![]() Watson said during the call, Deans assured him no contract had been signed. Watson testified that during the video call, Deans asked if he had concerns about the hiring of former Waterloo Regional Police Service chief Matthew Torigian on a short-term contract. ![]() While he agreed that the board doesn't need to consult the mayor, Watson said it's a customary "courtesy" for the city's top official to meet a new police chief before the hiring is finalized. That's not stabilizing for the situation that we were about to deal with in two or three days when the police moved in to resolve the situation," Watson said, adding he was concerned such a move could prolong the situation. "I had a deep concern about it because we had chief Sloly the one day, the next we had interim chief Bell, and then the next day the board was going to appoint another chief, so we had three chiefs in three days. He acknowledged that while the hiring and firing of police chiefs is entirely up to the police services board, he was concerned about the quick turnaround at such a volatile time. 15, and Deans's ouster from the helm of the police board during a special city council meeting held the following day, Watson testified he was "curious" about an announcement that the board was "working on a new command structure," including hiring a new chief.Ĭity manager Steve Kanellakos and the mayor's chief of staff Serge Arpin, who testified before the commission Monday, were also on the call, Watson said. Watson was testifying Tuesday during the public inquiry into the federal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to help end the occupation of the city's downtown by protesters.Īsked about a video call with former police board chair Diane Deans that took place sometime between the resignation of former chief Peter Sloly on Feb. ![]() Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says the former chair of Ottawa's police services board assured him during the height of last winter's convoy protest that she hadn't finalized the hiring of a new police chief, but he found out later that same day that she had. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press - image credit) Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson appears as a witness at the Public Order Emergency Commission Oct. ![]()
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