The Paul Wells Show Podcast Taping - The OPP’s Marcel Beaudin on Policing Protests

Police have been facing heavy scrutiny lately over how they handle protests, from the convoy in Ottawa to ongoing pro-Palestine demonstrations. OPP Acting Superintendent Marcel Beaudin joins Paul Wells to talk about the delicate work of policing protests. Beaudin has spent many years ensuring that protests run smoothly in his work overseeing the Provincial Liaison Team. He has also spent much of his career in Indigenous policing. In both roles, his focus has been on building trust with communities. What does that work look like in 2024?

 

This event is part of a week of live podcast tapings for The Paul Wells Show, which is produced by Antica Productions in partnership with the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.

 

 

Marcel Beaudin co-chairs the OPP Major Incident Management Group which supports provincial strategic direction and coordinated response to major events and critical incidents. A/Supt. Beaudin is a member of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Policing with Indigenous Peoples Committee, and was integral in the development of the National Framework for Police Response to Demonstrations and Assemblies and the creation of the National Police Liaison Officer Training Course. Marcel is the CoChair of the Police Liaison Officer Training Commission, which supports police services on a national level to build organizational capacity in relation to the Framework/Liaison Approach in a strategic manner

 

A/Supt. Beaudin has represented the OPP in inquiries including the Missing and Missed - Report of The Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations, the Report of the Independent Police Oversight Review, and publicly testified at a Federal Commission of Inquiry on the use of the Emergencies Act. He participated in the National Rail Security Task Force in relation to operationalizing strategies in response to blockades. He is routinely sought out by senior police leaders for his insight and perspective into the integrated police response to demonstrations, the field of Police Liaison work, Indigenous policing, cultural awareness training, and building relationships of trust and understanding with marginalized communities.

 

Paul Wells is one of Canada's leading political journalists. As the Munk School's inaugural journalist fellow-in-residence, he hosts The Paul Wells Show, a weekly interview podcast featuring leaders in government, journalism, business and the arts. His subscription newsletter is a leading source of Canadian political news and analysis for a fast-growing and influential audience. For 19 years, he was the lead political writer at Maclean’s magazine. He has also written for the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail and The National Post. He has worked extensively overseas, including in Europe, the United States and Afghanistan.

 

Wells is the author of three books and a frequent commentator on French- and English-language television and radio.