Collision Reporting Centres get modernized and streamlined with a new partner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 20, 2022     1:30 pm 

(Ottawa) – The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is pleased to announce that starting in November, users of Collision Reporting Centres (CRC) will benefit from new technology and a user-friendly reporting tool, thanks to a new partnership with Accident Support Services International Ltd. (ASSI).

The Highway Traffic Act requires that any collision with injuries and/or damages exceeding $2,000 must be reported to the police. Drivers involved in a minor vehicle collision without injuries who do not require a police officer to respond, must attend a CRC to self-report their collision.

The current CRC model was evaluated by the OPS during a Customer Service Review Project, where both the Service and external participants determined that the current system was inefficient and expensive.

A key recommendation that emerged from that Project was to partner with ASSI, a third-party CRC, to help the Service realize the modernization of services, improve efficiencies, reduce demands on patrol, and balance associated staffing and budgetary pressures.

Ottawa Residents will be accessing streamlined stand-alone kiosks in the lobby of each of the three police stations where OPS CRCs are currently located – 3343 St. Joseph Boulevard, 474 Elgin Street, and 211 Huntmar Drive. The kiosks will be staffed by ASSI agents.

The ASSI CRC program will reduce wait-times, be more cost-effective, and improve efficiencies in customer service by providing a modernized and streamlined response to the reporting of collisions. It will also bring significant staffing efficiencies within our Front Desk Services.

“Our services are at no cost to the public, the Police Service, or the municipality,” said Steve Sanderson, President of Accident Support Services Ltd. “The service is funded by the license insurers that write automobile policies in the province of Ontario. Our process allows the consumer to start their claim right from the comfort of the centre, reporting it directly to their insurance provider”.

More background on the alternative delivery model for the CRCs can be found as part of the March 28, 2022 Ottawa Police Services Board Agenda.

Stay tuned for the official launch date in November and more details on the new CRC kiosks.

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