Dear minister,

Congratulations on your appointment as the minister of public safety. You have been entrusted with the job of making our streets safer, ensuring our national borders are strong and protected, and decisively addressing national security threats. At any time in our history, this would be a daunting challenge. Today, the key institutions in your purview, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Corrections Canada, and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), are overstretched, under-equipped, and misaligned with the complex demands of modern enforcement. These organizations face an unprecedented need for change.

Expectations are high. Canadians are worried about public safety.Crime—especially violent crime—is up. And with issues such as border security and financial crime now being linked to the broader Canadian economy through a trade war with the United States, Canadians are more aware of and worried about these issues than ever. At a time when global instability and shifting geopolitical relationships have brought national security into sharper focus, both at home and among our international partners, your leadership will be critical.

In his mandate letter, the prime minister has tasked you with working alongside your colleagues to “protect Canadian sovereignty and safety.” In this letter, I offer concrete recommendations to help you meet this critical and complex challenge...