The presence of plainclothes RCMP officers during the second night of Prince George’s Official Community Plan (OCP) hearing on April 9 has drawn criticism from some members of council and the public.
While transparency is essential in democratic processes, we believe the city made the right call in taking this precautionary step.
We understand the discomfort some may feel upon discovering that police officers were present without others around them knowing. However, it’s important to take a step back and consider the context and intent.
The officers were not responding to a specific threat, nor were they intended to intimidate or silence any member of the public. Rather, their discreet presence was a measured and proportionate response to safety concerns raised by city staff after the first night of the hearing.
In today’s polarized climate, public meetings can become heated, especially those dealing with deeply held community values such as land use and development.
This doesn’t mean we should expect violence, but acknowledging the possibility is simply responsible governance.
Municipal officials, staff, delegates, and members of the public all deserve to feel safe while participating in the democratic process.
In this case, police were in attendance because a city employee felt unsafe. The city did what any responsible employer should do — take steps to address the situation and ensure all employees feel secure at work. Failing to do so would be immoral and reprehensible.
Worse still would be doing nothing and having the unthinkable happen.
There’s no question that a visible police presence can make some feel uneasy or watched. That’s why the decision to deploy plainclothes officers, positioned discreetly in the background, reflected a genuine effort to safeguard both security and the democratic atmosphere of the hearing.
It’s also worth noting that this approach is not without precedent. As the city pointed out in its response to The Citizen, RCMP officers have attended similar events in the past.
Last year, when uniformed officers were posted at the doors of a public safety town hall, some members of council and the public criticized their presence, expressing discomfort. In contrast, plainclothes officers offer a middle ground: prepared to respond if needed, yet unobtrusive enough not to impact the open discourse these events require.
That balance matters. Public hearings are meant to be inclusive, welcoming forums where people feel comfortable sharing their perspectives.
This is not a sudden shift in policy, but part of a broader pattern of adjusting security measures based on anticipated crowd size and tone.
We do not believe for a moment that the attendees at the OCP hearing were dangerous or threatening. By all accounts, those who came to speak did so with passion and civility. But as recent history has shown — from municipal meetings in other cities that have been disrupted or even evacuated — unexpected escalations can and do happen, even when tensions appear manageable.
Of course, governments should always strive for openness. While operational security decisions often fall under administrative authority — and it may not be practical or advisable to involve elected officials in every detail — there is room to improve communication.
A post-hearing briefing, or even a confidential heads-up to council members in advance, might have avoided some of the confusion and outcry.
City staff must plan for possibilities, not just react to certainties. It’s a difficult balance to strike: too visible a police presence and people feel watched; none at all, and the city may be accused of neglecting its duty to protect staff.
The presence of police at public meetings is not something sinister. It is a quiet reassurance of everyone’s right to participate. Regardless of viewpoint, that participation must be protected, in this case, physically.
Given all that, the presence of plainclothes RCMP officers at the April 9 public hearing was a reasonable precaution, not an overreach. If anything, it was an example of security done right: low-profile, preventative, and thankfully uneventful.
Have your say with a letter to the editor: [email protected]
