Dave Bal brings 28 years of senior law-enforcement experience leading specialized investigative and operational teams through complex, high-stakes matters.
Operational Leadership
He has directed multi-disciplinary teams with a consistent emphasis on professionalism, integrity, legal compliance, risk mitigation, and trauma-informed practice. He is skilled at guiding sensitive inquiries from initial scoping and evidence collection through to clear, actionable reporting suitable for decision-makers, counsel, or institutional use.
Investigative Background
His operational foundation spans some of the most demanding categories of investigation in Canadian policing, including cybercrime and open-source intelligence, digital forensics, human trafficking, offences against children and vulnerable persons, missing persons, mental-health crisis response, and high-risk offender management. That breadth informs how he assesses risk, handles sensitive information, and works with people under significant duress.
Education & Specialized Training
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Carleton University and has completed extensive advanced training in cybercrime investigations, open-source intelligence, and human-rights frameworks. Fluent in multiple languages, he brings a culturally informed perspective to complex operational and investigative work.
At Arsenal
Dave applies this depth of investigative leadership and operational discipline across protective, intelligence-support, and specialized service lines, ensuring every engagement meets rigorous professional standards.
Ches W. Parsons brings more than 35 years of national security and senior command experience with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He served as Assistant Commissioner and Commanding Officer of two RCMP Divisions: a full provincial command and National Division in Ottawa, the latter responsible for protective operations and investigations of national interest.
National Security & Command
Earlier in his career, he was Director General of National Security, overseeing all domestic and international national-security operations for the RCMP and negotiating policing and security arrangements with partners across Europe, the Middle East, Australasia, Africa, and South Asia.
Counter-Terrorism & Counter-Espionage
His operational foundation includes 17 years specializing in counter-terrorism and counter-espionage, both in Canada and abroad. In these roles he commanded major investigations with a primary focus on covert operations, working closely with Canada’s security-intelligence, border, and defence communities, as well as allied services within and beyond the Five Eyes.
At Arsenal
Recognized as an expert witness before the Federal Court of Canada and the recipient of domestic and international honours, Ches brings proven leadership in protective operations, sensitive investigations, human-intelligence support, and high-security planning. At Arsenal, he ensures that complex protective, investigative, and specialized taskings are delivered with the planning discipline, operational security, and professional judgment expected of senior national-security service.
