Police bolster HQ with metal detector

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This article was published 17/02/2022 (1348 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police have installed airport-style security in the public lobby of the downtown headquarters.

“We’ve had a number of security incidents over the last few years. It’s in response to a review of the security profile over that period of time,” Const. Rob Carver told the Free Press.

“Over the last couple of years we’ve looked at the nature of what our officers have faced and decided this is reasonable — and you see (such screening) everywhere.”

One of the latest troubling incidents took place on Jan. 19. A man who had doused himself in flammable liquid tried to set himself on fire inside the headquarters. Police were able to prevent him from harming himself and he was taken into custody.

There have been weapons incidents in the lobby where people can report crimes and get fingerprints taken.

The security screening will include a bag check and a “non-invasive person search” using a walk-through metal detector.

Then, based on the outcome of the first step, some will be waved over with a handheld metal detector and/or physically patted down.

The measures are comparable to those at airports and large events such as sports games, Carver said.

In May 2020, a man wearing body armour went into the lobby armed with what turned out to be a replica handgun.

The suspect, a 43-year-old, was arrested after officers confronted him and he threw the weapon to the ground. Police also found a tactical knife. He was charged with two counts of possessing a weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and possessing body armour without a valid permit or in a manner inconsistent with the valid permit.

On top of the two high-profile events, other weapons incidents have “put not only our officers but other members of the public at an increased potential for risk to their safety,” Carver said.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera