Ottawa police chief resigns as force is criticized over handling of "Freedom Convoy"

Ottawa’s police Chief, Peter Sloly, has resigned as head of the force.

Ottawa Police Services Board Chair Diane Beans confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Sloly and Ottawa Police Service had reached a “mutually agreeable separation” and Sloly is no longer employed there.

“This is a labour relations matter and no further comment will be made,” Beans said during the Zoom news conference.

Going forward, OPS’ priority remains finding a peaceful end to the “occupation” of the city by so-called Freedom Convoy protesters, Beans said.

The board has named Deputy Chief Steve Bell temporary head of the force until a permanent replacement is found.

“I know it’s been tough,” Bell said of the recent protest. “But I’m confident we’ve reached a turning point.”

The RCMP and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have now set up an integrated command centre in Ottawa to deal with the truck demonstrators, federal Minister of Public Safety Maco Mendicino said.

“Our focus is to ensure that the Ottawa Police Service as well as the OPP and the RCMP have all of the tools that are necessary to restore public order,” Mendicino said.

He added that the federal government played no role in Sloly’s resignation.

“Obviously, you know, relationships that exist between Chief Sloly and the Ottawa Police [Services] Board that are beyond the remit of the federal government here.

Sloly’s resignation comes after Ottawa police faced heavy criticism for failing to swiftly deal with truck demonstrators who paralyzed the city this month, demanding an end to vaccine mandates.

The “Freedom Convoy” arrived in Ottawa on January 29, and demonstrators stuck around for more than a week, revving their engines and honking their horns, making life difficult for residents of the city.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ended up invoking the Emergencies Act Monday to deal with the truck convoy protests, some of which were blocking key border crossings across Canada.

The Emergencies Act gives the government temporary special authority to remove the protesters, and Trudeau also said he’d give banks permission to freeze accounts of those involved in the demonstrations.