The City of Ottawa’s Integrity Commissioner has found Osgoode Ward councillor George Darouze attempted to “bully and intimidate” a constituent and her police officer husband.
The woman, who was not named by Integrity Commissioner Robert Marleau, complained on Facebook about a perceived lack of community policing in the Osgoode area.
Councillor Darouze recognized her name and knew her husband was a police officer.
Darouze responded online, “…if you would like to discuss the police operations, I would be able to arrange for you and your “inside source” family member to meet with community and/or senior police staff members to clarify the points you seem to believe are false”.
A few days later, Darouze went further, writing to then Police Chief Charles Bordeleau: “This resident has spoken ill of OPS in a public forum…or if her husband is relaying incorrect information to her to scare the public, I think it would be best to resolve this once and for all so we are all on the same page”.
Integrity Commissioner Robert Marleau agreed with an investigator’s report, and found Darouze breached the Code of Conduct and was attempting to bully his constituent.
“On a balance of probabilities, I find that the major motivation of the Councillor was to bully and intimidate the Complainants and each of them in the hope that female Complainant might cease her critical Facebook commentary of him....the Councillor's words and behaviour indicate an animus towards the Complainants."
Darouze responded to the report that his "intent behind the email was not malicious, nor intended to bully".
He later issued an apology if he has "taken full responsibility" for his actions.
City council will be discussing the report at the next full council meeting Wednesday.
