Ottawa police looking to hire 145 new officers a year over next three years

Ottawa Police headquarters on Elgin St. is seen in this undated photo. (CTV News Ottawa)

The Ottawa Police Service wants to hire 145 police officers a year over the next three years to cover attrition and expand resources for special events, traffic, cybercrime, neighbourhood resource teams and other policing needs.

A strategic planning report for 2023-2026 was presented to the Ottawa Police Services Board during a special meeting on Friday. The Ottawa police 'Community Needs Survey' found one-third of respondents were satisfied with the level of service provided by police. Staff say one of the most frequent recommendations in the survey was increasing staffing levels.

"From Carp to Vanier to Orleans to Riverside South we hear a consistent theme, residents want to see more of our officers to address their specific priorities," Chief Eric Stubbs said.

"We need to develop public safety measures that fit the needs of each community. This includes adopting a police response for rural, suburban and urban areas of the city."

Deputy Chief Steve Bell outlined the hiring plan for the next three years, telling the board that, "We're facing significant staffing issues that are resulting in shortages and service gaps."

Here is a look at the hiring plan for the Ottawa Police Service over the next three years

• 75 officers a year to cover attrition (225 total). Bell says the hiring to cover attrition would come from existing budgets. 
• 40 officers a year for "stabilization" of the Ottawa Police Service, including backfilling WSIB/LTD and parental leaves (120 total to fill existing positions). 
• 25 officers a year for "growth" (75 total).
• 15 officers a year for "event response" (45 total). The report says the event response includes a new deployment model for demonstrations. Bell says Ottawa police are working with federal partners to support the new event response team.

Bell told the committee the 25 officers a year for growth are needed to address "emerging priorities", including staffing a new cyber crime unit and expanding the traffic unit.

The plan calls for the Ottawa Police Service to hire 145 new officers a year in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Bell says the plan would cost $17.8 million over three years.

The report for the Ottawa Police Services Board says calls for police service have increased 23 per cent in 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. Staff say the crime rate has increased 16 per cent so far this year, while the violent crime rate increased 4 per cent.