Sutcliffe 'confident' Ottawa police will restore trust

Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he feels confident the Ottawa Police Service will be able to regain the community’s trust after the “Freedom Convoy” protest earlier this year.

CTV’s Patricia Boal asked Sutcliffe about a recent report into leaks from within the police service to protesters who occupied downtown Ottawa for three weeks in late January and February. The Public Order Emergency Commission, which is investigating the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act to end the protest, heard that the Ottawa Police Service cut off email access to members who were on leave to prevent off-duty members from accessing internal information.

The Canadian Press reports that OPS is refusing to say how many investigations into potential leaks were completed and how many remain ongoing.

Sutcliffe said he’s spoken to Ottawa police chief Eric Stubbs and agrees that work needs to be done.

“I think there’s a lot we have to do with the police service,” Sutcliffe said. “We have to rebuild trust in Ottawa’s police service.”

The mayor said it's important to be prepared for future events to ensure residents, particularly those who live downtown, are protected.

“I’m confident the police service, working with our partners at other levels of government, will be able to do that,” he said.

One of the “Freedom Convoy” organizers has said he is planning a “reunion” in February. James Bauder, who was arrested in February as police cleared the original convoy and was released on conditions not to return to Ottawa, says he is calling for a two-week “nationwide annual Canada Unity-Fest.” Bauder was one of the people responsible for the infamous "memorandum of understanding" that called on the Governor General and the Senate to work with a "citizen's coalition" to bypass the House of Commons and legislate an end to COVID-19 public health protections, including provincial and territorial mandates.

OPS said they are aware of Bauder's Facebook post outlining the plans. 

Sutcliffe said he believes Stubbs, the Ottawa Police Services Board, and the members of the Ottawa Police Service will be able to restore confidence.

“There are other issues with policing in Ottawa and across North America as well, and we have to address those,” he said, without elaborating on what those issues are. “I’m confident that our new chief and the members of the police services board and the men and women in uniform at the Ottawa Police Service will rebuild trust in the service and restore confidence after what’s been obviously a difficult year.”

Sutcliffe has said he will take the mayor’s seat on the Ottawa Police Services Board—former mayor Jim Watson did not in the last term—but it’s unclear if he will be the chair of the board. The city’s nominating committee named Alta Vista Ward Coun. Marty Carr and Kanata North Ward Coun. Cathy Curry as the council members on the Ottawa Police Services Board on Tuesday but did not identify a chair. Council will vote to approve nominations Wednesday.

Earlier this month, an Ottawa Police Services Board meeting overseen by vice-chair Suzanne Valiquet was disrupted by a protest, prompting the board to cut the meeting short without hearing from Stubbs in what would have been his first verbal report as police chief. A special meeting was held Dec. 9 to complete the appointment of special constables, but it did not include a verbal report from the chief.

The Dec. 19 meeting of the Ottawa Police Services Board has been cancelled. The next meeting scheduled for Jan. 23, 2023.

City council meets at 10 a.m. Wednesday.