Ottawa Police Service

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) (Service de police d'Ottawa in French) serves the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

History

The service celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2005. The OPS originated in 1855, when the City of Ottawa named Roderick Ross as the first Chief Constable of the Ottawa Police. Over time, neighboring municipalities also formed their own police forces, including Eastview in 1913 (which became the Vanier police in 1963) and Gloucester-Nepean in 1957 (in 1964, this service split into separate Nepean and Gloucester forces). As a precursor to future amalgamations, the Vanier Police was absorbed by the Ottawa Police in 1984.

In 1995, the Ottawa, Nepean and Gloucester police forces amalgamated to form the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police Service. The service area of the new force was extended to those portions of Ottawa-Carleton that had previously been policed by the Ontario Provincial Police.

The service was given its current name in 2001, to reflect the amalgamation of Ottawa-Carleton's constituent municipalities into the new City of Ottawa.

Blazon

Ottawa Police Service, Ottawa, Ontario Grant of a Badge, August 15, 2002, Vol. IV, p. 228, Datei:OPS.jpg

Badge / Insignia

The shield of Arms of the City of Ottawa (Argent a cross wavy Azure charged with a like cross Argent between in the first quarter the Royal Crown proper and in the fourth quarter a maple leaf Gules on a chief also Gules an astrolabe Argent between to the dexter two arrows in saltire points upwards Argent surmounted by an Indian canoe paddle erect Or and to the sinister a spade and pick axe in saltire Argent surmounted by a grenade Or fired proper) within an annulus Azure fimbriated and inscribed COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMUNAUTAIRE in letters Or, ensigned by the Royal Crown proper and encircled by a wreath of maple leaves Or issuant from a trillium flower proper, the whole resting on a scroll Azure fimbriated and inscribed OTTAWA POLICE D'OTTAWA in letters Or;

Motto: COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMUNAUTAIRE

Symbolism

Badge / Insignia The design follows the standard pattern for a Canadian municipal police service badge. The shield at the centre is that of the City of Ottawa, granted by the English Kings of Arms in 1954 and confirmed for the new city in 2001. The design refers to the Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau rivers and the fact that Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The symbols at the top refer to the original inhabitants of the area (the arrows and paddle), the exploration of Samuel de Champlain (the astrolabe) and the Royal Engineers who created the Rideau Canal (the grenade, pick, and shovel). The Service’s motto, which it inherited from its predecessor body, the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police Service, is COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMUNAUTAIRE. The Royal Crown symbolizes the fact that the Service enforces the Crown’s laws, while the wreath of eleven maple leaves on each side to indicate the municipalities that amalgamated to form the new City of Ottawa and the trillium flower are references to Canada and Ontario.

Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Annual Memorial Service

The Annual Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service is held every year. The tradition started following the death of Ottawa Police Constable David Kirkwood in 1977. The first Memorial was organized by the Ottawa Police and the 30th Field Regiment (the By-Town Gunners), who fired a two-gun salute in the memory of fallen officers. The By-Town Gunners presented a memorial to the Ottawa Police that was fashioned from one of the two shell casings from the original salute. In 2002, to recognize the 25th year landmark of the Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service, the shell casing memorial piece was unveiled at a ceremony. It is on display in the lobby of Ottawa Police Headquarters.

In 1998, the Canadian Government officially proclaimed the last Sunday of September of every year as Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day. On January 17, 2003, Canadian Heritage declared the last Sunday of September of every year as the day when all federal buildings and establishments in Canada, including the Peace Tower, fly their flags at half-mast from sunrise to sunset in honour of fallen officers.

In 1978, the first Memorial honoured 14 officers. In 2008, the names of over 742 officers were engraved on the Honour Roll along with the perimeter wall on Parliament Hill, overlooking the Ottawa River and the Supreme Court of Canada. Nine were members of the Ottawa Police Service, or one of its founding police services. The glass panels provide a lasting tribute. Many officers from across Canada come to Ottawa each year to honour the memories of fallen officers.

