Ottawa Police Service & Ottawa Police Services Board

[RuralCitizen]

Originally Posted by hwy418

That may be true, but I would not be surprised if the RCMP and OPP take-over from the OPS. I little easier to do that now that most trucks now on Wellington. Don't forget they already setup the integrated command centre.

Oh yeah, I wasn't insinuating that he is taking charge of the occupation crisis. I was just saying he was taking the role of Chief Officer of OPS. The general policing of the city needs to continue to occur. Crime around town won't stop while the core is occupied. But one integrated command center that will centralize and coordinate decisions is the best step going forward.

This OPS resignation needed to occur because the image of the Ottawa police is at its lowest now. Sloly appeared weak during his press conferences and through is "actions". We can't have a weak image of the police for the population, it doesn't promote a sense of safety, security and reliability.

The police should look strong, reliable, unbiased, and empathetic, which it hasn't really demonstrated lately.

[Acajack]

Ooh long faces at the police services board meeting carried live by CBC News.

[Marshsparrow]

Having listened in on the Ottawa Police Board I was surprised that none of them resigned as well.

By the lack of answering questions when pressed - there is no plan, no change in direction and seems to be status quo. They seem to be hanging their hat on whenever the additional resources will arrive.

$800,000 extra per day.

150 protestors and they can't make a dent? They can't shut down Coventry? They can't stop more trucks from coming into downtown?

SO this long weekend expect lots of people, more bbqs, hot tubs, fireworks and shenanigans to continue...

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Having listened in on the Ottawa Police Board I was surprised that none of them resigned as well.

They didn't expect to work. They were just suburban councillors doing the usual "tough on crime" and "I support cops" schtick. Now they have to actually exercise oversight and that's hard for them.

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Having listened in on the Ottawa Police Board I was surprised that none of them resigned as well.

By the lack of answering questions when pressed - there is no plan, no change in direction and seems to be status quo. They seem to be hanging their hat on whenever the additional resources will arrive.

$800,000 extra per day.

150 protestors and they can't make a dent? They can't shut down Coventry? They can't stop more trucks from coming into downtown?

SO this long weekend expect lots of people, more bbqs, hot tubs, fireworks and shenanigans to continue...

The emergency measures acts.provincial and federal, gives the police the power to declare a red zone and close it off. The police can demand that anyone found inside the red zone, or trying to enter, produce proof that they either live or work inside the zone. Anyone else can be arrested. Sounds like draconian powers , but that is what needs to be done this weekend, if the new Integrated Command can get their act together to do it.

As for the trucks parked inside the zone, that is where the power to sieze vehicles for forfeiture, cancel commercial licenses and insurance--plus the new powers to freeze corporate and personal financial accounts of the owners of the vehicles parked illegally there comes into play.

As for removing the forfeited trucks---Windsor hired American tow operators to remove a few vehicles. Americans who have no Canadian business to lose.

In Alberta,Jason Kenney announced that the province has purchased heavy towing equipment and said that it will be used if anyone tries a truck blockade again.

Some ideas for us if need be.

[Truenorth00]

They have stayed towing semis using OC Transpo trucks. There's pics making the rounds. And the emergency measures proclamation just got gazetted:

https://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2...f/g2-156x1.pdf

Minors in protest zones are now illegal. Lots of financial tracking stuff. And the ability to press tow operators in to service.

I expect a few days before it all actually starts getting enforced in earnest.

[daud]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I wanted him out. But I don't think the failures are entirely his. And given that we saw cops from out of town enforce the law, while OPS didn't do much, I'd like to know how much of this is an insubordinate rank and file, taking out a chief they don't like.

I didn't want him out per say, but tend to agree with this.

Ottawa Police has a work culture issue; there is racism in the force, there are competing camps and there was all but certainly insubordination happening regularly before this event. I believe there may have also been some support for the truckers within the force.

This situation was a severe pressure cooker where the above would only complicate an already very complicated situation.

From the outset mistakes were made-that is on him.

To move in or not-might depend on the severity of the threat. This is still largely unknown to all of us so I reserve judgement on that. As bad as things were, he could have mitigated the impact on residents so that was also an error. But the overall plan to whittle down the protesters to a core group then move in may or may not be the right move depending on the threat itself.

