Ottawa Police Services Board Strategic Planning Consultation Results Now Available

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, August 24, 2023   4:42 pm         

(Ottawa) — The results of the completed consultation and data collection strategy in support of the development of a new strategic plan for the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) have been released and will be presented to the Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB) at a special meeting at 3 p.m. this Friday.

The consultation was completed over the summer. It included scientific polling, an online community needs survey as well as an internal member survey to solicit feedback to assist the OPSB in identifying strategic priorities for the Service. In total, over 3,000 residents responded to the public survey, with 600 OPS members completing the internal survey. Data collection also included third-party reports from external agencies to identify trends and sentiment analysis on policing in the Nation’s Capital.

To supplement the various consultation and data collection processes, the Board Chair, members of the Executive, and the OPS’ Strategic Partnerships and Engagement (SPE) team, and multiple other OPS sections also met directly throughout the year with a diverse range of community stakeholders, including representatives from racialized and faith-based groups and City Councillors.

“I have had a unique opportunity to see firsthand the passion and commitment of community members to make things better. I have also seen the dedication of the police service to that community,” said OPSB Chair Dr. Gail Beck. “The Board, in consultation with Chief Stubbs, will be using all the information gathered to embark on the development of a new strategic plan for the Service. We look forward to receiving further input from the community once a draft plan has been developed and to even further dialogue as a plan proceeds.”

“The focus of my discussions with community groups has been on building partnerships, trust and understanding. I have met and am continuing to meet with City Councillors to listen and learn about their specific concerns in their Wards,” said Chief Eric Stubbs. “To date, what I’ve consistently heard from all of these groups was the need for more police visibility and engagement in their neighbourhoods, as well as developing a public safety response that meets the unique needs of their communities. I want to thank everyone who took the time to either fill out the online survey or speak with me. My executive team is committed to developing a police response that builds trust and better serves all residents of Ottawa.”

The OPSB is targeting to have a draft strategic plan presented publicly for consultation at a special meeting on October 6, 2023.

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CONTACTS:

Ottawa Police Services Board 

Krista Ferraro, Executive Director

krista.ferraro@ottawa.ca

Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 21618

Ottawa Police Service, Media Relations Section               

Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366