MCC Day 61 – Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella

The Mass Casualty Commission heard today from Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella today. Chief Kinsella was brought in to discuss the HRP role in the events of April 18-19, 2020, as well as the structure of policing in Nova Scotia. HRP and the RCMP each cover different areas of Halifax Regional Municipality, and so confront issues of interoperability on a regular basis. There are two things I would like to note before getting to the substance of Chief Kinsella’s testimony. First, it appears that I was far from the only person curious as to why Commissioner Brenda Lucki and the other RCMP officers who have testified at the MCC have not been wearing their uniforms. The reason the officers are testifying in civilian clothing is as a result of a request from the MCC to do so, so as to avoid triggering anyone watching the proceedings who might be sensitive to the uniform as a result of the killer’s employment of it in his rampage. Chief Kinsella was also not wearing a police uniform, presumably for the same reason. The second issue is the point I raised yesterday about Commissioner Michael MacDonald’s comment to Commissioner Lucki at the end of her testimony where he urged her to be a champion of the MCC’s forthcoming recommendations. I said that this seemed to be a sign that the MCC was not going to recommend the removal of the RCMP as a police force in Nova Scotia in favour of another model. It has been pointed out to me, and I agree, that it could also be interpreted as a call for her to support a transition to another model of policing if that were to be recommended. In either case, Commissioner Lucki has committed to supporting and acting on the recommendations. Chief Kinsella testified that the HRP was ready to assist the RCMP as events unfolded, and gave evidence about the relationship between HRP and the RCMP more generally. On the events of the mass casualty, Chief Kinsella noted that HRP did everything that was asked of them, and was ready for Wortman had he made it to their jurisdiction.