I'll throw out a few thoughts on this:
1. Sensitive systems security is a full-rime, continuing 24/7 job - its RegF and not ResF. Period;
2. If the need to provide security for the new aircraft and new ships is required then the PYs to provide that function should have been included in the respective projects as either new PYs or a reallocation of PYs;
3. Re the role of the military police, this is a quote from the CF Provost Marshall's latest report:
Mission
The CF MP Gp provides professional policing, security, and detention services to the CAF and DND globally, across the full spectrum of military operations.
accordingly, security is already an MP function. The fact that it is rarely done because of other tasks is not a reason for not leaving it as an MP mission;
4. The military police branch is relatively small with the following authorized strength: RegF offrs - 189; NCMs - 1,215; ResF offrs - 45; NCMs - 646. (Note that at the time of the last report, the force was understrength by 213 RegF and 277 ResF);
5. A new security force will be even smaller in numbers - several hundreds perhaps - and, as such, probably incapable of providing for its own career flow, training and leadership development. A new RCAF Regiment and a Naval Infantry unit would be neither practical nor career sustainable as entities;
6. I agree with
@brihard that security and policing are distinct functions but that doesn't mean one can't have the two functions in place in one organization/occupation branch running either in parallel (ie a separate security career stream and policing career stream) or in series (ie an individual performing one function first and then graduating to the other during a single career);
7. While one could assign other units, such as infantry battalions, to provide rotational security this is patently unsustainable considering that the job will need to be done for decades to come. Either new PYs are needed or will need to be permanently reallocated; and
8. While a civilian security force could be hired to provide security in Canada, it would be challenging, albeit not impossible, to have elements of a civilian force deploy with ships or aircraft to operational zones.
IMHO. It would be entirely logical to put the security tasks for these new roles into the MP branch by:
a) adding the requisite RegF PYs to the branch;
b) reorganizing the MP branch so that the security function and policing functions are both logically incorporated and run within the branch; and
c) organize and train the ResF MPs so that they can adequately provide a surge capability for security tasks (including temporary Class B augmentation) and are able to perform field MP duties as a mobilization role.
