General Aviation: Security & PolicingBy Inspector Barry Dolan, Deputy Director, Criminal Intelligence Service OntarioIt has been a true honour and policing for more than four decades. During my tenure of public service, I have never stopped learning from and being inspired by the incredible people, professions, communities and my Canadian emergency services family. From our nurses, to teachers, to police, paramedics and firefighters, to the members of our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and all those that support them in keeping Canada safe and secure, I continue to be impressed by their unwavering dedication, professionalism and commitment to public safety.Over the past four years, I have been fortunate to connect with and learn from another dedicated, innovative, professional and civic minded collective: the General Aviation (GA) community.Across Canada, GA connects isolated and northern communities, supports wildfire suppression and emergency response, enables medical transport, powers local economies and sustains regional community hubs. Pilots, engineers, operators, airport authorities and aviation volunteers form a deeply safety-focused, professional and mission-driven community defined by responsibility, compliance and care.WHAT IS GENERAL AVIATION (GA)? GA refers to all civil aviation operations other than scheduled commercial airline services. In practical terms, it includes small fixed-wing aircrafts, helicopters and specialized aviation operations that support medical evacuations, firefighting, search and rescue, flight training, business travel, recreational flying and transportation to rural, remote and northern communities across Canada.Yet, as has occurred across many legitimate transportation systems and intermodal networks worldwide, Transnational and Serious Organized Crime (TSOC) groups and Foreign Threat Actors (FTA) have sought to illicitly exploit elements of the GA domain.In Ontario – and increasingly across Canada – we identified a clear intelligence, border integrity and security gap associated with the GA domain. There was limited visibility, minimal shared intelligence and few opportunities for structured engagement between police, public safety agencies and the GA community. Importantly, this was not a failure of the GA community – it was a systemic gap that demanded a collaborative solution.The GA Strategic Intelligence Probe and Initiative was launched in 2023 by several agencies in Ontario. The goals of our GA initiative included:
  • Assessment of the illicit exploitation and vulnerabilities of the GA domain; 
  • Improvement of GA situational awareness for aviation community, police, law enforcement and public safety agencies; 
  • Enhancement of collaboration between all GA stakeholders; 
  • Strengthening of both safety and security through engagement rather than enforcement alone; and 
  • Provide recommendations for a “whole-of-country” approach to address identified GA intelligence and security gaps.
A WHOLE-OF-COUNTRY RESPONSE The threats facing Canada today are complex, interconnected and global. Resources across policing and public safety are increasingly constrained, while expectations continue to rise. In this environment, so-called “wicked problems” cannot be solved in isolation. A whole- of-country approach was required – one that brought police, public safety agencies and the aviation community together.Collaboration proved to be the force multiplier. The GA community’s observant, professional and “can-do” culture created the ideal conditions for trust-based partnerships. Education, engagement and awareness became our cornerstones of progress.This initiative brought together highly dedicated investigators, intelligence officers, analysts and private/public safety professionals from across Ontario, Canada and beyond, including:
  • Municipal, provincial and federal policing partners from across Canada and internationally, including FVEY partners (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States); 
  • Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), Transport Canada (TC), NAV CANADA, FINTRAC and our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF); 
  • Aircraft Management Council of Ontario (AMCO), Canadian Owners Pilot Association (COPA), Alberta Airport Management Association (AAMA) and many public/private GA sites (land & marine) across Ontario; 
  • British Columbia, Ontario and our National Crime Stoppers Program networks; and 
  • Ontario Police Video Training Alliance (OPVTA), which is comprised of members of the Niagara Regional Police Service’s Video Unit.
THE “CRIME DOESN’T FLY HERE” CAMPAIGN One of the most significant outcomes of this collaboration is the Crime Stoppers Program’s “Crime Doesn’t Fly Here” education and awareness campaign. Developed with and for the GA community, these materials empower pilots, operators, airport staff and community members to recognize indicators of GA exploitation and know how to report concerns safely and responsibly.These engagement and awareness materials (regarding GA vulnerabilities – digital posters and public service announcements/videos) are free and available to our communities, partners, educators and interested people through the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) website. These materials are designed to educate without stigmatizing and to inform without alarm – for information and to download material, please go to the Aviation Security section of the CACP website.It is critical to remember that situational awareness remains the first line of defence in all safety and security matters. Our aviation community/sector is highly observant, focused and vigilant to ensure a high degree of safety for all. The purpose of our GA initiative is to support the aviation industry with their high safety standards, while encouraging enhanced collaboration with police and law enforcement agencies to foster a more robust security culture.A CALL TO ACTION For police leaders and frontline members alike, success begins with a return to and focus on the fundamentals. Community and public safety are built on trust, relationships and presence. I understand the high demands placed on police services. It remains critically important to engage with the communities we are sworn to protect and serve.The GA community is filled with professionals who want to help. Sometimes the most effective step forward is also the simplest: show up, start the conversation, be curious and learn about this incredible community. There is nothing that organized crime and their illicit networks fear more than a trusted and cooperative relationship between the community and police.Collaboration and partnerships cannot be underestimated. For our GA initiative, we have worked with many different groups, collectives and associations. During our discussion groups, open forums and brainstorming sessions, we identified key vulnerabilities in the GA domain that we have advanced as OACP & CACP Resolutions.Our recommendations have been supported and endorsed through a formal CACP Resolution to Combatting Organized Crime in the General Aviation Domain (CACP Resolution 2025-01). This collective approach has allowed us to set a course that will support our recommendations for action, including:
  • Enhancing the security of the GA domain with increased law enforcement and intelligence resources; 
  • Modernize and integrate real-time information and intelligence sharing between law enforcement, public safety and aviation sector agencies; and
  • Increased funding for skills development and training to support municipal, provincial, federal law enforcement and other public safety officers in relation to GA investigations and inspections.
The GA Strategic Intelligence Probe and Initiative demonstrates what is possible when we collaborate, innovate and target the illicit networks that have infiltrated our community, country and civil society. Transnational Serious Organized Crime groups and Foreign Threat Actors cause immeasurable harm to our domestic and international communities. It’s time for Canada to “answer the bell” and join together to detect, deter, disrupt and dismantle these criminal organizations and their illicit networks.As Canada continues to engage domestically and internationally, one message remains clear: safety and security are shared responsibilities. Together, we are proving that crime doesn’t fly here, and that collaboration and action remains Canada’s greatest strength.RCMP Inspector Barry Dolan, is a serving Commissioned Officer with over 40 years of policing experience. He is currently on federal secondment to the CISO, Ministry of the Solicitor General of Ontario. His experience includes extensive leadership and management of administrative, communications, uni- form, incident command, investigative and intelligence operations. Dolan is the chair of the Provincial GA Command JOIG and the OACP Intelligence Operations Committee (IOC) and a member of the CACP Aviation Security Committee (ASC) and the Private Sector Liaison Committee (PSLC).