Donald Trump’s tariff threats renew calls for dedicated port police in B.C.
Premier David Eby and Conservative Leader John Rustad both want Ottawa to re-establish Ports Canada Police, which was disbanded in 1997
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to place 25-per-cent tariffs on all Canadian imports if the country doesn’t prevent fentanyl and illegal immigrants from crossing the border has led to a renewed call for a dedicated team of local port police.
In a speech to the B.C. Federation of Labour on Tuesday morning, Premier David Eby said the province has been pushing for Ottawa to re-start the Ports Canada Police, which was disbanded in 1997. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority also ended its funding for the Waterfront Joint Forces Operation team of the RCMP in 2015.
“We have called repeatedly, for example, for port police to ensure what comes into British Columbia is not contraband, is not illicit drugs or precursor chemicals,” said Eby.
“These are things that we can do to make life better here in British Columbia, as well as respond to concerns that have been raised south of the border.”
The call was echoed by B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad, who is urging Eby to immediately recall the legislature to push through provincial funding for a dedicated port police unit and then send Ottawa the bill.
Rustad said local police departments and RCMP detachments simply don’t have the capacity or resources to deal with the sheer volume and variety of goods that come into B.C. via shipping containers.
A 2019 report by the City of Delta found only one per cent of the shipping containers at the port in Delta were being checked. The Vancouver Police Department, meanwhile, only has three boats to monitor the Port of Vancouver.
“That means there’s the potential for our ports to be wide open, wide open for abuse, for criminal activity, being able to bring products in or even export products,” said Rustad.
