police Department

The West Vancouver Police Department not only provides local police service, but is also a participant in a number of regional integrated police teams with other municipal police organizations and the RCMP that address law enforcement issues that affect all British Columbia residents. This includes the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit.

The WVPD is made up of 81 sworn police members, 23.5 support staff members, and 75 community volunteers. The jurisdictional boundaries of the Police Department span 89 square kilometres running roughly from the Squamish Nation Reserve and Capilano Road in the east to Horseshoe Bay in the west, and north on Highway 99 to the District of West Vancouver boundary at Montizambert Creek, south of the Village of Lions Bay.

In addition to VPD, WVPD, the RCMP and the Canadian Forces, new partners include:

• South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service (Transit Police Service)
• BC Conservation Service
• CSIS
• CBSA
• Brandon
• Winnipeg
• Calgary
• Central Saanich
• Delta

Security Workforce

The 2010 Winter Games are truly Canada’s games. This is reflected in the composition of the security workforce. Police officers and Canadian Forces and private security personnel from coast to coast will be mobilized to secure the Games.

The security workforce will be comprised of approximately 15,000 people from contributing agencies.

Police officers – The RCMP will provide approximately 4000 police officers and an additional 1700 police officers will deployed from more than 100 other Canadian law enforcement agencies, from the Newfoundland Constabulary in the east to Victoria Police in the west. The police officers will be involved in all security elements including providing security at about two dozen competition and non-competition venues, working closely with the respective police agencies of jurisdiction to ensure the safe transportation of athletes, residents and visitors, as well as supporting air and marine security monitoring.

Canadian Forces – approximately 4000 personnel; the military personnel are primarily from the Army who will support the monitoring of remote venue perimeters in the Whistler and Cypress Mountain areas. In addition, members of the Air Force will be responsibility for aviation security and the Navy will play an instrumental role in marine security efforts. For more information on Canadian Forces involvement, visit www.forces.gc.ca.

Private security – approximately 4800 private security personnel will be responsible security screening of people entering any of the Olympic venues. Contemporary Security Canada has been contracted by the RCMP to hire, train and manage the contingency of private security. Sworn police officers will be supervising the private security personnel at each venue. For more information on Contemporary Security Canada, visit its website at www.contemporarysecurity.ca

Frequently asked questions

1. What impact will the deployment of members have on the communities they are leaving?

All policing agencies providing members have made arrangements to ensure that deployment of members to the Games will not compromise the safety and security of their home communities. All security personnel deployments for the Olympics will balance the need to ensure local police priorities and services are maintained.

2. What is the RCMP doing to ensure that there are enough resources left behind in the communities they police?

The RCMP has implemented several strategies to ensure that the detachments will be operating at sufficient levels during the Games. These include annual leave restrictions and the suspension of training courses during the Olympic time frame.

3. How is RCMP deployment going to affect regular policing duties such as court appearances, etc?

The RCMP has worked with its justice system partners to ensure flexibility in the scheduling of criminal and civil trials that require police appearances during February 2010. In some jurisdictions, court cases have been postponed until after the Olympics.

4. A number of specialized teams and units will presumably be deployed to the Olympics. Won’t this leave our country vulnerable in other areas?

At no time is the safety and security of any province or city compromised by the deployments of members elsewhere. Personnel will be carefully chosen to ensure the ongoing needs of a community, region or province can be met by those who remain behind.