Ottawa Area Officers Killed in the Line of Duty

Constable Hiram O'Callaghan April 8, 1884 - January 12, 1928

Constable Miles Campbell June 14, 1899 - June 9, 1929

Constable John Montgomery February 20, 1908 - July 31, 1931

Constable Harold Dent March 2, 1903 - June 20, 1940

Detective Thomas Stoneman February 18, 1908 - October 29, 1945

Constable George Constantineau August 14, 1915 - November 17, 1954

Constable Jeffrey Armstrong January 11, 1940 - May 13, 1963

Constable Robert Maki August 22, 1935 - April 4, 1966

Sergeant David Tuckey March 29, 1933 - January 21, 1970

Constable David Kirkwood October 26, 1955 - July 11, 1977

Constable Kenneth Swett March 8, 1951 - July 17, 1981

Constable Russell O'Connor April 18, 1942 - September 7, 1983

Constable David Utman August 11, 1945 - October 14, 1983

Constable Eric Czapnik May 26, 1958 - December 29, 2009

Ottawa Police Funeral

www.ottawapolice.ca/en/Community/CommunityEvents/policefuneral.aspx

Funeral Photos for Cst. Czapnik, Ottawa Police Service - January 7, 2010

www.ottawapolice.ca/en/Community/CommunityEvents/policefuneral/FuneralPhotos.aspx

The BLUE RIBBON campaign

An OC Transpo driver is offering blue ribbons to bus passengers as a way to honour slain Ottawa police Const. Eric Czapnik.

"The cops are there all the time for us when we need them, so now I think it is the time for them to need us," said Frank Fata, who helped organize a similar campaign with black ribbons following the April 1999 killing of four OC Transpo employees.

"Instead of using black, we use blue, with reference to the men and women in blue."

www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/12/31/ott-blue-ribbon-police-officer.html#ixzz0gT5rXHTl

Photos

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  Ottawa Police Service
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  Ottawa Police Service
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  Ottawa Police Service
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  Ottawa Police Service

Organization

The current Chief of Police is Vern White, formerly of the Durham Regional Police Service.

• Chief = 1
• Deputy Chief = 2
• Superintendent = 7
• Inspector = 26
• Chaplain = 1
• Sergeant Major = 1
• Staff Sergeant = 48
• Sergeant = 208
• Constable = 1074
• Special Constable = 57

The ranks of the Ottawa Police Service, in English and French, are (numbers as of December 24, 2009)

The rank structure consists of the following: 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Class Constables, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Inspector, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, Deputy Chief and the Chief of Police. The rank of Senior Constable is no longer awarded, however the rank is still in effect until the last Senior Constable retires. To have become a Senior Constable, an officer had to have had ten years service and have successfully completed the Sergeant's promotional exam.

With very rare exceptions, all Police Officers receive their three-month police training and Basic Constables diploma at the Ontario Police College, located in Aylmer Ontario.

New Police Recruits are hired as 4th Class Constables, and without any training or discipline issues, can expect to reach the rank of 1st Class Constable within three years. A 1st Class Constable has a base salary pretax of approximately $73,000, not including overtime and off duty court time. This pay rate is the norm compared to other Police Services found within Ontario and generally the Ottawa Police Service falls within the top five highest paid services in the Province.