He asked for support and it really didn't arrive until this week. In the meantime, the city literally boiled over. It reached a point where the wait it out strategy could not continue but the support requested, the emergency measures to nudge them out did not even come until the 3rd week of this thing.

I feel he made mistakes but he is the fall guy here. And, not until the last truck and protester is cleared will we understand what the threat level really was that was holding them back. If the threat is/was severe, it wasn't communicated properly so residents were left shaking their heads saying "Do something!"

I have a friend on the force and he said over and above all this, there was a logistical nightmare to deal with it-towing, holding cells, resources to process.

The blockades at the border had dozens of trucks. Ottawa had 4000 at one point with weekend crowds of up to 15000 and we still have hundreds of trucks, on top of that, in an urban environment.

It may turn out that they should have moved in last week or even earlier but I'm just reserving judgement on this until its done. He may be partially vindicated if there is violence, he made many mistakes as did the province and feds who dragged their feet and simply pointed fingers at him.

[waterloowarrior]

Some fireworks in about 10 minutes at Council!

https://twitter.com/jchianello/statu...48911622873094
@jchianelloNEW from City Hall: @DianeDeans was called into Mayor @JimWatsonOttawa's office and asked to step down from the police services board. She said no. Mayor is looking to oust her. Board member Sandy Smallwood has tendered his resignation in protest. #OttNews

[waterloowarrior]

Wow https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-pol...rces-1.5784106

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Some fireworks in about 10 minutes at Council!

https://twitter.com/jchianello/statu...48911622873094
@jchianelloNEW from City Hall: @DianeDeans was called into Mayor @JimWatsonOttawa's office and asked to step down from the police services board. She said no. Mayor is looking to oust her. Board member Sandy Smallwood has tendered his resignation in protest. #OttNews

What a disfunctional council headed up by a control freak. I've been here for 25+ years and I've never seen such vitriol on Council. Honestly, I don't think that Watson could have got re-elected if he was to have run in October based on his actions over the last few weeks.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

What a disfunctional council headed up by a control freak. I've been here for 25+ years and I've never seen such vitriol on Council. Honestly, I don't think that Watson could have got re-elected if he was to have run in October based on his actions over the last few weeks.

It is a rather astonishing clown show for placid Ottawa, isn't it?

In fairness though this type of tense situation does have a tendency to seriously exacerbate a lot of pre-existing dysfunctionalities.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

What a disfunctional council headed up by a control freak. I've been here for 25+ years and I've never seen such vitriol on Council. Honestly, I don't think that Watson could have got re-elected if he was to have run in October based on his actions over the last few weeks.

Dude is leaving. I don't get what he's trying to salvage here. If it wasn't for the occupation, he would be remembered for the LRT problems.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Wow https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-pol...rces-1.5784106

Sloly was paid his entire salary until 2025 to leave. Pretty much what I expected.

Trying to hire someone without competition, that I'm surprised. I guess the City's State of Emergency allows for this (?), but it's still quite an abuse of power. Deans should resign from the Board and bow out of the Mayoral race. All that does not excuse Watson's piss-pour attitude, which he had well before this crisis.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Sloly was paid his entire salary until 2025 to leave. Pretty much what I expected.

Trying to hire someone without competition, that I'm surprised. I guess the City's State of Emergency allows for this (?), but it's still quite an abuse of power. Deans should resign from the Board and bow out of the Mayoral race. All that does not excuse Watson's piss-pour attitude, which he had well before this crisis.

It's an overused conservative talking point but city councils have no accountability on financial matters.

On the other hand I fund criticism of him over done. This is a large determined protest group and a peaceful one at that. The only way to clear them out 3 weeks ago would have bee with force and for sure a counter reaction could have been worse.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

What a disfunctional council headed up by a control freak. I've been here for 25+ years and I've never seen such vitriol on Council. Honestly, I don't think that Watson could have got re-elected if he was to have run in October based on his actions over the last few weeks.

I've never seen such a dysfunctional major city in this country. Way worse than anything I've seen out of London, or dare I say, Rob Ford's Toronto.

