The Ottawa Police Department is preparing for a convoy demonstration in the city center this weekend, preparing 831 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers to support local efforts.
A special meeting of the Ottawa Police Council approved a request for the appointment of 200 RCMP staff and the re-appointment of another 631.
The reassigned officers were given special police status for the first time during the Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa for most of February.
Police in Ottawa are preparing for a Rolling Thunder event that could see protesters raid downtown Ottawa between April 29th and 30th. Ottawa police said the protesters would arrive between Friday and Saturday.
Read more: Ottawa police prepare for new convoy protest, ban on downtown vehicles
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Chairman of the Ottawa Police Services Council, Count. Eli El-Chantiri said the protest would be a “convoy of motorcyclists”.
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The appointment of RCMP staff does not guarantee that they will be used during the protest, but offers flexibility to the police service if the situation changes.
“This is one of the new and improved ways we are looking for an approach to these demonstrations,” interim chief Steve Bell told board members on Wednesday.
To prepare for the event, Ottawa police will ban downtown vehicles and increase the number of employees patrolling the weekend.
Read more: Police promise increased presence, hate arrests as motorcycle convoy descends to Ottawa
RCMP officers must be appointed with special police status to perform police duties in Ottawa, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ottawa Police Department.
“These appointments ensure that the staff concerned can fulfill the full range of responsibilities assigned to them,” a report to the board explained.
Board members also agreed to delegate powers to the Chair and Vice-Chair to approve new RCMP staff, without convening a full meeting if the need arises over the weekend.
“The appointment of a special police officer status for these RCMP officers and the extension of the existing special police officer status from the illegal protest in February will allow them to take on the full range of their responsibilities,” the report added.
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The appointments are valid until July 2022.
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