Ottawa Police Service will look for $7-million in efficiencies as city passes 2022 budget

By Mike Vlasveld

Ottawa City Council passed the police portion of next year's budget, with a two per cent increase. The Ottawa Police Service had originally hoped to get closer to three per cent.

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is being forced to find about $7.1-million in efficiencies after city council passed the police portion of its 2022 budget.

Chief Peter Sloly says he'll be reviewing front-facing services.

“We have a commitment to the board and it was part of the board's motion that was tabled on November 23, that we will come back to the board on a regular basis to outline where we are finding those efficiencies and to what extent they affect the organization, as a whole,” he explains.

But that doesn't mean layoffs, according to Sloly. Instead, the OPS is expected to hire another 22 members next year.

The Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB) approved a budget increase of two per cent on November 23; a decrease from its original draft, which included a 2.86 per cent increase. The two per cent increase for 2022, which was passed by Ottawa City Council on Wednesday, December 8, is still $11-million more than the OPS got in 2021.

A handful of groups gathered outside of Ottawa City Hall on Wednesday morning to continue their call for a police budget freeze.

The City of Ottawa is expected to pass its $4.1-billion budget, including an overall tax increase of three per cent for 2022. The increase would cost urban homeowners an average of $119 more annually, while rural homeowners would pay an additional $91 on average.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today