[Richard Eade]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

.
.
.
Trying to hire someone without competition, that I'm surprised. I guess the City's State of Emergency allows for this (?), but it's still quite an abuse of power. Deans should resign from the Board and bow out of the Mayoral race. All that does not excuse Watson's piss-pour attitude, which he had well before this crisis.

I’m not overly familiar with how the Police Services Board runs, but I suspect that they would be the ones who would (normally) put out a competitive search for a new Police Chief.

I suspect that, a number of the Police Services Board will change after the next municipal election. And the new members would, likely, want to have the say of who gets chosen as the new Chief – since they are the ones who will need to deal with that person.

Just as City Council can (and did, in the case of Kanata North) select a TEMPORARY City Councilor, if it is not deemed to be appropriate to hold a by-election, why shouldn’t the current Police Services Board be entitled to select a TEMPORARY Chief to fill in until the new (future) Police Services Board can hold a proper competition?

Personally, I think that this was the correct decision.

[rocketphish]

Deans is replaced by El-Chantiry (15-9)
Meehan remains (not replaced by Harder) (13-11)
Sandy Smallwood resigned and is replaced by Suzanne Valiquet (carried)
King resigned and is replaced Leiper (carried)

Diane Deans ousted from oversight board in overhaul of Ottawa's police leadership
Meanwhile, former Waterloo chief offered job as interim Ottawa police chief: sources

Kate Porter, Joanne Chianello · CBC News
Posted: Feb 16, 2022 5:25 PM ET | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

One day after Ottawa's police chief resigned in the midst of historic civil unrest, city council voted to overhaul the police board and remove chair Diane Deans in a meeting full of high drama and vitriolic accusations.

The surprise move was labelled as a way to "restore public trust" nearly three weeks into protests that have rocked the capital.

But in a council term that has seen years of divisiveness and petty moments, many councillors characterized this move as a "political stunt" and said they were "disgusted" by Mayor Jim Watson, with a few even calling for him to resign.

"You're destabilizing the oversight body for Ottawa Police in the middle of the biggest crisis in this city's history," charged Deans. "That is being ridiculously political."

Following a vote of 15 to nine, Deans will be replaced by one of council's longest serving members and close allies of the mayor, former police board chair Eli El-Chantiry.

The police services board is set to meet Thursday to elect a new chair to replace Deans, a seven-term councillor who plans to run for mayor.



The motion, put forward by councillors Scott Moffatt and Laura Dudas, suggested the board had "not been effective" in its oversight of the police.

An interim board "with more experience with emergency operations" would let Steve Bell, who has been serving as police chief for a day, end the on-going illegal protests.

At the heart of the dispute — one of the ugliest seen during this term of council — was the leaked news that the board had swiftly hired an interim police chief from outside the city without a competition, and without telling council.

"We have an individual, who was a former chief, who's going to come to Ottawa — who obviously doesn't know our city — in the midst of the biggest crisis in our city's history, and he's bringing a bunch of consultants with him," Watson told reporters after the seven-hour council meeting.

"How much is this costing? How did this individual get chosen? Who are these consultants they're bringing? There are a lot of questions. And I think a lot of people thought they had lost confidence in the police board."

But a number of council members charged that the move was not about a loss of confidence in the board. Deans and the mayor have sparred on many occasions. Recently, he criticized her for trying to trim the increase to the 2022 police budget.

"You know what makes me the saddest of all?" asked Deans as the vote approached. "You're unseating a progressive board that was bringing about important and progressive change in policing in Ottawa. And you're going back to the 1950s... and old-school law and order."

Coun. Rawlson King, council's first and only Black member and the police service's co-chair of the community equity council, made it clear he stood with Deans. He defended the police services board, saying it had asked the "toughest questions" during three weeks of disruptive protest.

King announced his own resignation during the council meeting. His announcement stymied his colleagues' plan to overhaul the board with King playing a "key role" in consulting with communities who have been "over-policed."

Many councillors pleaded with King to stay on the board. Coun. Mathieu Fleury, close to tears, told King he's been "the moral leader" of council.

