By: Thomas I. Likness
Eagle News Service

(Eagle News) — The latest concern of the Ottawa Police Service is the number of children who are at the protest site in the city’s downtown core.

It’s believed that about 25% of the more than 400 trucks at the site have children living in them, according to Deputy Police chief Steve Bell.

Bell fears the kids could be at risk during a police operation.

“It’s something that greatly concerns us,” Bell told reporters Tuesday. “We’re concerned about cold, we’re concerned about access to sanitation, the ability to shower, there’s a multitude of concerns.”

He says they also worry about children being exposed to to carbon monoxide and fumes from running vehicles as well as the noise levels from the demonstrators.

But Bell says there are no plans to take the children from their parents, adding police are working with the Children’s Aid Society to ensure the welfare and safety of the youngsters.

“We’re not at the stage of looking to do any sort of enforcement activity around that,” said Bell. “We’ll rely on the Children’s Aid society to help provide and give us guidance.”
(Eagle News Service)