The Chief of Police for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary is explaining the rationale behind the number of police officers deployed to a picket line in Mount Pearl last week.

Unifor contends that when the RNC descended on their picket line on October 27, they deployed their riot and tactical units to threaten and intimidate the strikers.

Chief Joe Boland says the RNC’s public order unit responded, and that they were in standard police gear. He affirms that there was clear communication between officers and senior Unifor officials and that there was no intimidation.

Boland explains that police initially went to the scene to ask Unifor to let trucks at the site through—and that the drivers have a legal right to access the roadway.

He says things became more complicated when the strikers wouldn’t comply and that they said “if you have to, you’re going to have to arrest us” before sitting in the entrance.

Boland says that’s what prompted the change in their response.

He says it takes two officers to remove someone from a roadway, and that they didn’t have the proper resources on scene to deal with the situation. They regrouped and came back with the resources needed.