King refused, and will be replaced by Coun. Jeff Leiper.

Coun. Carol Anne Meehan, one of the council members who asked Watson to step down, had been named in the motion as a member who should be removed from the board. Although she narrowly survived a vote to replace her with Coun. Jan Harder, Meehan resigned in solidarity with Deans at the end of the meeting.

When Peter Sloly suddenly announced his resignation as police chief Tuesday in the face of criticism from the public and allegedly within his own force, Bell was announced interim chief.

But CBC learned Wednesday the board had decided to replace Sloly with Matthew Torigian, who has now signed a contract for the job.

Torigian, a police chief with the Waterloo Region until 2014 and deputy minister for community safety and correctional services under Kathleen Wynne's Liberal government, has been hired on a short-term contract that expires at the end of 2022 and that can be terminated earlier if all parties agree.

During debate, however, it was clear that many of Deans's council colleagues were frustrated by the decision.

This quick hire, which councillors said hadn't been properly vetted, was being made in a "frantic way," said Dudas.

Harder, who used to sit on the board, said, "This stupidity by the board has destabilized this place, more than Sloly resigning. It was absolutely irresponsible to hire some random guy who hasn't policed in eight years. In eight years. Without any consultation."

Deans countered city council had no authority to hire a new chief, and said that job rested solely with the police services board. She said the force's executive needed the help, and the board needed to act quickly.

Under the Ontario Police Services Act, the board can indeed "recruit and appoint the chief of police and any deputy chief of police and determine their remuneration and working conditions."

It was clear that many members of council back Bell in the role of chief. Deans said he is still well-positioned to become the permanent chief, but the local police leadership needed more and urgent help.

And Deans charged that the move to oust her was "an opportunity to try and deflect away from the mayor, who made in my estimation just a horrendous decision to negotiate with terrorists."

On Sunday, Watson announced he had a deal with some of the convoy leaders to move vehicles out of the residential areas. The mayor had promised that if the trucks were moved, he'd meet with organizer Tamara Lich, but that won't happen because many trucks are still clogging parts of the downtown.

Even before council met at 4 p.m., the police services board's vice-chair, citizen member Sandy Smallwood, also confirmed he had resigned due to public statements from El-Chantiry that the board didn't support the police during the protest. Council voted that he be replaced by Suzanne Valiquet, a marketing consultant and former member of the board.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...eans-1.6354150

[rocketphish]

Council turfs police board leader Diane Deans amid trucker protest tensions
Council, with a vote of 15-9, removed Deans from the police services board in response to the board's oversight of the police force during the crisis.

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Feb 17, 2022 • 29 minutes ago • 5 minute read

A political coup led by Mayor Jim Watson’s leadership core on council led to Coun. Diane Deans being turfed from chairing the Ottawa Police Services Board on Wednesday, which was Day 20 of the occupation crisis in Canada’s capital.

A whole term of acrimony that has been bubbling in council came to a head in the evening hours during a closed session of a special meeting and spilled over into the public portion. The “siege” of Ottawa, as so many people have described the “Freedom Convoy” occupation, has shaken city hall.

It was a meeting like none other during Mayor Jim Watson’s administration.

There was anger. Tears. Confusion.

A closed portion of the meeting broke out in bickering and screaming, away from the public’s gaze.

And when council returned to the open session, they continued the clash.

The target was clear: the leadership of the police services board.

Council, with a vote of 15-9, removed Deans from the board in response to its oversight of the police force during the protest crisis. The motion to change the board was presented by councillors Scott Moffatt and Laura Dudas.

Deans called it “ridiculously political” and she shot down claims that she breached conduct in leading the board.

An emotional Coun. Carol Anne Meehan, who was also targeted in the Moffatt/Dudas motion for removal from the police board, said she was “truly disgusted by the cheap political stunt.”

She narrowly survived the vote and would have stayed on the board, but right before the end of the meeting, she resigned from her position. Council didn’t decide on a replacement for Meehan on the police board.

In moving to replace Deans, the mayor and 14 councillors selected as their pick Eli El-Chantiry, who’s the former chair of the board. He’s been recommended to chair the board, though it’s up to board members to make that decision.

