Ottawa Police Service looking to hire more than 400 officers over next three years

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is hoping to hire more than 400 new officers over the next three years as it tries to bolster its presence in the suburbs and rural areas of the city.

That equates to roughly 145 new officers a year for the next three years.

The Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB) met last week to hear an update on the OPS’ three-year strategic plan which emphasized that while crime is only becoming worse, OPS doesn’t have enough police officers to handle this rise.

Dr. Gail Beck, Chair of Ottawa Police Service Board, told The Sam Laprade Show, recommendations include increased partnership, engagement, and more dialogue between OPS and the community, with regular follow-ups on resident feedback.

The study found that both OPS and community members are seeking increased police presence, across the city, Residents are also calling for improved police visibility, outside of enforcement activities, she said.

More transparency and better accountability within the police service was another recommendation from the report, including easier access to police data.

Additionally, the community is seeking more support for people experiencing hate and intimate partner violence, Beck added.

Recent data shows that hate crimes have risen significantly in Ontario and Canada since the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Ottawa saw a 23.5 per cent increase in reported hate-based incidents between July 2022 and July 2023.

The report also considered a rise in those facing mental health challenges. While we’re seeing healthcare staffing shortages and other challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, she explained more healthcare staffing is critical for proactive prevention.

“We need to prevent things from reaching the stage where police have to be called, and this speaks to the need for more partnerships between the police service and other levels of healthcare,” she added.

When asked about impacts to police services’ budget, Beck said the board has not yet had this discussion – but emphasized they’re responsible for ensuring both effective policing and efficient use of taxpayer dollars.

“There are things both the board and OPS can do to ease that burden on taxpayers,” explained Beck. “For example, by ensuring we’re not unduly assuming policing costs associated with being a capital city.”

With demonstrations regularly appearing in the capital – including the so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ – this means there are additional costs for the city and it’s important residents pay for policing but not those extra costs, she added.

OPS strategic plan includes adding a new south district, in efforts to cover Ottawa’s most rapidly-growing areas. This is intended to help OPS adapt to the specific needs of each area and ensure officers aren’t spread thin when large events require more police presence, deputy chief Paul Burnett told the OPSB

“There is need for greater engagement and visibility of our officers in communities citywide, particularly at the neighbourhood level where residents live, work and play,” Burnett told the board.

Currently, the OPS is organized by East, Central and West divisions. Adding a fourth division aims to stabilize the number of officers stationed in each region of the city, at a given time.

If approved by the City, the cost of expanding police presence would rise to an estimated $18 million by 2027. This is set to include an annual tax increase in the police budget of around three per cent.

In last Friday’s meeting, OPS chief Eric Stubbs said reported crime is up eight per cent in 2023 and we’re on the path to see more violent crimes – including 47 shootings – this year, alone.

Other statistics from OPS include:

– Property crime up 11 per cent
– Car thefts up 16 per cent
– Traffic complaints up nine per cent
– Car accidents up 35 per cent
– Hate incidents up 13 per cent
– Volume and complexity of 9-1-1 calls continue to increase

According to a budget forecast, the police budget would need to increase by 3.2 per cent in 2025, 2.8 per cent in 2026, and 2.6 per cent in 2027.

City councillors will decide on a direction to increase the police budget, this Thursday, Aug. 31. The current target is a 2.5 per cent tax hike in 2024.