Gun violence in Ottawa: Shootings down but injuries up
There have been fewer cases of people illegally shooting guns in the city of Ottawa this year, but there is a trend toward more injuries because of gun violence.
Interim Ottawa police chief Steve Bell addressed the issue of gun violence at Monday’s Ottawa Police Services Board meeting.
“As of Sept. 20, we’ve seen 48 shootings this year, which is a 25 per cent decrease compared to this time last year,” Bell said. “Despite the decline in shootings, the number of people injured is on the rise. We’ve seen 27 people injured and three fatalities due to shootings this year.”
Bell says that compares to 33 injuries and nine fatalities in all of 2021.
“Our investigators remain very engaged in these files and 84 crime guns have been seized, 46 of which were seized following an OPS-led investigation with the support of the Canada Border Services Agency and the Ontario Provincial Police,” Bell said.
Overall, he said police are seeing the number of calls return to pre-pandemic levels. He said there has been a nine per cent increase in reported violent crimes, including assault (up 8 per cent), sexual violence (up 14 per cent), robberies (up 23 per cent), uttering threats (up 14 per cent), and criminal harassment (up 10 per cent).
WORKING TO GET ‘FEMICIDE’ CODIFIED
Bell also said the Ottawa Police Service is working to ensure femicide is specifically codified as a crime in Canada.
Six women have been killed in Ottawa since January, Bell said, and he noted a common thread.
“In each case, we have concluded that a man was responsible or men are facing charges for those acts. The violence must stop,” he said.
Bell said help is available, but solving the issue would require “new approaches, new ideas, and renewed collaboration with our community,” Bell continued.
“The Ottawa Police Service has begun introducing the term ‘femicide’ in our communications to describe the murder of women when the reason for death is suspected to be that the person is a woman, including intimate partner violence, misogyny, control, or sexually motivated crimes,” he said. “It is currently not in the criminal code and does not speak to motive. Our service’s use of this term is meant to bring a new dimension to the conversation about and advocacy for the elimination of violence against women in our community.”
Bell said the OPS is working with partners to help establish an official definition of femicide to be written into law.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.