Thread by @_llebrun

Chief Sloly says he was recruited to deal with significant preexisting “culture” issues at Ottawa Police and was given a “change mandate.”

Sloly specifically notes “workplace harassment” and declining trust with “racialized and marginalized communities.”

#POEC #ottnews

Elaborating on the “culture” problems in Ottawa Police, Sloly references former Deputy Chief’s resignation following sexual harassment charges, as well as the arrests of multiple OPS officers in an anti-corrpution probe.

cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

Chief Sloly on how his “change mandate” was perceived inside Ottawa Police:

“There’s two things that every cop hates: The way things are and change.”

“Nobody wanted things to remain the way they were and everyone was fearful of change.”

Sloly acknowledges “intelligence-led risk assessments” were not a priority for Ottawa Police at the time because they were more focused on “crime” and “traffic.”

Prior to the arrival of the convoy, Sloly said he initially had “doubts” about whether the convoy was “actually going to materialize.”

Sloly says this began to change based on what he saw in the media, social media and OPP intelligence reports.

Sloly confirms he was on the distribution list for the OPP HENDON intelligence reports.

He says he did not read these intelligence reports every day because he was too busy, but would sometimes “skim” them. Confirms other OPS officers were on the same list receiving the reports.

Sloly is being shown the Jan 25 Ottawa Police intelligence report that quoted Rex Murphy and expressed sympathy with the convoy.

“This is the first time I’m seeing this document,” Sloly says.

#POEC #ottnews

Chief Sloly on the author of the intelligence report that quotes Rex Murphy:

“Sgt. Chris Kiez is one of our best intelligence operators, I had an opportunity to interact with him quite a bit when I was at the police service.”

#POEC #ottnews

Sloly credits the “quality” of the OPP intelligence reports, but reiterates that even with the benefit hindsight, there was nothing in their intelligence reports that gave him a clear impression the convoy would continue beyond the first weekend.

Sloly was asked to respond to an Ottawa Police officer’s testimony that there was a “bizarre disconnect” between OPP intelligence reports and “Ottawa Police preparations.”

Sloly says the officer was not involved in planning and insists “there was not a bizarre disconnection.”

Chief Sloly estimates he was drinking from over 61 separate fire hoses at the same time.

#POEC #ottnews

At a Feb 1 meeting with other police forces, Sloly was told he’d need “north of a thousand” officers to end the convoy occupation – this was the moment he realized the true “scale” of the convoy.

“We’re going to need everything in Ontario and a bunch more from across Canada.”

Sloly says Ottawa Police deployed additional units to respond to “unlawful, assaultive-type behaviour” in residential areas of centretown, noting this was all happening “outside of the red zone.”

Adds they were dealing with “open flames, propane in residential areas.”

#ottnews

Wow:

Sloly received an “alarming” 3 AM report showing multiple attacks on police and city workers by convoy occupiers.

A group of Indigenous elders brought in to help negotiate an end to the occupation of Confederation Park had also been “treated badly” by the crowd.

#ottnews

According to a Feb 5 email from Sloly, convoy occupiers attacked a group of Indigenous elders at Confederation Park:

“Negotiations with Algonquin elders failed, they attacked elders and we now have no other options except to isolate, containe and remove the encampment”

#ottnews

Sloly says convoy occupiers were physically assaulting people in residential neighbourhoods outside of the red zone, they were “tearing masks off peoples’ faces.”

#POEC #ottnews