Ottawa Police Services Board Appoints Patricia Ferguson and Paul Burnett as Permanent Deputy Chiefs

A message from the Ottawa Police Services Board 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  26 June 2023

Ottawa—The Ottawa Police Services Board is pleased to announce that Patricia (Trish) Ferguson and Paul Burnett have been appointed as permanent Deputy Chiefs (DC) of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS). Both DC Ferguson and DC Burnett were in acting deputy roles prior to their appointment.

The Board launched a nation-wide recruitment process for two deputy chiefs in February of this year, supported by executive search firm Odgers Berndtson. The Board was seeking progressive leaders with substantive years of senior policing leadership experience, who could help lead changes to operations and culture at the OPS, under the command of Chief of Police Eric Stubbs.

“The Board undertook a thorough recruitment process and is extremely pleased to have DC Ferguson and DC Burnett confirmed as permanent Deputy Chiefs,” stated Board Chair Gail Beck. “They have demonstrated to the Board that they are the best candidates for the roles, as effective and collaborative leaders.”

“I’m humbled and excited to be part of a leadership team committed to rebuilding our City’s pride in our Service. With the help of the courageous women and men of the Ottawa Police Service, I look forward to building trust, meaningful community partnerships, and creating a safer community for our City,” stated Deputy Chief Ferguson.

“I am both honored and proud to be selected as the Deputy Chief of the Ottawa Police Service. The opportunity to continue to work with the amazing sworn and civilian members of this police service is incredibly exciting. It is my goal to continue to serve the citizens of Ottawa by providing a community centered policing approach that focuses on building safe and healthy communities,” stated Deputy Chief Burnett.

The Board wishes to thank all of the candidates who put their names forward for these positions.

Biography of Patricia (Trish) Ferguson

Trish Ferguson has been a proud member of the Ottawa Police for 28 years. Drawn to policing at a young age, it was a career that aligned with the values with which she was raised and allowed her to commit to a life of service. While earning her degree from the University of Ottawa (Criminology), Trish volunteered with OPS working in the community. It was there she learned and understood the importance of fostering and building relationships with the communities she would eventually serve. In 1995, Trish joined the ranks of OPS and gained broad experience working in various capacities in Patrol, Sexual Assault/Child Abuse, School Resources, Elder Abuse, Investigations, Outreach and Recruiting and Community Policing. During these years, Trish witnessed the courage and strength of survivors and the commitment of the people called to support them through their journey. This led to advocacy work for victims and survivors as well as co-managing the Critical Incident Stress Management Team for OPS members for over 10 years.  In addition to this work, Trish has been a strong advocate for the advancement of women in policing, leading and participating in national events and local initiatives to improve culture, address workplace inequities, and provide networking and educational opportunities for women in law enforcement.

In 2018 Trish was promoted to the senior ranks as an Inspector and worked on the Frontline as a Duty Inspector managing critical incidents and major city events. She also led the reorganization of the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the OPS’ response to the Pandemic. When she was promoted to Superintendent in 2020 she was given responsibility for the Frontline Policing, leading the Service’s largest group of members. In 2021, Trish was called to act as the Deputy Chief of Community Policing. Trish has been the Acting Deputy Chief of the Investigations, Information and Serious & Organized Crime Directorate since 2022.

Trish and her husband, also an OPS member, have two children. She continues to be an active member of her community, regularly engaging in volunteer initiatives and is currently on the Board of the Snowsuit Fund. 

Biography of Paul Burnett

Paul Burnett has been selected as Deputy Chief and will continue to oversee the Community Policing Directorate, which includes the Frontline Policing Directorate, Specialized Policing Directorate, and the Neighbourhood Policing Directorate. This Command provides proactive and reactive public safety services in partnership with key stakeholders and the many diverse communities in Ottawa.

Deputy Chief Burnett began his policing career with the Gloucester Police in 1992 and, over the course of his 31 years of service in the Ottawa area, has fulfilled a variety of roles and worked in a variety of units throughout the organization including the Traffic Section, the Collision Reconstruction Unit, the Professional Development Centre as a Use of Force Instructor, and the Tactical Team as both an operator and the Unit Commander. In addition, he has worked as an investigator in the Professional Standard Unit and supervised the Community Policing Centre’s in the city’s east end. 

Deputy Chief Burnett was a member of the 2008 Olympic Security Team that provided personal security as the Olympic flame made its way across the province. He also attended the Vancouver Olympics and was deployed as a Bomb Technician. He spent a year Instructing at the Jordan International Police Training Center (JIPTC) in Amman, Jordan where he was the lead instructor in charge of the Improvised Explosive Device Training Centre responsible for training and was awarded the JIPTC medal.

DC Burnett is a Member of the Order of Merit for the Police Forces, the Order of Merit of the Police Forces is a fellowship of honor based on the highest qualities of citizenship, service to Canada, to the police community and to humanity at large.

In his previous role as a Duty Inspector, Deputy Chief Burnett oversaw Frontline Operations and was responsible for providing Incident Command for major events and high-risk operations, including demonstrations, major crime scenes, SIU investigations, tactical and search and rescue operations. He led the design, development and implementation of the organizations first multi- year Strategic Equity Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. He fostered collaborative leadership across the organization and developed a strategy to build capacity in relation to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Deputy Chief Burnett earned his Bachelor of Social Science degree from Ottawa University and is currently an Instructor at the Canadian Police College on the Critical Incident Commanders course.

The Ottawa Police Services Board is the civilian body responsible for governing the Ottawa Police Service.  It is responsible for ensuring the provision of adequate and effective police services to City of Ottawa residents. 

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For additional information, please contact Krista Ferraro, Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board, at 580-2424, ext. 21618; email: krista.ferraro@ottawa.ca