Canada

Edmonton police (EPS) chief Warren Driechel was in the hot seat at Thursday’s police commission meeting over his Israel trip in February. Driechel faced pushback from more than a dozen speakers who said the chief’s trip has broken the community’s trust in EPS.

Thursday’s tense meeting at the City Hall came after Muslim and Palestinian communities said they were upset with Driechel for not apologizing for his trip.

Steve Shafir, co-chair of community relations committee at Jewish Federation of Edmonton, said, “I came because I felt it was important to show the chief that he has support from Edmontonians, has support from our community.”

Mousa Qasqas of the Canada Palestine Cultural Association said Driechel was not consistent in the meeting and what he said in public.

“It felt like he was speaking to us with one voice, calling our communities and saying, but then in public saying a completely different thing saying, ‘I stand by my decision,’” Qasqas said.