Residents worry Winnipeg police may be tuning out protest noise complaints, area councillor says

A Winnipeg city councillor says the residents of her ward want to know why their complaints to police about the noise from a days-long protest against vaccine and mask mandates seem to be falling on deaf ears.

Coun. Sherri Rollins represents Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry, where protesters calling themselves the "Freedom Convoy" have occupied streets around the Manitoba legislature since Friday.

She says she has received countless emails, phone calls and messages from residents, mostly about the noise from a loud train whistle and honking horns, but also about alleged incidents of harassment by protesters. 

"I along with other councillors are hearing that when residents call the non-emergency line to report noise violations and more, that they are not able to even report them, that sometimes are are being hung up on," Rollins told CBC News on Wednesday evening.

Additionally, Rollins says residents in her ward have also been redirected to Mayor Brian Bowman's office, asked if they've read the latest police release on the protest and "sarcastically asked if they are meaning to incite violence."

She says she's looking forward to raising residents' concerns at Thursday's emergency meeting of council, which was called by Bowman in response to what he has called "an unlawful occupation of our public streets."

Rollins, who is the chairperson of the protection, community services and parks standing policy committee, doesn't like the perception that police are not neutral.

"Residents unfortunately are hearing in communications that have not been corrected by the police is that they somehow feel that they've somehow negotiated [with protesters]," she added. 

"And so residents are asking really important questions about whether or not the police are being misled by them, especially when they see communications from police that say that they've brokered deals. And they have questions about what these deals are."

A motion is expected to be brought forward Thursday that requests an immediate compliance with all applicable laws, including those related to traffic and noise bylaws.

The motion also calls on the province and Winnipeg police to do all things reasonably necessary to implement laws pertaining to the city's noise, traffic and livability bylaws.

Coun. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River), who is also the Winnipeg Police Board chair, had an emergency meeting of his own with Chief Danny Smyth on Wednesday.

"It's being perceived by some citizens that there is favouritism of this group and those are the questions that we had to bring forward to the chief," Chambers said.

Chambers, who is concerned the motion may be seen as politicians telling police what to do, says Smyth told him the most pressing priority is safety.