Trucker convoy ‘aggressiveness’ toward police is ‘unacceptable’: Deputy Chief

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is cracking down on the “Freedom Convoy” protests as more officers witness aggressive and unlawful behaviour from demonstrators.

“We want this occupation to end as soon as possible,” Deputy Chief Steve Bell said in a virtual media update on Tuesday, February 8. “We want these demonstrators to pick up, realize that their message has been heard and go home to where they came from so that our citizens can have their city back. We feel we deserve this.”

In a media briefing on Monday, February 7, Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly told reporters that the OPS “cannot do this alone” and would send a list of requests to Mayor Jim Watson including resources the police force needs going forward.

One of those requests included 1,800 more officers and civilian personnel to help with the ongoing protests — help that would raise Ottawa’s convoy policing costs to about $2.5 million a day.

“Recent aggressiveness towards our officers is unacceptable,” Bell said. “We've identified our need for the 1,800 officers and civilian personnel that will bring a safe end to this occupation. We do not want anyone to be injured.”

Bell said the 1,800 officers are needed for a variety of activities, including hardening the area around the demonstration, which currently requires upwards of 400 officers a day to handle.

The OPS is continuing to work with partners and its planning team to identify where these officers will come from, but Bell said the RCMP, the Ontario Provincial Police and other Ontario police forces have been supportive since the beginning of the protests.

On top of that, he said the OPS needs legal and investigative resources to help implement a strategy that will increase enforcement.

“As more resources become available to us, we will use them specifically to focus on the unlawful demonstrators whom have chosen to remain in our city,” he said. “To date, we have made 22 arrests, issued more than 1,300 tickets and have 79 ongoing criminal investigations.

“Many of the remaining demonstrators are highly determined and volatile.”

To date, Bell said there haven't been any serious injuries — any that would take officers out of providing services — toward police officers, but there have been some minor injuries.

On Monday, February 7, he said some OPS officers were attacked by demonstrators after trying to seize fuel. The OPS has since launched a criminal investigation into the matter.

The OPS has said supporters could be arrested for trying to help convoy protesters by bringing fuel or other “material supports” into the demonstration zone, potentially being charged in relation to aiding and abetting the demonstration.

Bell said some protesters are filling gas canisters with water, adding that it creates a layer of logistical complexity for the OPS.

“It creates challenges for us to actually conduct searches, to stop and conduct searches [and] ultimately seize those gas cans and the fuel in them and potentially charge someone as a result of that,” he said. “The other thing it does for us is it identifies a level of sophistication and a level of ability of this group to try and subvert police efforts — that's concerning to us.”

Moreover, Bell said almost 25 per cent of the 418 trucks encamped in Ottawa have children living inside of the vehicles. The OPS is working with the Children's Aid Society (CAS) to ensure their safety.

He added that there's a multitude of concerns including noise levels, lack of sanitation and potential health issues. But the OPS needs to have conversations with its partners and the CAS about moving ahead before officers take enforcement.

While Bell said there's no single strategy to ending the protests and removing demonstrators in downtown Ottawa, the OPS is looking at various options to “safely, peacefully and expeditiously” end the demonstrations — and all options remain on the table.

“Our members are tired; they are very tired,” he said. “They go out every single day down to our downtown core to try and take back a portion of our city that's been lost to this occupation.

“Our message to demonstrators remains the same — don't come. And if you do, there will be consequences, including financial consequences, for your illegal and unlawful behaviour.”