Ottawa police propose $15.2M spending increase for 2023

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has tabled a draft operating budget worth $359-million for 2023.

The proposed spending plan, which represents a $15.2-million increase over 2022, contains a 2.5 per cent tax increase — an approximate $17 increase on your tax bill.

In a release, the OPS said 2023 draft budget aims to ensure the community can see and experience its return on investment in policing, including improved public safety, social change, and community building.

“This Draft Budget is designed to make strategic investments in public safety that ensure we have the resources to properly respond to calls for service and emergencies,” said Eric Stubbs, Ottawa's chief of police. “This includes how we develop our operational and partnered response to public events and demonstrations.”

The OPS said it will also continue to build on strategic initiatives from 2022, work that has been primarily focused on advancing Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), addressing anti-hate, anti-racism, the rise in mental health and substance abuse calls for service, and improving collaboration with community partners and stakeholders.

The OPS cites the following as 'draft budget highlights':

• Allocation of 25 new full-time equivalent positions
• New and ongoing investments in strategic priorities, including promotion and implementation of EDI and CSWB initiatives, to support the health, safety, and wellness of our communities and our members
• Advancement on strategic, operational, and partnered responses to public events and demonstrations
• Modernization of policing services, and delivery on commitments made in the Facilities Strategic Plan (FSP) through the advancement on the South Facility Project

The proposed document also includes $500,000 in efficiency savings, which is down from $5.1-million in 2022, and that money will go toward the hiring of four new positions.

According to the OPS, the significant decrease is due to “the ambitious $7.05 million efficiency target from 2022 that is still being finalized.”

Also, the proposed budget is a declining portion of the overall City of Ottawa budget, at 8.9 per cent for 2023, compared to 9.7 per cent in 2017.

The proposed 2023 police budget is scheduled for approval by the Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB) on Monday, Feb. 27, and will go to city council for a vote on Wednesday, March 1.

In the meantime, the OPS wants to hear from the public, and is asking residents and businesses to consider completing the draft budget questionnaire.