SQ police in the front row

Several police officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) tactical intervention team have been in the front line in Ottawa since Friday, with protesters occupying the streets around Parliament for three weeks.

Also read: After 23 days of occupation in Ottawa: The Independence Party is over

Also read: “Many more to be arrested”

Like a dozen other police forces in the country, the Federal Capital Police requested these reinforcements.

Although the Ottawa police are not responsible for SQ operations, its existence is important for the management of operations, which has seen others in terms of demonstrations in the past.

“Group control has always been in the genetics of Sûreté du Québec. […] Their emergency response is always positive, “said Paul Laurer, a former investigator at SQ.

And as the Le Journal has seen, there is a good demand for SQ agents deployed in Ottawa to disperse demonstrators and engage in all sorts of interventions in the relay with their other police colleagues.

They are specially equipped for this type of mission, but their equipment is practically new.

During the G7 Summit in 2018, in Charlevoix, SQ police officers were able to wear their new protective uniform.

This major incident caused the police to be trained to modify their tactics.

Meanwhile, the taxpayer bill to pay for the operation to end the siege continues to rise and is now estimated to be over $ 2 million a day, Acting Ottawa Police Chief said. Steve Bell.