Auxiliary Volunteers

Nov 29, 2007

Ottawa police Chief Vern White is moving ahead with a pilot project to accept 15 auxiliary police officers he says will help staff community policing centres, manage crime prevention programs and complete other routine non-police functions. The chief's plan has won the reluctant support of the Ottawa Police Association, which has long opposed auxiliary police officers, after it received assurances the volunteer force would not perform any duties being done by sworn or civilian members of the department. "Not one hour of police work will be replaced by these guys," said Chief White, describing how he envisions Ottawa's auxiliary officers working at community policing centres, volunteering at job fairs and working with programs like Neighbourhood Watch. "Our goal is to expand our group of volunteers and increase our exposure to the community," said Chief White, who hopes to launch the two-year pilot project by the spring. But unlike police services such as the OPP, whose auxiliary officers also receive firearms training, Chief White said Ottawa's auxiliary officers will not dress like regular officers or receive special equipment, such as a baton or handcuffs. "If you look at some other police services, (auxiliary officers) are equipped with everything but a gun. That won't happen here. It is more of a community police auxiliary than some of the other services." The auxiliary officers would receive basic police training and may go on ride-alongs with officers, but would not perform any police duties. They would be expected to provide at least 160 hours of volunteer work a year, Chief White said, and would always serve under the supervision of a sworn officer. Ottawa Police Association president Charles Momy said he is backing the plan as long as several "significant" concerns are addressed. Those include auxiliary officer safety, the type of duties the auxiliary officers would be expected to perform, what the uniforms will look like, whether officers will have a choice to work with the auxiliary officers and other liability issues, Mr. Momy said. "If I am a patrol officer, I have enough to worry about myself, let alone an auxiliary member who is unarmed," said Mr. Momy, who will not support the program if he believes it will put lives at risk. Mr. Momy added that the association's board of directors felt the project may have gone ahead with or without their support and wanted to get involved in order to help set parameters for the project. "(Chief White) has given us the assurance that at the end of the pilot project, if the association isn't satisfied, we can pull the plug on the program." Orléans Councillor Bob Monette, who is also a member of the Ottawa Police Services Board and has been a strong backer of the creation of an auxiliary force in Ottawa, has argued auxiliary officers could help save the city money by freeing up regular officers and cutting into overtime bills. However, Chief White maintained that won't be the case. "It doesn't save you a nickel. It costs money to run an auxiliary program," said Chief White, adding it's expected to cost about $1,500 to train and equip each auxiliary officer. Mr. Monette said yesterday he believes the amount the chief proposes to spend on the program is "very minor." "The city of Ottawa needs (auxiliary officers). We need more visibility, we need more officers," he said. "The benefits far outweigh the costs." But Bay Ward Councillor Alex Cullen said the auxiliary officers should be doing more than just work that can be accomplished by any volunteer. "We are in a community that has declining crime rates and we have seen tremendous increases in our police budget over the same period," he said. "If it is just providing some recompense to volunteers who are doing the same thing, that is not a convincing argument. If they are going to be auxiliary police officers, we expect them to have some training and do things volunteers can't do," said Mr. Cullen. Chief White said he approached Ontario's Ministry of Community Safety in late October for the authority to put an auxiliary unit in place. The ministry has yet to grant final approval to the request, although it is not expected to refuse, Chief White said. Sixteen other departments across Ontario currently use auxiliary officers.

On May 25, 2009

The Ottawa Police Service introduced the team of 13 auxiliary officers during a swearing in ceremony before Ottawa Police Services Board members at City Hall.The team is comprised of seven women and six men, ranging from 19-43 years of age, with several languages spoken including French, English, Spanish, Hungarian, Tagalog, and Cebuano. “It’s great to see the introduction of auxiliary officers into the Ottawa community, I have been an avid supporter of this initiative since 2006, and was extremely pleased to work with Chief White to see it come to fruition,” noted Ottawa Police Services Board member and City Councillor Bob Monette. Auxiliary officers are taking part in two-year project at Ottawa Police allowing for enhanced community-based policing by providing assistance and support to police officers. They are volunteers who are not paid; they are not meant to replace trained police officers. “Auxiliary officers are ordinary citizens who have established careers in the community and want to serve their community by volunteering to assist the police,” noted Inspector Mike Flanagan, Ottawa Police Service, Business Owner of Auxiliary Program.They will contribute 160 hours of service annually working on several initiatives including: Community Service Crime Prevention, Crime Free Multi-Housing Project, Special Events (like Canada Day Festivities), Ride along programs with Marine and Patrol Units. Background:On September 11, 2008, the Police Services Board approved Chief Vern White’s vision for a two-year pilot program and requirements for selection for auxiliary officers which included: be a Canadian Citizen or landed immigrant; be of good character; meet the reliability clearance process; devote a minimum of 160 hours of volunteer service; reside in the geographic area served by OPSThe Ottawa Police received 70 applications in November 2008 and short-listed 27 applicants for the interview process which was conducted in January 2009. The uniform for auxiliaries will consist of a light grey shirt with a shoulder flash on both arms (however, unlike the OPS Youth Ventures who still have police flashes, the Aux flash has POLICE removed and replaced with Auxiliary/ Auxiliaire), black trousers, black issued summer shoes, black tie for formal occasions, forage cap with the standard red and black checked band (similair to the UK police style), and felt hat badge, outer jacket red and black with the words Auxiliary on front and back in both official languages and cloth name tags. They will not be issued with handcuffs or batons and they won't receive firearms training like many other aux programs.

