Neighbourhood Resource Teams Launching this Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 21, 2019    12:00pm 

(Ottawa) – Three new teams of neighbourhood-based police officers will start working in three high-priority neighbourhoods. 

The Neighbourhood Resource Teams (NRTs), which also include Community Police Officers (CPOs), School Resource Officers (SROs), Traffic Services officers and Frontline officers, will be dedicated to Vanier/Overbrook, Carlington/Caldwell and Heron Gate/South Ottawa. These neighbourhoods were selected because of elevated rates of calls for service, property crimes, and violent incidents involving shootings, stabbings and homicides.

“The NRTs are designed to increase police presence and address community concerns about crime and social disorder,” said Inspector Ken Bryden, with the Ottawa Police Community Relations. “The CPO will still remain the single point of contact for each neighbourhood, and will work closely with community partners and NRT officers to increase the safety of these areas. This includes addressing issues like problem addresses, drug dealing and other incidents that require a coordinated response.”

Residents are encouraged to continue reporting crimes using normal practices - dialing 911 for life threatening emergencies and crimes in progress; and 613-236-1222 for non-emergencies.

The members selected for the NRTs are experienced officers who have been assigned on longer fixed service terms to ensure they work in the same areas over several years. This will allow them to build long-term relationships and get to know the people and communities they serve.

NRT officers have been given specialized training, focusing on the areas where they will be deployed. It includes learning about relationship-building strategies, cultural awareness, how to establish neighbourhood networks, human-trafficking issues, and hate-motivated incidents and investigations. This training is designed to assist the NRT officers to address each neighbourhood’s specific needs.

Additionally, the NRTs will be monitored by Carleton University’s Dr. Linda Duxbury. Her team will evaluate the efficacy of the NRTs and offer feedback as the program grows. This accountability measure will ensure that goals are set, and met, to improve overall community safety.

For more information, you can visit our Neighbourhood Resource Teams web page at ottawapolice.ca/NRT or consult the September 2019 presentation to the Ottawa Police Services Board.

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CONTACT:

Media Relations Section                  

Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366