Ottawa Police Services Board cuts meeting short to end protest

Ottawa’s new police chief did not have an opportunity to address the Ottawa Police Services Board on Monday evening, as the board opted to abruptly adjourn amid a protest from a public delegation.

This would have been Eric Stubbs’s first verbal report as Ottawa’s chief of police, but during public delegations, Robin Browne of 613-819 Black Hub said he was disappointed with the police services board’s responses to complaints from the public.

“Every month, the same thing happens. You board members listen to our five-minute delegations, ask most of us no questions and continue to do the exact opposite of what almost every public delegate asks you to do, including approving multi-million dollar budget increases for the Ottawa Police Service,” he said.

Browne declared he would instead be holding a protest of the board.

“We’re done being ignored while you continue to ignore basic democratic principles so, this evening, things are going to happen a little differently… Tonight we’re going to be asking the questions and we’re not going to be leaving until you answer them. We’re going to be following in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King and engage in some good old, non-violent civil disobedience.”

Another public speaker, Bailey Gauthier, joined Browne to ask four questions of the board and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. The pair asked whether board would reinstate hybrid meetings to allow virtual public delegations, whether Sutcliffe’s proposed financial audit of city spending would include the Ottawa Police Service, whether the Ottawa Police Service budget would be frozen until the aforementioned audit is complete, and whether the board would conduct a human rights-based review of the Ottawa Police Service.

“I will respectfully repeat myself. I’m not leaving this chair until you answer our questions,” Browne said when told his time was up.

A recess was called. Browne and Gauthier remained seated. When the meeting resumed, acting board chair Suzanne Valiquet ran through some of the items on the agenda, notably appointing Sutcliffe to the Policy and Governance Committee and the Human Resources Committee, and appointing special constables. During this time, Browne and Gauthier remained in their chairs and refused to leave, at one point playing a flute.

“You’re not getting anywhere with that,” Valiquet said. “In fact, it’s worse.”

As soon as the special constable appointments were approved, board member Michael Doucet moved a motion to adjourn, which was swiftly approved, cutting the meeting short, without other reports being received.

Browne told CTV’s Jackie Perez something new had to be done.

“Myself and many delegates come and speak every month and every month the same thing happens, they don’t ask any questions and they ignore what we say and give big increases to Ottawa police. It was clear to us continuing to do that wasn’t going to change anything. We needed to do something different,” he said.

Coun. Jeff Leiper, who sits on the Ottawa Police Services Board, told CTV it is a new term of council, with a new mayor and a new police chief, and residents are hoping for change.

“What you’re seeing is a hope for a new tone from the police board,” he said, “The tactics being used this evening are unconventional but what I hope we see is the mayor and police board and members of Ottawa’s racial communities LGBTQ+ communities, Indigenous communities… Find a way to—maybe this isn’t it—but find a way in a more productive dialogue in the next four years.”

Stubbs said it’s clear trust has been lost, but he wants to work to restore it.

“Engaging the public, engaging with different groups is something I’ve already started and continue to do,” he said. “I’ve been here less than two weeks, I’ve met with a number of groups already and the response has been positive. They might have concerns of what we did and didn’t do in the past; however, they want to work with us, they want to meet with us, talk with us, and for me that’s a great starting point.”

As the meeting ended, a man could be heard screaming and yelling inside the Champlain Room, refusing to leave. As police tried to detain the man, an officer pushed one woman to the ground.

Ottawa police claimed in a statement on social media that several people had become "combative and verbally abusive." One person was arrested and charged with causing a disturbance. The individual was released on a condition not to return to Ottawa City Hall. 

 The Ottawa Police Services Board is schedule to meet again Dec. 19.

--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Jackie Perez.