Thank you, Chair. Through you, I'm not aware of any particular increase in absenteeism. Like every sector of society, we were dealing with the ongoing fallout of the global pandemic. I think the Ottawa Police Service actually did a remarkable job in keeping their members healthy and well during that extended period.
We, like every police service, were extremely worn out from years of resource struggles against exponentially increasing threats, and most of my officers worked, in some cases 18 to 25 days in a row during that particular event, in the coldest snap this city has seen for the majority of it. Sometimes it was as cold as -35°C degrees during the daytime. I have every respect for, and offer thanks to, the members of my service and every other police service that came here and acted professionally, compassionately and ethically.