FIREARMS FACTS - UPDATE

RCMP DOCUMENTS REVEAL NO SECURITY REVIEW ON PRIVATE GUN REGISTRY PROCESSING SITE

RCMP RESPONSE TO BREITKREUZ’S

ACCESS TO INFORMATION REQUEST – RCMP FILE: 02ATIP-14471

BREITKREUZ’S ATI REQUEST – APRIL 4, 2002:

For the period from January 2000 to present, please provide copies of the security audits and investigations of security breaches conducted by Departmental Security Officers (DSO) with respect to the Canadian Firearms Program.

RCMP RESPONSE – JUNE 06, 2002:

Based on the information provided, a search for records was conducted in Ottawa, Ontario.  Enclosed is a copy of all the information to which you are entitled. 

Enclosed with the RCMP’s response were the cover letters for six security audits conducted at the following sites:

• April 1, 2002 – Report of the CFRS security review at the Edmonton, CFO location.

• March 22, 2002 – Report of the CFRS security review conducted at the Surrey, BC AFO location.

• February 6, 2002 – Report of the CFRS security review conducted at the Central Processing Site in Miramichi, NB.    

• April 20, 2001 – Report of the CFRS security review conducted in BC at the Victoria and Surrey sites.

• October 9, 2001 – Report of the CFRS security review conducted at the Quebec Processing Site.

• June 6, 2000 – Report of the CFRS security review conducted at Edmonton, Red Deer, and Edson, Alberta.

Note #1 – These Security Reviews were conducted by the: Canadian Firearms Registration System (CFRS) Security, Departmental Security Branch - Technical Operations Directorate, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Note #2: Copies of the actual reports were exempted under Sections 16(2)(c) and 21(1)(a) of the Access to Information Act.

BREITKREUZ’S OBSERVATIONS:  It’s very strange that the one processing site the RCMP Security Branch has never reviewed is the one on St. Laurent Boulevard in Ottawa, operated under private contract by BDP Business Data Services Limited.  Contract documents obtained from the Department of Justice [Justice ATI File: A-20021-0159] show that BDP has been processing firearms licences at this Ottawa location since July 18, 2000, and has been processing firearms registrations there since November 20, 2001.  The BDP contract started out with an estimated value of $4.8 million, but after 13 amendments the contract is now valued at $17.6 million.  Considering BDP is still being investigated by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada for their information handling practises, it’s mind-boggling that the RCMP have let them operate without a proper security review.

Other RCMP documents give everyone reason to be concerned about the security of his or her private and personal information.  On April 19, 2002, the RCMP sent us a document showing that there had been 221 confirmed breaches of the police computer system known as CPIC (Canadian Police Information Centre) since 1995, with another 193 possible breaches still under investigation (RCMP File: 02ATIP-08379).  If there are this many breaches by police personnel, just think of how many security breaches there might be by employees of a private company that has never had a security review by the RCMP.