But that wasn’t the end of the drama surrounding the board and its work.

Coun. Rawlson King, the founder of the new anti-racism secretariat, resigned his seat from the police services board in the middle of the council meeting after he spoke in defence of Deans.

King said he was quitting the police board “since the mayor has a different vision of police governance in this city.”

Council appointed Coun. Jeff Leiper to replace King on the board.

Sandy Smallwood, the vice-chair of the police services board who was appointed by council, also tendered his resignation Wednesday. He declined to go into details about why he wanted off the board.

“The police governance model is set up for failure. And I think what this incident has done is brought it to the surface,” Smallwood said when reached earlier in the day. “It’s not set up to deal with an issue like this.”

Another former police services board member, Suzanne Valiquet, was proposed to take Smallwood’s spot.

Many on council seemed miffed that the board was angling toward hiring another interim chief from outside of the police force.

A city hall source said former Waterloo Region police chief Matt Torigian signed a contract for the top job in the Ottawa Police Service without a competition being held for the temporary position.

However, at the council meeting, Deans said it was a unanimous board decision to go with an interim chief and the move received support from the solicitor general.

Deans said the current Ottawa police executive command “is flying with one wing” and needs help, and fast, which is why the board accepted hiring a highly skilled interim chief. She said there would be consultation involved in hiring the next permanent police chief.

The police services board, not city council, has oversight of the police force and is in charge of hiring the chief and deputy chiefs.

Torigian, who couldn’t be reached for comment, became a deputy minister of community safety and correctional services in the Ontario government in 2014. He has been a distinguished fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs since 2018, leading an initiative on global policing.

Watson, who asked Deans to resign earlier in the day, said he didn’t agree with awarding a “sole-source contract” to an outside interim chief, one who Watson said would be “bringing a bunch of consultants with him.”

The mayor, who supports the leadership of current interim police chief Steve Bell, said he hopes the police board can somehow stop the hiring process.

Peter Sloly resigned as Ottawa police chief on Tuesday after another weekend of partying by occupiers at the foot of Parliament Hill, plus a continued encampment at the municipal baseball stadium’s parking lot on Coventry Road.

During the council meeting, councillors pressed Ottawa Police Service executives about how they’ll end the occupation, but the sensitive operational details aren’t being released publicly.

Police were ramping up for increased enforcement downtown ahead of the Family Day long weekend.

Bell warned council that techniques police are prepared to use to end the occupation aren’t what residents are used to seeing in Ottawa. He didn’t specify the techniques.

Bell appeared during the meeting before council duked it out over the leadership of the police services board.

Coun. Catherine McKenney, whose Somerset ward is one of the most impacted by the occupation, slammed the “gross negligence of what has happened in this city” and McKenney accused Watson of making a “power grab” for the police services board.

Kim Ayotte, general manager of emergency and protective services, said there have been 3,000 tickets issued in the “red zone” of the downtown occupation so far. He said more than 40 vehicles have been towed. He said the city has enough resources to handle bylaw enforcement related to the occupation.

Ayotte said bylaw officers “are ready and eager” to enforce the laws, but it’s a matter of doing their job safely.

City manager Steve Kanellakos recognized the work of city staff for “putting themselves in harm’s way” and not getting any recognition.

The council members who voted in favour of replacing Deans on the police board with El-Chantiry were Cathy Curry, Glen Gower, George Darouze, Jean Cloutier, Mathieu Fleury, Catherine Kitts, Allan Hubley, Jan Harder, Tim Tierney, Matthew Luloff, Keith Egli, El-Chantiry, Moffatt, Dudas and Watson.

The councillors who wanted Deans to stay on the board were Theresa Kavanagh, Riley Brockington, Rick Chiarelli, Shawn Menard, Leiper, Meehan, King, McKenney and Deans.

jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local...upation-crisis

[Truenorth00]

They've been giving lots of tickets and towing vehicles..... Of residents. Let's get the actual breakdown of what percentage of those numbers are convoy participants.

[rocketphish]

And now Carol Anne Meehan has just resigned from the Police Services Board. It seems that a replacement will be decided at the next Council meeting.