Ottawa police launching new 4-district policing model
The Ottawa Police Service says the pilot project of its new district policing model will begin next week.
Superintendent Kevin Maloney told a technical briefing for Ottawa city councillors that the first phase of the pilot project will begin Monday, May 6.
- Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
Police say the primary focus of the district deployment model is to "serve each community better and work with City Councillors and their community partners to resolve issues identified in their wards."
The plan adds a fourth "south" police district alongside the existing central, east and west districts, and assigns individual inspectors to the four areas, who will serve as a point of contact. Each district will have between five and seven city wards.
- West: Wards 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 23
- East: Wards 1, 2, 10, 11, 18, and 19
- Central: Wards 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17
- South: Wards 3, 20, 21, 22, and 24
"What this means is a reorganization of the neighbourhood policing directorate," said Maloney. "Sectioning the city into four districts, providing a smaller area where we would be able to take ownership of that and work with the ward councillors to address specific issues in there."
Police Chief Eric Stubbs gave an example of targeted traffic resources.
"The limited traffic resources we have, we want to direct them on those areas and those topics that we're hearing from the community, from the councillors, that need to be targeted," he said.
The presentation outlined a four-point strategy:
- Access: Consistent channels and access to OPS officers
- Account: Improved accountability and transparency
- Affect: Communities partnering with the OPS
- Act: Historically address public safety concerns
Maloney said the new district inspectors would focus on the access and affect aspects of the plan, giving councillors and community groups more access to police.
"District priorities will be identified and the district inspectors will coordinate responses in consultation with their chain of command," the presentation says.
Earlier this month, police outlined a plan to focus on "problematic individuals" and "hot spots" when specifically speaking about the ByWard Market and Rideau Street. The plan includes a "neighbourhood operational centre" in the Rideau Centre that is slated to be open later in May.
The project in the ByWard Market area could be applied to other parts of the city, Maloney said Tuesday.
Stubbs stressed that the project launching Monday is only a pilot and that the final project could change based on what is learned. A timeline provided during the technical briefing shows five parts, stretching from May 6, 2024 into January of 2026.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
DEVELOPING Slovakian prime minister in life-threatening condition after being shot, his Facebook profile says
Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.
If you've tried meditating but can't sit still, here's how - and why - to try again
The first time Marcelle Hutchins sat down to meditate, she put on a guided session, relaxed her shoulders and tried to close her eyes. She lasted two minutes.
BREAKING Quebec court rejects McGill injunction request to remove encampment
A Quebec judge rejected McGill University's request for an injunction to remove the pro-Palestinian encampment on the university's campus in downtown Montreal.
Ottawa to acquire Quebec Bridge from CN, will spend $1 billion on span over 25 years
The federal government says it has reached a deal with Canadian National Railway Company to acquire the historic Quebec Bridge.
LIVE NOW Officials to provide updates on Alberta wildfires on Wednesday after Fort McMurray evacuation
Several news conferences will be held Wednesday morning to update the public on the wildfire situation in Alberta, specifically near Fort McMurray where four neighbourhoods have been evacuated.
'Not a scarient': New COVID-19 subvariant dominant in Canada
A new COVID-19 subvariant is dominant in Canada, representing just over 30 per cent of cases in the country, but infectious disease experts say there’s no sign it’ll evolve into a summer 'scarient.'