===Ottawa Police Service's Auxiliary Unit is composed of 13 unarmed volunteers. Their main duty is community policing. Other duties include:===

• Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) audits
• Marine Patrol
• Child Car Seat Clinics
• Ride Alongs
• Assisting in Special Events
• Crime Prevention Initiatives

Inter-agency relationships

Security services at Parliament Hill and all embassies in Ottawa are handled by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), not the OPS. The RCMP generally do not play a role in municipal police operations in Ottawa, except in emergency situations or if they receive a request for assistance from the OPS.

The Ontario Provincial Police patrols Ottawa's main provincial highways (Highway 416 and the Queensway).

The Canadian Forces deploy their own Military Police to patrol Department of National Defence property, including CFB Ottawa. Military police officers are also sworn peace officers and have law enforcement powers outside of DND property, however they do not usually act in this capacity unless a request from the OPS is received.

The OPS provides law enforcement services at Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport and is also authorized to act on behalf of Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority to provide certain security services. Before the 1997 semi-privatization of Class 1 Canadian airports, these services were provided by the RCMP to Transport Canada.

Operations

OPS has five police stations and 19 community policing centres.

Patrol Operations

East, Central and West Divisions are composed of six platoons respectively, representing approximately three hundred officers delivering police first response to calls for service in both urban and rural areas. For policing effectiveness, Platoons are deployed out of our five police stations.

• East Division - 4561 Bank Street (Gloucester) and 3343 St-Joseph Boulevard (Orleans)

Patrol Services provides front line response to calls for service. Teams of officers are responsible for responding to emergency and non emergency calls. They also develop strategies to address neighbourhood problems, provide traffic enforcement, conduct investigations and respond to community inquiries.

• Central Division - 474 Elgin Street (Ottawa Headquarters)

Patrol Services provides front line response to calls for service. Teams of officers are responsible for responding to emergency and non emergency calls. They also develop strategies to address neighbourhood problems, provide traffic enforcement, conduct investigations and respond to community inquiries.

• West Division - 211 Huntmar Drive (Kanata) and 245 Greenbank Road (Nepean)

Patrol Services provides front line response to calls for service. Teams of officers are responsible for responding to emergency and non emergency calls. They also develop strategies to address neighbourhood problems, provide traffic enforcement, conduct investigations and respond to community inquiries.

• Districts

Organizationally, each Division (East, West and Central) includes District Teams. The teams, composed of District Investigators, School Resource Officers, Traffic Enforcement officers, Neighbourhood Officers, and Community Police Centre Officers are responsible for a wide range of services focusing on individual neighbourhood needs.

Community Police Centres

Community Police Centres are an essential part of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) partnership philosophy and strive to be:

• a primary focal points for problem solving in there assigned neighborhoods;
• a primary locations of the community crime prevention initiatives and partnerships; and,
• a hub for information dissemination and referrals.

The Community Police Centre mission is:

• To provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the role of the OPS in their local communities.
• To provide an important and direct link between the community and the OPS, creating an opportunity for ongoing communications between community members and police.
• To provide opportunities for police officers to increase their involvement with the communities they serve.
• To create mechanisms through which the OPS can consult with communities in an effort to create or adapt its services to meet the needs of the communities it serves.

