Meeting with Ottawa Police

Earlier today, I met with the Ottawa Police to discuss the OPS’s shift toward a community policing model. As with my recent discussions with the Police Chief, I reiterated many of the issues and challenges that are impacting rural Ottawa specifically, including the reasonable concerns throughout the ward that our residents do not receive policing levels that are commensurate with the taxes that we pay.

I raised a number of issues, including the need for officers to be more present and visible in the community to proactively enforce the law and reassure residents that police resources are ready to keep our communities safe. I stressed the need for greater traffic enforcement along problem roads, including the major roads within our villages. I noted that a “one size fits all” approach to policing cannot be effective, and there is a need to look at policing in rural Ottawa with a rural lens.

Moreover, I invited the OPS to attend upcoming rural summit meetings so that they can hear directly from the community about their views on policing. I believe it is vital that the police hear from residents directly about the challenges that rural Ottawa contends with and the need for an approach that ensures greater access to police resources in our communities.

The OPS took these issues seriously and agreed to continue working with my office to identify major challenges, improve communication and accessibility, and ultimately, to make our communities more safe.

I expect to have more information to share with residents in the coming weeks and months about how policing in Ottawa will evolve to better suit the needs of our communities. If you have ideas that you would like me to share with the OPS, please email them to my office at ward21@ottawa.ca.