A new RCMP unit that will be responsible for security on Parliament Hill is looking to hire 30 officers.
CTV News has obtained an internal RCMP memo that outlines details of Ottawa’s new Parliamentary Protective Service unit.
According to the memo, the unit will be responsible for the security of Parliament Hill as well as the Parliamentary Precinct in the nation's capital. The unit will report to the RCMP's National Division, and will be accountable to the Speakers of the House of Commons and the Senate.
Successful officers are expected to serve with the unit for three to five years. Fluency in both French and English will be seen as an asset, the memo said.
In addition to protecting employees of the House of Commons and the Senate, the PPS will also be responsible for maintaining the safety of the general public while on Parliament Hill.
Other duties will include:
- patrolling the grounds of Parliament Hill;
- monitoring traffic flow;
- providing assistance to House of Commons and Senate security staff;
- providing extra security for visiting heads of state and VIPs;
- monitoring special events and celebrations.
The new unit was created following the fatal shooting on Parliament Hill last October.
On Oct. 22, a lone gunman killed a Canadian reservist at the National War memorial, before storming Parliament Hill's centre block.
Then sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers was credited with fatally shooting gunman Michael Zehaf-Bibeau in a firefight.