Volunteers are an integral part of the services provided by CPC's

List of Ottawa Police Service's Community Police Centres

• (Barrhaven) 100 Malvern Dr.
• (Orleans / Cumberland) 3343 St. Joseph Blvd.
• (Centretown) 393 Somerset Street West
• (Rockcliffe) 360 Springfield Rd.
• (Manotick) 1131 Clapp Lane
• (Metcalfe) 8243 Victoria St
• (Bayshore) 98 Woodridge Cr.
• (Cyrville) 1700 Blair Rd
• (Wellington) 1064 Wellington St.
• (Vanier) 252 McArthur Rd.
• (W. Carleton) 5670 Carp Rd.
• (Greenbank) 245 Greenbank Rd.
• (Ottawa South) 2870 Cedarwood Dr.
• (Parkwood Hills) 1343 Meadowlands Dr.

Criminal Investigative Services

Major Crime Section

A centralized investigative unit dedicated to providing a commensurate response to Homicides and Attempt Homicides and conducting comprehensive investigations. The unit adheres to the investigative standards of the Major Case Management System

Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section

A centralized investigative unit focusing on sexual assault and child abuse incidents including child pornography and non-parental child abductions. Allegation of Elder Abuse are also investigated within SACA. Address incidents of indecent acts, suspicious persons/vehicles involving children and in partnership with the Major Crime Section, investigate deaths of children under five years of age. Maintain specialized databases relative to sexual offenders, and assist the Crown's Office with long-term and dangerous offender applications. Undertake pro-active education initiatives targeting community partners, clients and stakeholders.

Partner Assault Section

A centralized investigative unit dedicated to provide a consistent and timely response to adult domestic violence & conflict incidents, including parental abductions and custody disputes, as well as case preparation. Undertake pro-active education initiatives targeting our community partners, clients & stakeholders.

Guns and Gangs Unit

Investigate and monitor gang activity, including the criminal possession and trafficking of firearms and the sexual exploitation of youth. The Guns and Gangs Unit will identify youth at risk of gravitating towards gang membership and invoke appropriate intervention/diversion measures. The Guns and Gangs Unit will also engage in community mobilization efforts in order to develop gang education, prevention and suppression strategies. Investigate “gang and gun” related criminal offences and lay appropriate charges where warranted. We will also be responsible for collecting, analyzing and disseminating information to appropriate sections in the OPS and when appropriate, to our external community partners.

Fraud Section

The mandate of the Fraud Section is to investigate organized criminal offences related to fraud. Where appropriate to reduce crime through crime prevention, education, training and public outreach. Maintain a liaison and be available as a resource to police officers and other related organizations. Case preparation and consult on criminal matters and where warranted present evidence to the courts.

Elder Abuse Section

Under the direction and supervision of the Staff Sergeant, Sexual Assault/Child Abuse, the Detective-Elder Abuse will investigate occurrences which are assigned to the Elder Abuse section. Further, the Detective-Elder Abuse is responsible for training and/or educating peers, other Ottawa Police Services members, and people within the community on issues of Elder abuse.

High Tech Crime Unit

Investigation and case preparation for High Technology incidents including (but not limited to) the distribution of child pornography and hacking, but not including frauds. Internal and external investigative support including forensic data analysis, expert technical assistance, as well as preparation and execution of search warrants . Development and delivery of pro-active educational initiatives targeting the public and High Tech sectors.

Hate Crime Unit

There are three parts to the HCU mandate (2009). The first part is Investigation of Incidents of a HATE and BIAS nature. The second is Intelligence gathering and monitoring of Organised Hate groups. The third is Education and Networking with various areas of Community in order to raise consciousness levele of Hate /bias motivated Crime

Support Services

Communications

The Communications Centre provides support functions to the organization by ensuring timely and effective response to both emergency and non emergency calls received by the public. Communications Centre personnel are responsible for assessing all incoming calls and determining the most effective course of action based on established call response protocols as well as providing operational support to officers.

