Sask. sergeant-at-arms calls for more security

New security measures are coming to the Saskatchewan legislature in the wake of the attack on Parliament Hill.

“You can’t prevent someone from trying. You can only hope to prevent them from being successful,” said Saskatchewan’s Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick Shaw.

The legislature continued to be closed to the general public Thursday, and Regina police patrolled the halls as the first Question Period of the session took place. Officers were also in the building Wednesday following the shooting in Ottawa to enhance security during the speech from the throne.

On Thursday, the Board of Internal Economy, which is the committee responsible for the operation of the building, met early in the morning to discuss extra security measures going forward.

MLA Jeremy Harrison sits on the committee and says the government has a responsibility to ensure safety for staff and guests.

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Shaw has several recommendations on how to do that. Some ideas include outdoor cameras, metal detectors, and possibly restricting some hallways.

“Let me get something straight: we don’t want to make this a fortress. It’s still a public building,” said Shaw.

The sergeant-at-arms has been working on a report to submit to the government regarding security updates for more than a year now. He will present his recommendations next Tuesday.

Shaw says he has been calling for metal detectors to be installed for the last five years.

“Anybody that does security, you know what your soft spots are. There is no such thing as a hundred per cent security,” he said.

Shaw acknowledges that metal detectors would not prevent an attacker from bursting into the building and opening fire. However, he does say that the detectors could help prevent someone from bringing a weapon into the assembly and attacking inside.

The legislative building will remain closed to the public until Monday. Police will be patrolling the building for the remaining of this week and next.

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