Parliamentary District
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is establishing a dedicated detachment around Parliament Hill to bolster the policing presence. In this newly created Parliamentary District, OPS will help keep Parliament Hill and the surrounding premises safe, secure, open and accessible for those who work, live in and visit the area.
Responding to over 800 demonstrations or events each year, a majority of those located in or around the Parliamentary campus, and as the police of local jurisdiction in the Nation’s Capital, OPS is well-established to build on the strong existing working relationship between the OPS, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Parliamentary Protective Service to allow for more responsive policing and enhance collaboration between these agencies so they can better meet their collective goal of maintaining public safety.
The OPS presence in the Parliamentary District will reduce the need to draw resources from other districts in the city, allowing for more consistent and equitable policing across Ottawa.
The OPS's role in the Parliamentary District
The OPS will be establishing a dedicated, uniformed presence in the area to focus on community safety impacts by working collaboratively with our various partners. This team will grow over the coming years to increase their presence seven days a week, days and afternoons.
Our Police Liaison Team will move from being a part time response, to a full time unit to proactively engage with the various community groups to mitigate the impacts from lawful protest activities.
| Collaborating with other Services to promote a safe Parliamentary District |
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The Parliamentary District builds on the strong existing working relationship between the OPS, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Parliamentary Protective Service (PPS) to allow for more responsive policing and enhance collaboration between these agencies so they can better meet their collective goal of maintaining public safety. The PPS is responsible for physical security in the Parliamentary Precinct and on Parliament Hill, and the RCMP is responsible for the personal protection of designated Parliamentarians and to investigate national security-related offences, among other duties. While all three agencies play an important, interconnected role in keeping Parliamentarians, visitors, residents, and our democratic institutions safe and secure, the establishment of a dedicated OPS presence allows for clearer delineation of responsibilities and helps fill any policing coverage gaps. |