Court Liaison

To effectively liaise with judicial system partners to ensure the successful, cost effective and timely prosecution or resolution of criminal or provincial offences. To ensure that up-to-date court related and disposition information is available to members of the Ottawa Police Service.

Court Security & Temporary Custody Section

Under the command of an Inspector, Staff Sergeant and 2 Sergeants, the Court Security Section is staffed with a complement of Police Constables and Special Constables Special Constable. Police Services in Ontario are legislated under section 137 of the Police Services Act to provide Court Security.

OPS Special Constables are classifed as civilian members. Special Constables are sworn-in by the Chief of Police pursuant to section 53 of the Police Services Act of Ontario which confers Peace Officer status. Special Constables have the powers of a Police Officer to enforce all Federal Statutes and various Provincial Statutes while in the execution of their duties.

Special Constables work within several Sections of the Ottawa Police Service. Court Security & Temporary Custody, the Ottawa Police Central Division cellblock facility. OPS also employs Special Constables as Document Servers working out of the Court Liaison Section.

Under the supervision of the Court Security Supervisor, the Special Constable is responsible for the safe transportation and custody of prisoners being moved between detention facilities and other locations such as court,prisoner escorts, providing Courthouse Security, Ensuring security of court officials, employees and members of the public at all court locations, on a rotational basis, maintaining the security of the cellblock, Perform out of town prisoner escorts, Obtain DNA samples from in custody and out of custody prisoners as directed by the courts. Perform other duties assigned by higher authority that are unplanned or of a transient nature.

Victim Crisis Unit

The Victim Crisis Unit provides crisis intervention and referrals to victims of crime and persons involved in tragic circumstances. On-scene assistance is provided 24/7, as assessed by the on-call VCU worker. At the request of an officer, VCU workers will assist in providing death notifications. VCU workers are members of the CISM team, responding to members involved in critical incidents.

Telephone Response Unit

(Call takers for minor crimes with no investigative leads)

Corporate Services

Quartermaster

The mandate of the Quartermaster Stores is to provide the clothing and equipment (except firearms) to sworn officers as well as to other uniformed personnel. The Quartermaster Stores is also responsible for the purchasing of the equipment supplied to the aforementioned personnel.

The mandate of the Quartermaster Stores is to provide the clothing and equipment (except firearms) to sworn officers as well as to other uniformed personnel. The Quartermaster Stores is also responsible for the purchasing of the equipment supplied to the aforementioned personnel. The QM is deployed to all major police events within Ottawa to aid in support and logics roles and duties for frontline officers and special units / sections (ie: G8, G20, United States of American Presidential visits). The Quartermaster will respond to internal and external client inquiries and will represent the section and the organization on various committees. The Quartermaster is responsible for ordering and stocking supplies and helping out when needed in the operation of the volunteer run OPS Gift Shop.

• Disbursement of clothing and equipment.
• Recovery of clothing and equipment.
• Fitting clothing and equipment.
• Ordering clothing and equipment.
• Maintaining inventory levels.
• Quality assurance of received goods.
• Co-ordinating purchasing with the City of Ottawa.
• Reviewing and modifying specifications.
• Evaluating requests for clothing and equipment.
• Vendor research.
• Vendor selection.

• Glock pistols, batons, pepper spray, handcuffs, radios and other operation equipment requirements.

Emergency Operations

Tactical Unit

The Ottawa Police Service Tactical Unit has primary responsibility for providing tactical support services, hostage rescue capabilities and explosive disposal services within the City of Ottawa in compliance with provincial adequacy of service regulations and Ottawa Police Service policies and procedures. When not engaged in tactical support operations or mandated training, the unit egages in a front-line patrol support function.

Canine Section

The Ottawa Police Canine Unit is responsible for providing assistance to all divisions of the Ottawa Police Service in a timely manner. Our main priorities are to track lost or wanted individuals, search for illicit narcotics as required and to assist in the protection of ourselves and officers of the Ottawa Police Service as well as the public from anyone that is attempting to do them harm. We are also responsible to provide explosive detector dog services as the situation merits.

