Former Waterloo police chief Matt Torigian withdraws services from City

Ottawa is not getting the new temporary chief of police it thought it was getting.

Matthew Torigian, the man hired by former Police Board Service chair Coun. Diane Deans and vice-chair Carol Ann Meehan to be the temporary police chief during the truck convoy demonstration, has withdrawn his services.

“Mr. Torigian has written to Ottawa City Council and the Ottawa Police Services Board to advise that he had offered his services to our City after being asked to do so by the former Board Chair. Mr. Torigian was asked to help and felt a duty to answer the call for service,” the memo reads. “We thank Mr. Torigian for his gracious offer and decision to withdraw his offer of services and to seek no compensation for doing so.On behalf of Ottawa City Council, the OPS Board and all residents, we thank Mr. Torigian for his extremely gracious handling of this difficult situation.

Torigian had been retired, but previously served as the former Waterloo police chief.

CityNews Ottawa can confirm a memo from Mayor Jim Watson, telling members of city council that Torigian will not be fulfilling the role and will not seek compensation.

This was confirmed on Thursday, February 17.

The news comes after a fiery special city council meeting on Wednesday night that saw Deans voted out as chair of the Police Services Board for her decision in hiring Torigian on a temporary basis until the end of the year — or until a mutual agreement was reached to end his term sooner.

Eli El-Chantiry is replacing Deans as chair of the board.

Meehan was voted to stay on the board, but later resigned her position.