Watch out secret police, Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca MP Randall Garrison, has his eyes on you.

Garrison has been appointed Public Safety Critic for the Official Opposition.

B次元官网网址淢y role is to be the NDP spokesperson for what the minister has and hasnB次元官网网址檛 done,B次元官网网址� Garrison said about shadowing Conservative MP Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety.

Garrison was appointed to the position at the end of April by NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.

Royal Roads University associate professor Michael Young was pleased when he heard Garrison was appointed. Young teaches the justice studies program at the university and is a former co-worker of GarrisonB次元官网网址檚.

Prior to being elected MP, Garrison was an instructor of criminal justice and political science at Camosun College. Young, also with a background in criminology, taught at the college for nearly 10 years.

B次元官网网址淗e is well read on the system and he knows where they hiccups are,B次元官网网址� Young said.

A key feature Garrison hopes to investigate is the elimination of the inspector general for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. The position was nixed in the ConservativeB次元官网网址檚 last budget, introduced in April.

Without this position, no one outside of CSIS itself will know what the agency is doing, Garrison said.

B次元官网网址淐SIS is the secret police,B次元官网网址� Garrison said, stressing the importance of a civilian watchdog even though the work CSIS does is vitally important to national security.

Garrison is also concerned about cuts to RCMP Post Traumatic Stress Disorder programs.

B次元官网网址淰ic Toews is saying they have adequate (programs still available), but I say B次元官网网址榳hy did you have programs (in the first place) to be eliminated then?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� Garrison said.

Many of the issues heB次元官网网址檒l be dealing with affect this region on a local level.

William Head Institution, a federal prison in Metchosin, is one. Border security is another.

Young thinks itB次元官网网址檚 a good idea to keep a watchful eye on prisons, especially William Head. He is concerned at some point the institutionB次元官网网址檚 prison population may increase.

B次元官网网址淎t the moment this is the last stop for offenders ... it helps normalize them,B次元官网网址� Young said. B次元官网网址淚f we start putting in other offenders (who are not at the same level of rehabilitation) it jeopardizes the people who are ready to go.B次元官网网址�

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com