Traffic Escort

This unit is dedicated to support our internal and external partners with respect to Traffic Enforcement Initiatives, VIP Escorts, Funeral Escorts, Parades and all types of Political Demonstrations. This unit is also dedicated to support patrol when required.

Emergency Services Unit

The Joint Public Order Units (POU)assigned to the US Presidential visit and related demonstrations recognizes freedom of lawful assembly and will assist in providing safe passage and movement to legitimate persons and a safe environment for police officers and members of the public. All calls for crowd management duties will be accomplished using the minimum amount of force necessary taking into consideration the circumstances surrounding the incident.

ESU also does call-outs for search and rescue (SAR) conducting ground searches for missing persons and evidence searches related to criminal investigations, with the assistance of a Search Master (OPS Officer).

Underwater Search and Recovery Unit

Currently, Ottawa Police USRU, is staffed by part time members that share their work between USRU training and their substantive positions. The vast majority of officers are drawn from patrol services within the organization due to the requirements of mandatory police dive training.

Collision Investigation Unit

The Collision Investigation Unit attends and investigates motor vehicle collisions resulting in the death of one or more of the involved persons, as well as, motor vehicle collisions with life threatening injuries. In practice, the Collision Investigators will attend the scene of a serious major collision when requested by a supervisor and appropriately approved as per policy. C.I.U. members are generally tasked with investigating hit and run and other motor vehicle collisions as assigned but will also act as a resource to the members of the Ottawa Police Service in providing technical expertise and assistance in the matter of motor vehicle collision investigation. Finally, the C.I.U. can assist other Police Services with the same services, upon approval by OPS Executive.

Executive Services

Professional Standards Section

Investigates and facilitates the resolution of all complaints related to the policies of, services provided by the police service and/or the conduct of members of the Ottawa Police Service in an impartial and professional manner. The mandate has recently been expanded to include statutory conduct and policy and service complaints arising from S.I.U. investigations. The Professional Standards Section is also increasingly working in a positive way on personnel issues through case conference and policy issues through risk management meetings.

The Police Services Act establishes a partnership between the Ottawa Police Service, the Police Services Board, members of the public and Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services. The emphasis of the "Complaints" portion of the Act is to resolve complaints including damage or loss of property due to police actions, in a timely, professional, and where possible in an informal manner.

The Professional Standards Section investigates and facilitates the resolution of complaints in an impartial and professional manner.

• We believe that all people have the right to be treated in a courteous and professional manner.
• We will conduct our investigations with fairness and impartiality.
• We believe our investigations must be completed in a timely fashion with thoroughness and consistency.

Mandate The Professional Standards Section has a mandate to investigate:

• 1. conduct complaints filed pursuant to Part V of the Police Services Act,
• 2. complaints about the Service provided by the Ottawa Police Service,
• 3. complaints about the policies of the Police Service,
• 4. discharges of firearms - Regulation 926, Section 12 Police Services Act,
• 5. conduct parallel investigations into matters referred to the Special Investigations Unit dealing with service of and/or the Policies of the Police Service and the conduct of police officers,
• 6. complaints and serious discipline issues concerning non-sworn members,
• 7. analyze Public Complaints to identify training issues and recommend remedial action,

interact with members of the public providing them with information on the role of the Professional Standards Section as it relates to the complaints process,

• 8. any other duties as may be directed by the Chief of Police.

Policing is both very important and sometimes difficult. We are anxious to know how we're doing our job, and how our efforts are perceived by the community.

We're especially interested to know of the exceptional circumstances involving our officers. Therefore, if you wish to compliment one of our officers or complain about the conduct of an officer, or the policy and services of the police service, we invite your comments.

Diversity and Race Relations

The Diversity and Race Relations Section of the Ottawa Police Service exists to ensure that the police respond effectively, appropriately, and sensitively to all members of the community, particularly those who have traditionally been marginalized by society.

