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President's Corner

President's Message

Mommy, I'm afraid

Recently I was reading a delightful story to my children, Sleep Tight Mrs. Ming (Sharon Jennings, published by Annick Press, 1993). It is the story of a little boy, Jeremiah, who, when he was going to bye-byes, asked his kind-hearted nanny, Mrs. Ming, to come and chase away the monsters... from beneath the bed, from the closet, from behind the chest of drawers, from under the armchair... and Mrs. Ming cheerfully flushed out all the monsters and sent them away, setting little Jeremy's mind at rest.

My children, like many others, affected by the wave of anxiety that has affected us all since September 11, 2001, want to hear this story of Mrs. Ming almost every night.

Reading it again for the n^th time, I began to think about how adults too would like to have a Mrs. Ming - a reassuring presence that would chase away everything that scared them and would calm all their anxieties.

It seems that our appetite for security is insatiable. Last year, the Law Commission of Canada financed research on order and security. This research instanced the growing presence of a private security industry. Even before the events of September 11, our society seemed eager for protection and security and privatized the response to this need. There were more and more security guards, more and more alarm systems and more and more surveillance cameras...

There is no doubt that the attacks of September 11 have increased this desire to invest in security. Perhaps more money will be invested in police forces and that the role of the private security companies will be rethought. Nevertheless, the demand for "security" continues to grow and we must think of the best way to respond to it.

How will we structure the coexistence and collaboration between private and public security forces? How will we regulate the organization of order maintenance services properly? What are the limits of these services? How will we respond to a demand for security that is growing exponentially? Is this growth legitimate? How do we reduce the need? What powers should be devolved upon the officers who protect us?

These issues have preoccupied our societies for centuries. The delicate balance between the powers of coercion and surveillance and individual liberties is constantly re-evaluated. The way in which the organization of public and private security services is organized must also be constantly reappraised.

This is what the Law Commission of Canada has undertaken in its project on order and security. We invite you to provide your comments and opinions on this subject.

Obviously, adult fears are often better founded than those of little Jeremiah in the story or of my children who whine, "Mommy, I'm afraid", at night before going to bed. But in a way, we all want a reassuring Mrs. Ming at our side... and we must think about what she represents: is it a state-controlled police force with a stronger presence? Is it a better regulated private security industry? Is it possible to respond completely to our security needs? If not, will we know when to stop?