'Supply chain issues' delaying opening of Rideau Centre police hub: Chief

The Ottawa Police Neighbourhood Operations Centre in the Rideau Centre. (CTV News Ottawa)

Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs says the opening of the new Rideau Centre police hub has been delayed because some items needed for the office have not yet arrived.

A previous report said the Neighbourhood Operations Centre (NOC) on the first floor of the Rideau Centre shopping mall would be open by June 3, but speaking to reporters Monday, Stubbs said there are some issues delaying the opening.

"We're just having some supply chain issues with some key parts to get that office up and running," he said. "It's imminent, but it's not here yet."

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Stubbs didn't specify what 'key parts' of office had not yet arrived.

"It's just simply some of the things that we have ordered for the office that we expected to be in by this time," he said. "We got the keys to the office, in terms of our facilities doing what we call the outfit on it, getting it ready for our members in the community to work from and, unfortunately, there are just some things that have not yet arrived to finish it off."

An Ottawa Police Service spokesperson did not provide any additional details about what specific items are delayed.

"Sorry, we have no further details to convey than what Chief Stubbs spoke to during the scrum," an email said.

Stubbs said the office should be ready "in a couple of weeks." He added that the police service would communicate with the public when a date for the NOC opening has been confirmed.

The NOC is part of the 'Community Outreach Response and Enforcement' (CORE) Strategy. Stubbs said despite there being a delay in opening the NOC, the CORE strategy is ready to go.

"Obviously, it's very important to our strategy ... that work has started and will continue despite just not the formal opening of that. It would be nicer to have that building open, but we're ready to go to start our work in the ByWard Market."

A presentation at the Ottawa Police Services Board meeting Monday evening said the NOC in the Rideau Centre is expected to be "fully operational" by June 3, but a date for an "official opening" is to be determined.

The new CORE Strategy includes officers targeting "hot spots of high crime concentration" and focused enforcement "identifying high-harm offenders," according to police. Plans for the focused efforts in the Rideau Street and ByWard Market area will involve "increasing visible police presence" in high-priority areas.

The Rideau Centre hub will not be open to the public when it first opens. The Neighbourhood Resources Team and Community Police will use the centre to coordinate operations, hold briefings and host community meetings.