OTTAWA, Ont. — Police in Ottawa were so worried about leaks from "Freedom Convoy" sympathizers that they shut off the email accounts of members on leave from the force as a precaution during protests that gridlocked the city’s downtown core earlier this year.
Testimony and documents submitted to the Public Order Emergency Commission investigating the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act show there were several instances of senior officers being concerned information was being leaked to the protesters.
An email from an Ottawa police inspector says members were observed participating in the protests, including officers who were away from work "sympathetic to the anti-mandate causes."
The officer wrote that email access was restricted for members on leave because of the state of emergency and the potential that police operations might have been compromised.
But months later, the Ottawa Police Service is not saying how many investigations are completed, or ongoing, into potential leaks.
Ottawa police say "several internal investigations and discipline related to officers’ conduct have already taken place" stemming from donations from officers supporting the convoy, but the force isn’t commenting on its move to restrict email access or any other potential sources of leaks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2022.
The Canadian Press
