A former senior officer from the Ontario Provincial Police says early meetings with the Ottawa police and experts other agencies sent to help out during protests against COVID-19 restrictions early this year were “unprofessional and disrespectful.”
Former Chief Supt. Carson Pardy told the inquiry into the use of the Emergencies Act that he was leading an integrated planning group of officers from the provincial police and the Mounties, as well as Toronto and other police services with expertise in handling major events.
He says his group told Peter Sloly, who was then Ottawa police chief, that it could not offer a large number of officers to help respond to the “Freedom Convoy” without a plan.
Pardy says he felt the plan that Ottawa police showed him was not broad enough.
In a statement Pardy prepared as a record of that meeting, he wrote the tone was “somewhat unprofessional and disrespectful.”
He says Sloly appeared suspicious that other agencies would make good on their commitment to bring other officers to help with the situation.