Privacy Policy

Content and logos

All Ottawa Police Service (OPS) symbols, designs - and combinations or representations of these - are registered trademarks and are for official use only.  Any other uses/reproductions of the Ottawa Police Service corporate identity can only be with written approval from the Chief of Police delegated to the Corporate Communications Section.

We strive to keep our website up-to-date, however, in the event of a discrepancy between the information contained on this website and the information contained in the records of the Ottawa Police Service, the information contained in the records of the Ottawa Police Service shall be deemed accurate.

Freedom of Information

The Ottawa Police Service is subject to Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act ("MFIPPA") and other privacy legislation.

Senders of messages to the Ottawa Police Service should be aware that personal and other information contained in electronic correspondence (or printed versions thereof) which are directed to the Ottawa Police Police Service are subject to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and may be deemed releasable under this legislation, and that the anonymity or confidentiality of the sender and any information contained within the correspondence cannot be guaranteed.

Collected Information

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) does not collect information for commercial or marketing purposes, and the OPS does not sell, exchange, or otherwise distribute the information collected through this website for commercial or marketing purposes. The OPS collects and uses only the minimum information needed to meet the purpose for which the collection is required.

Any information collected or provided through third party social media websites is for OPS use only. Information is collected by the OPS pursuant to its authority under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Ontario Police Services Act. 

The Ottawa Police Service will not use any information provided by visitors for any purpose that is inconsistent with the purpose for which the information was provided, as stated on the web page.

Use of "Cookies"

During user interaction with the Ottawa Police Service's website, we may use a browser feature called a "cookie" to collect information anonymously and track user patterns on the website.  A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that identifies your browser - but not you - to our computers each time you visit one of our pages. Cookies tell us which pages are visited and by how many people. This helps us enhance the online experience of visitors to our website by providing statistics on web usage.

Social Media

Social Media assists the Ottawa Police Service to:

• provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the role of the OPS in their local communities.
• provide an important and direct link between the community and the OPS, with an opportunity for ongoing communication and engagement between community members and police. 
• to increase our involvement with the communities we serve.
• to consult with communities in an effort to create or adapt our services to meet the needs of the communities we serve.

Ottawa Police Social Media Policy:

Social Media accounts used by the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) are not monitored 24/7 and should not be used for emergencies or for filing reports, as the OPS does not take reports of crime via email or any social media site. In case of emergency, always call 9-1-1.

If you wish to file a police report for Theft, Theft from Vehicle, Mischief/Damage to Property, Lost Property (with a visible SIN or distinct marking) or a Traffic Complaint, please use our online reporting system. If you wish to file a report not available online, phone our Police Reporting Unit at (613) 236-1222, ext. 7300 or visit any of our police stations. If you wish to remain anonymous, please call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-233-TIPS (8477) or send a tip online at crimestoppers.ca.

Privacy on Social Media

To protect your own privacy and the privacy of others, please do not include personal information in your online interactions, including posting or linking to phone numbers, email addresses, or case number references.

Any information collected or provided through third party social media websites is for OPS use only. See "Collected Information".

Social Media Interactions

OPS will engage in dialogues with users when possible. OPS replies to comments in the official language they were posted in, however cannot commit to replying to all user comments. OPS reserves the right to edit, remove or block comments/users that it deems at its sole discretion to be inappropriate or likely to impede the normal flow of discussion, including but not limited to comments that are abusive, insulting, inaccurate, irrelevant, or incomprehensible. OPS may also remove comments that are posted by a user who is not the author.

User comments do not represent the views of OPS or the City of Ottawa. OPS monitors users comments and may participate or remove comments. OPS reserves the right to remove photos or representations that it deems at its sole discretion to be inappropriate, including but not limited to misuse of representation, or representation for which permission was not given.  If applicable, comments may be held for moderation and will be addressed at the discretion of OPS.

Posting on public social media sites makes your opinions, messages, posted photos, links or other posted content public. It is in the discretion of the Ottawa Police Service which comments will be archived, removed or used.

Members of the Ottawa Police Service using social media are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully. All members of the Ottawa Police Service are subject to Professional Standards Section investigations and complaints under the Ontario Police Services Act.

Accessibility

The Ottawa Police Service strives to provide services that are accessible to all persons.

This website is built with accessibility in mind. You can modify your operating system and browser to make this website more accessible. This website runs optimally when accessed with the following internet browsers:

• Internet Explorer 8, 9, 10
• Mozilla Firefox
• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari

And with the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows
• Apple OS X

To increase the text size, use the minus and plus icons at the top right of each page. You can also hold down the CTRL button and scroll using your mouse to zoom into the page.

We work with community members and experts to assist us in meeting WCAG standards to the best of our knowledge. Staff undergoes special training to learn how to produce accessible documents and content for the web. If you have found any inaccessible information or that which can be improved upon, we welcome your feedback to us by email.

We also provide our policy and related documents to persons with disabilities in mutually agreed upon alternative formats upon request. This can include but is not limited to large print, electronic files via email or CD-ROM.

For more information, or to request a document in an alternative format, please contact us.