Ex-Ottawa police chief cites 'declining level of trust' for resignation during convoy

Peter Sloly says he resigned as chief of the Ottawa Police Service(OPS) in the middle of the Freedom Convoy crisispartly because he feared eroded trust in his leadership was delaying extra officers from other jurisdictions.

"When trust starts to leave policing, that increases public safety risk," Slolytold a parliamentary committee on Thursday, marking only his second public in-person remarks since his departure.

Sloly resigned 19 days into the lengthy occupation of parts of downtown Ottawa last winteramid public outrage over his force's failure toturf protesters.

People ralliedagainst pandemic restrictions and government and blocked local and main roadsaround Parliament Hill by clogging the streets with vehicles from Jan. 28 to Feb. 19.

"I had accountability for the organization and Iultimately made a decision for public safety to remove myself from the equation," Slolysaid.

Sloly'sresignation came the day after the federal government invoked temporary but sweeping emergency powers to end the protests.

He told committee membersthatbefore the Emergencies Act was invokedFeb. 14, anOPS-ledplan requiring nearly 2,000extra police officers from other communitieswas in motion. But he saidthe full contingent of officers did not arrive as quickly as he would have liked.

"The vast majority of them arrived after I left office," he said, building on comments he made to a different parliamentary committee back in June.

The surge of officers was one reason the occupation essentially ended over the Family Day long weekend.

'Others will have their own opinions'

MPs and senators on theSpecial JointCommittee on the Declaration of Emergency peppered Sloly with questions for over two hours on Thursday.

Sloly said there were many reasons for him stepping aside, including some personal to his family.

"The singular one that I was focused on was public safety," he said.

"My interpretationothers will have their own opinions was that declining level of trust in my officers and in my office was potentially slowing down resources and supports necessary for our officers to be able to safely, successfully end this."

However, Sloly was "not at all" concerned that members of his own force would not follow his plan, he said.

"Did we have challenges within the organization, as every other organization did, around co-ordination, communication, morale?Yes we did," Sloly replied to a question fromSen. Peter Harder.

Questioned about political pressure

Committee membersaskedSlolyif he felt political pressure to step downduring the crisis.

Sloly said he did receivepressure from the Ottawa Police Services Board and that there was "a highly politicized element" to his exit. Heotherwise declined to be more specific about what pressure he said he faced.

"Are you asking whether or not there were expressions of lack of confidence from my board, from city councillors, from MPPs and MPs? I think the record is quite clear," hesaid.

He said the Ottawa Police Association had pressured him to step down in the past, but not over the convoy response.

After Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in the province on Feb. 11,federal public safetyminister Bill Blair called on OPS"todo their jobs and enforce and uphold the lawand to restore public safety in Ottawa."

"Looking at the timelines in terms of how long [Sloly]stayed in control as the chief versus when he stepped down shortly after the EmergenciesAct was invoked, it became clear, at least to me, that he was under immense pressure internally," said committee member and NDP MP Matthew Green.

CBC reached out to the Ottawa Police Services Board for comment. Chair Eli El-Chantirydeclined to comment in an email, citing ongoing federal and city reviews.

Sloly's exit also came amidallegations of bullying and volatile behaviour that sources told CBC damaged relations with Sloly'sown senior leadership and that externally compromised the force's ability to cope with the protest.

Did not ask for Emergencies Act

Sloly was also asked on Thursday if he thought the Emergencies Act was necessary

He said he did not ask for the act,butdoing so was"very, very helpful" inunlocking other tools to end the protest in particular the ability forpolice to clear out people on foot before moving protest trucks out of the core.

"The primary request that I made on a regular basis was resources, particularly more police officers and police-trained personnel. Secondarily, access to towtrucks," Slolysaid.

WATCH | Peter Sloly resigns as chief:

Ottawa police chief resigns after allegations of delays in responding to protests

3 years ago

Duration 2:16

Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly has resigned. CBC News has learned it came after allegations of divisions within the force and delays in deploying reinforcements to the protest convoy.

While OPS did have three to five heavy tow trucks at its disposal in the first weekend, "theissue was public safety risks associated with trying to remove large trucks in large numbers with large numbers of demonstrators and residents, business owners and other people in the downtown core," Sloly said.

Negotiations with some protest organizers to keep emergency lanes clear were not successful, he added.

Later, Mayor Jim Watson's office said it had reached a deal with protesters to move trucks out of residential areas and limit trucks toWellington Street in front of Parliament Hill, where trucks were already dug in.

Sloly said OPS had no part in those negotiations.

"I would not have supported any additional vehicles going into the red zone areas," Sloly said.