Could be 'couple of years' to build up parliamentary policing, Ottawa police chief says
Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs says it could take "a couple of years" to build up a team of officers specifically dedicated to local policing duties in the Parliamentary Precinct in downtown Ottawa.
Stubbs made the comments Tuesday at a technical briefing for Ottawa city councillors regarding the police service's new district policing model pilot project, which launches on Monday. The model breaks Ottawa into four districts — east, west, central and south — with the aim of being able to better manage smaller chunks of the city at any given time.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
During a question and answer period with councillors, Stubbs suggested the police service is working on a fifth district.
"A fifth district that we're going to build, the federal district ... it's going to take a couple of years to build up that team so that it is in place, they're educated and trained about what goes on down there," he said.
The idea would be that these officers would primarily respond to events and issues such as protests, which Stubbs said are becoming more frequent.
"Every year, we plan for Canada Day because that's all hands on deck and we all know that, and that'll continue — it comes every year — but there seems to be more and more of these major events that seem to be popping up every month," he said. "I just don't see it getting any better, in terms of that frequency."
The 2024 federal budget included $50 million in federal funding to the Ottawa Police Service over the next five years to "enhance security" in the area around Parliament Hill, on Wellington Street and Sparks Street, and around the Justice and Confederation buildings.
Discussions around policing areas that are not the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Protective Service have been ongoing since the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest, which shut down Wellington Street and many other parts of downtown for three weeks. The Ottawa Police Service was in charge of policing nearly all areas where the protesters were encamped.
A "federal district" might also keep officers from other parts of the city, particularly rural areas, from having to go downtown to assist in policing duties, Stubbs suggested.
"There's no doubt that sometimes in the rural communities, that they sometimes get tapped, but often it is in the downtown core," he said. "But it will take time. A couple of years. We'll have to build this up."
Stubbs also mentioned that the police service is working to hire more than 400 new officers between now and 2026, but he said funding, finding recruits, and ensuring there are enough spaces at the Ontario Police College for those recruits are all challenges in reaching that goal.
Last year, the police force hired 87 new recruits, falling short of its goal of 107. Thirty-two new recruits were hired in the first three months of 2024.
--With files from CTV News Ottawa's Josh Pringle
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
Evacuees concerned over conflicting information on Fort Nelson wildfire
Evacuees staying in Fort St. John have expressed concern about how little they are hearing about what is happening in their now deserted city.
New study shows financial impact of homelessness on our healthcare system
A new study out of London, Ont. lays out the cost of the homelessness crisis on our healthcare system.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
Insurance claims skyrocket and tensions remain high after slew of natural disasters
According to new data released by Statistics Canada, the cost of catastrophic insurance claims in Canada between 1983 and 2008 was $400 million each year.
P.E.I. proposes banning Islanders of a certain age from purchasing tobacco products in new health plan
A new proposal to ban Islanders of a certain age from ever buying tobacco products could put Prince Edward Island at the forefront of the battle against smoking.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.