The RCMP denied an access-to-information request for officers’ names and badge numbers on the basis releasing the information could put officers’ safety at risk.
The Canadian Press obtained a briefing note to Commissioner Brenda Lucki on the matter, which included an intelligence report showing that senior Mounties feared officers could be doxed by convoy supporters if they were identified.
“Obviously, badges and names are there in the interest of transparency, and we'll have more to say about that.”
Protesters had blockaded the Ambassador Bridge connecting Canada and the U.S. between Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, Michigan for six days in February.
Police moved in to clear them and laid more than 40 charges on Feb. 13, the day before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act.
In the note to Lucki dated last April, the RCMP emphasized that the situation “presented an exceptional case” involving clear, credible threats.
The decision to deny the request for officer information did not reflect a change in policy under the access law, it said.
The note also said the force recognized that withholding such information could raise questions around transparency, prompting them to ask Lucki for her final approval on the decision.
