16 By Neil Armstrong FORMER OTTAWA police chief, Peter Sloly, is to officially start in his new role as visiting fellow, changemaker-in-residence at Massey College, University of Toronto, in September. As a senior fellow, Sloly will be contributing to Massey College’s bodies of knowledge through the co-authoring of a book, supporting relevant research in psychology or sociology by junior fellows, and there will be partnerships with the university’s criminology department to contribute to a growing area of study around policing, justice and security. He will also help principal Nathalie Des Rosiers with her goal to make the college more diverse, equitable and inclusive – whether it is through ensuring that the student body is reflective of the larger population, or that the approach to study and openness to ideas are not being limited by institutional or systemic bias. “In my first year out of policing that’s a good place for me to spend a good chunk of my time,” Sloly told The Gleaner about the year-over-year appointment. He said the new position is part of what he described as a gradual process to re-establish himself and to continue making a positive contribution to society. As a visiting fellow, he will deliver or participate in presentations, lectures, panels, and curated events. At his first unofficial speaking engagement held in the college’s main library in April, Sloly spoke on the current and future state of policing. “It was also a chance for me to get reinvigorated so getting down there and speaking with their junior fellows – the students that come from almost every different discipline in the university from engineering and the medical sciences through to arts and journalism. These are their top 1-2 per cent students, 75 per cent of which are projected to go on to leading big organisations, institutions, if not elected positions. There’s a strong cadre of future leaders,” Sloly told The Gleaner of his first public engagement since he resigned from the Ottawa Police Service in the wake of the protracted ‘Freedom Convoy’ trucker protests in February. Sloly, who immigrated to Canada from Jamaica at the age of 10, served in the Toronto Police Service for 27 years, rising to the position of deputy chief – a position he held from 2009 to 2016. He was the head of the capital’s police service from 2019 to 2022. With his new job, Sloly is upbeat at being affiliated with the University of Toronto andMassey College, one of the oldest and most renowned colleges. On August 7, he will be one of the speakers inThe Power of Image Lecture Series – Image and Power – presented by Massey College and the Aga Khan Museum. It will be held at the museum which provides visitors with a window into the artistic, intellectual, and scientific contributions of Muslim civilisations to world heritage. The lecture series brings together notable speakers from diverse industries to discuss the prominent themes in the museum’s exhibition, ‘IMAGE? The Power of the Visual’. The other speakers are Bernie Farber, a human rights consultant and social justice advocate, and Senior Fellow Zainub Verjee. Sloly will focus on the symbology of policing and how it relates to the current time – examining the thin blue line, the paramilitary effect of the uniform, and how they fit into the larger social context now. However, Sloly is currently focused on contributing to the many different enquiries that are ongoing regarding what took place in and around the ‘Freedom Convoy’, including Justice Rouleau’s review of the procedures of the Emergencies Act. There are a number of local reviews that are taking place within the city of Ottawa as well. On April 25, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named long-time judge Paul Rouleau to lead the independent Public Order Emergency Commission. Once his work on the reviews is behind him, Sloly said he will turn his attention to the next major stage of his working life. He said that it might include policing, but could also be something completely different. It could also be a deeper dive into academia or writing a book. But while a wide range of opportunities exists, he said he will “with discernment from the good Lord figure out which direction to go in”. Asked if he would consider running for political office, the former top cop said he has been approached by every political party at all levels, but he has no interest in running for elected office. Former Ottawa police chief now a visiting fellow at Massey College SLOLY ‘It was also a chance for me to get reinvigorated so getting down there and speaking with their junior fellows – the students that come from almost every different discipline in the university from engineering and the medical sciences through to arts and journalism. These are their top 1-2 per cent students, 75 per cent of which are projected to go on to leading big organisations, institutions, if not elected positions. There’s a strong cadre of future leaders.’ THE MONTHLY GLEANER | JULY 31 - OCTOBER 21, 2022 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | FEATURE
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