Ottawa Police Service presents 2023 Annual Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, June 18, 2024    2:03 p.m.

(Ottawa)—The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has issued its 2023 Annual Report, which features community initiatives, achievements, and key statistics.

In addition to an overview of the number of calls for service received last year and police response times, the 2023 Annual Report highlights the excellent work OPS members do in partnership with our communities and frontline agencies to prevent and investigate crime and to develop programs and services supporting the safety and well-being of residents and visitors to Ottawa.

“We continue to make significant progress in addressing mental health calls, redirecting them from frontline intervention to specialized support channels,” stated Chief Eric Stubbs. “We are proud of the progress we've made and the dedication of our officers in ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents.”

Ottawa remains one of the largest geographical areas of coverage for any police service, nearly six times the size of the City of Toronto and about twice that of comparable populations in Edmonton and Calgary.

In 2023, the OPS launched the Community Safety Data Portal, signifying a significant step towards modernizing policing and enhancing transparency.

Key statistics from 2023:  

• Service requests increased by 15%, totaling 427,400. This included about 54,100 more calls through the dispatch system (400,000 total) and around 3,000 additional reports submitted online (27,400 total)
• The rise in requests for service was primarily caused by a spike in non-dispatched 911 calls, triggered by the automatic SOS feature on Android devices. This issue, which led to an unusually high volume of emergency calls, has now been resolved.
• With 48,000 reported Criminal Code of Canada offences (excluding traffic) in the city of Ottawa, the level of reported crime increased by 12% last year.
• The clearance rate for total Criminal Code offences (excluding traffic) remained in line with the previous year’s results (28%).
• Ottawa’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) increased by 5% to 59 points (Violent CSI was in line with the previous year's value; Non-Violent CSI was up 8 percent).   
• The volume of reported violent crimes increased by 3% in 2023, driven by assaults, threats, and robberies.   
• Property-related offences increased by 13% in 2023 primarily due to increases in the number of thefts (including shoplifting), fraud, mischief, break and enters, and thefts from motor vehicles.  
• There were 15 homicide incidents in 2023 with 16 victims. 12 of the occurrences have been solved.
• In 2023, shootings increased by 22% from 60 to 73, and OPS officers seized 81 crime guns.  
• The number of collisions on Ottawa roadways increased by 28% to nearly 19,300, while fatalities increased to 27 (up from 23 in 2022).  

The report also provides insights into the strategic goals for the coming years, focusing on community trust, crime prevention, and resource optimization.

"The safety of our community is our top priority," added Chief Eric Stubbs. "We are committed to building stronger relationships with our residents and continuously improving our services to meet the evolving needs of our city."

The Annual Report reflects our ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and community engagement. The full report is available at ottawapolice.ca/2023.

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Through the Community Safety Data portal data.ottawapolice.ca, members of the public can view, download, and interact with data released by the Ottawa Police Service.

CONTACT:

Media Relations Section

Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366