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Ottawa’s police union has launched an announcement slamming Catherine McKenney whereas refusing to endorse or single out every other mayoral candidate.

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The Ottawa Police Affiliation (OPA), which represents over 2,000 uniformed and civilian Ottawa Police Service workers, referred to as out McKenney for voting to divert some funding away from police and mentioned the candidate (who makes use of they/them pronouns) had an “in depth historical past of utilizing dangerous and deceptive rhetoric in opposition to cops.”

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The assertion, which was learn aloud by interim OPA president Brian Samuel and printed on-line to YouTube on Tuesday night, mentioned the affiliation wouldn’t endorse a candidate.

However it did goal McKenney, whom the OPA mentioned had declined to reply a questionnaire it despatched to all mayoral candidates in search of their stance on points together with the police price range and help for the police. Seven mayoral candidates answered the questionnaire; seven didn’t, Samuel mentioned.

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Along with the assertion, the OPA launched a background doc detailing “the historical past and document of Ottawa mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney,” which it certified as “well-established and troubling.” The background doc contains hyperlinks to McKenney’s previous advocacy for diverting will increase to the police price range towards different metropolis packages and their help for the Ottawa coalition for a individuals’s price range, a progressive redraft of the town price range that envisaged the divestment of $235 million away from the police.

“Catherine McKenney has supported incorrect statements and harmful stereotypes about police,” Samuel mentioned, referring to the Ottawa coalition for a individuals’s price range characterization of the OPS as having an “in depth historical past of violence.”

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“Assist of any makes an attempt to characterize OPA members as abusive, racist and violent will not be solely improper however don’t align with the document of thousands and thousands of requires service over a long time which were dealt with with diligence and professionalism by our members.”

Regardless of their umbrage with McKenney, Samuel mentioned the OPA would work as a “productive and keen member with whomever is elected mayor of Ottawa.”

“Our members respect the democratic course of,” he mentioned. “We belief Ottawa voters will vest their religion in a candidate whose motives and historical past replicate a dedication to maintain you secure and to help our members doing their jobs.”

In an emailed assertion, McKenney instructed this newspaper that they’d seen the significance of getting efficient legislation enforcement through the “Freedom Convoy” occupation.

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“Public belief in our police service must be restored,” they mentioned. “As mayor, I’ll work collaboratively with the Ottawa Police Service to make sure that efficient and evidence-based policing makes our metropolis safer for all residents, together with in instances of disaster.”

McKenney didn’t say why they didn’t reply to the OPA’s questionnaire.

The discharge of the assertion was an uncommon foray into municipal politics for the OPA.

The union did endorse the Progressive Conservative occasion through the 2018 provincial election marketing campaign. However, in 2006, the OPA backtracked on its a plan to endorse candidates on the municipal stage after critics mentioned the endorsements would have referred to as into query the political independence of the police.

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Mayoral candidate Mark Sutcliffe, who was not named within the OPA’s assertion, mentioned the union’s feedback “communicate for themselves.”

“I did full the questionnaire,” Sutcliffe mentioned. “What is obvious is that Catherine McKenney has referred to as for the defunding of our police companies for a while. I’ve spoken to hundreds of residents they usually agree that having a correctly resourced police service and improved neighborhood security is a high precedence.”

Sutcliffe, who has campaigned on a promise of constructing Ottawa a safer metropolis, has pledged to extend police funding.

McKenney instructed The Ottawa Citizen’s editorial board earlier this month that they’d by no means used the expression “defund the police.” McKenney clarified that they’d been vocal about guaranteeing the town investments in upstream crime discount, citing recreation, youth and sufferer companies.

“Police reply to crime,” they mentioned. “We’re all the time going to wish police to reply to crime however they don’t stop crime and that’s what we’ve to be considerate and intentional about every time we set our budgets and spend money on our metropolis companies.”

Samuel was not obtainable to remark additional on the OPA’s assertion in time for publication.