The Diversity and Race Relations Section was established in 1995 and is staffed by two police officers and an outreach worker to ensure that the police respond effectively, appropriately, and sensitively to all members of the community, particularly those who have traditionally been marginalized by society. They work to strengthen communication between police and immigrants, visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples through various initiatives including monthly Community Police Action Committee (COMPAC) meetings. The Diversity and Race Relations Section also play a lead role in facilitating monthly meetings with the GLBT Liaison Committee.

More information about:

• Outreach Recruitment
• GLBT
• Flag and Banner Programs
• COMPAC
• Community Links
• Resources

Fleet

Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor from the Ottawa Police Service.

The mandate of the Fleet Services Section is to coordinate and facilitate the management of the Ottawa Police Services fleet of vehicles including: marked, unmarked and specialized units as set out in the Approved Vehicle Allocation Plan (AVAP). The Fleet Services Section also facilitates the purchase and up-fitting of all new police vehicles including boats, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and the mobile command unit.

The majority of marked patrol vehicles deployed by the Ottawa Police Service is the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Recently, the Dodge Charger was added to the fleet, but only a few vehicles on an experimental basis in order to determine if they would make a suitable police vehicle. The Chargers deployed by the Ottawa Police Service have the base V6 engines, and not the Hemi V8. Some other marked vehicles are the Ford Explorer and Ford Expedition.

The OPS has one fixed wing aircraft and various marine vehicles that patrol Ottawa waterways in the summer.

Unmarked vehicles consist of many different vehicles. While the most notable is the Chevrolet Impala, the unmarked fleet also has vehicles from almost every make, most of which are not police package vehicles. Even some minivans and a few Smart Cars are included in the unmarked fleet.

In late 2007, the OPS purchased a small group of on wheels equipped with Ford's Street Appearance Package, making the cars look more like civilian Crown Victorias. The vehicles are recognizable, however, by its police wheel covers and LED strips at the top of the front windshield and rear window.

2006 Ottawa Police Fleet:

Vehicle	Quantity
Ford Crown Victoria/Police Interceptor	170
Chevrolet Impala	27
Dodge Charger	4
Other sedans	158
Vans	50
SUVs/Small Trucks	44
Motorcycles	29
Trailers	17
ATVs/Snowmobiles	8
Boats	5
Aircraft	1
Specialty vehicles	6
Total	520

Ottawa Police Services Board

The Ottawa Police Services Board is a seven-member civilian body that oversees the Ottawa Police Service.

www.ottawapoliceboard.ca/opsb-cspo/en.html

The Board serves as a link between the community and the Ottawa Police Service, monitors and evaluates the performance of the Chief of Police, and is responsible for setting policy, objectives and goals related to policing in the City.

Every municipality in Ontario with its own police service must have a civilian board to govern that police service. Police services boards are independent bodies established by provincial legislation called the Police Services Act. The boards are accountable to the community, the Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services, and the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services located in Toronto.

The Ottawa Police Services Board (PSB) has seven members: three members of City Council, three citizens appointed by the Province as community representatives, and one citizen appointed by City Council as a community representative.

The current members of the Board are:

Provincial Appointees: Des Doran, Diane Guilmet-Harris, Henry Jensen,

Citizen appointed by City Council: Jim MacEwen (Vice-Chair)

City Council Representatives: Councillor Eli El-Chantiry (Chair), Councillor Maria McRae, Councillor Bob Monette,

Executive Director: Wendy Fedec

Special Investigations Unit

The actions of the Ottawa Police are examined by the Special Investigations Unit, a civilian agency responsible for investigating circumstances involving police and civilians that have resulted in a death, serious injury, or allegations of sexual assault. The SIU is dedicated to maintaining one law, ensuring equal justice before the law among both the police and the public. They assure that the criminal law is applied appropriately to police conduct, as determined through independent investigations, increasing public confidence in the police services. Complaints involving police conduct that do not result in a serious injury or death must be referred to the appropriate police service or to another oversight agency, such as the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services.

References

Commons: Ottawa Police Service – Album mit Bildern, Videos und Audiodateien

External links

• Ottawa Police Service website