Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth visited a Folklorama pavilion with a security detail for protection this week, after being assaulted at a similar event two years ago.
Markus Chambers, chairman of the Winnipeg Police Board, said the precaution is related to an August 2022 incident, when Smyth attended a Folklorama pavilion as a VIP guest.
At that event, a man approached him and dumped a pitcher of water over his head, witnesses had reported. A suspect was apprehended and charged with assaulting a peace officer.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS files
Winnipeg Police Service Chief Danny Smyth visited a Folklorama pavilion with a security detail for protection this week, after being assaulted at a similar event two years ago.
Chambers said Smyth decided to take along police officers for security when he went to Folklorama’s Romanian pavilion on Tuesday night, due to that attack.
“Let’s call it an assault because that’s what it was. There are a variety of different events that (the chief) does attend… He can’t have his head on a swivel at all times, so that’s why the security detail was there (this week),” said Chambers.
The police board leader said the chief has been accompanied by security at other public events, which can include uniformed or plainclothes officers.
Chambers said Smyth confirmed information about the incident but didn’t wish to speak about it in an interview.
When asked if he felt the use of added security by the head of the Winnipeg Police Service at public events could lead people to question the safety of Winnipeg, Chambers stressed the concerns are based on threats that specifically target people in leadership positions.
“I just think it’s indicative about how people treat people in elected positions or leadership positions, where they challenge that authority by resorting to acts of violence. You look at Jan. 6 (2021) in the United States. You look at the incident that happened at the city council in Edmonton, where there was an armed person in their council chamber. Even us, as (Winnipeg city) councillors, have sought and are now looking at an increased security model at city hall. We have had our incidents, too, where people have breached the doors and have barged into city hall and it’s a security issue,” he said.
On Jan. 6, 2021 a mob stormed the U.S. Capital to try to overturn the American presidential election results and keep Joe Biden from replacing Donald Trump, forcing politicians to hide as police tried to barricade the building.
On Jan. 23, 2024, police say a heavily armed man entered Edmonton City Hall, fired shots and threw a Molotov cocktail.
And on June 26, 2020, a large group of protesters streamed inside to scream chants and rattle doors in Winnipeg’s city council building, during a Justice 4 Black Lives Winnipeg rally.
Chambers noted the police chief is not alone in enhancing his security in recent days. Premier Wab Kinew travels with specialized RCMP officers, as the Free Press has reported, while uniformed police officers have been called sporadically to attend policy committee meetings at Winnipeg City Hall.
“You’re better safe than sorry,” said Chambers.
In an email, a WPS spokesman confirmed Smyth, who will work his last day before retiring on Sept. 7, did take a security detail to the Tuesday event but stopped short of confirming the number of officers involved.
“There is no shortage of recent examples where public officials have to be aware of their safety while attending a public event. While Chief Smyth is not involved in day-to-day operations (as that is now handled by an acting chief), he continues to attend community functions. His official attendance would involve assessing the risk in any public setting that the chief would find himself in,” wrote Kelly Dehn.
Mayor Scott Gillingham’s office declined to confirm about whether the mayor also relies on a security detail for protection at public events.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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