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OPS to provide text updates and feedback opportunities for emergency and non-emergency callers
Back to SearchFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 8, 2026 8:50 a.m.
(Ottawa) — Ottawa residents who call police for help will soon have more clarity and reassurance while they wait. Through CommunityConnect, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is introducing a new way to keep callers informed and engaged, offering text updates and feedback opportunities that put community connection at the heart of public safety.
Beginning January 15th, many residents and callers who contact OPS for help will receive timely text updates confirming their call was received, outlining next steps and providing a case number. These updates are designed to reduce uncertainty while residents wait for assistance, improve transparency and strengthen communication between OPS and the community.
When applicable, texts may also advise if police response will be delayed. Once the call is cleared, residents will receive a link to a short voluntary survey about their experience with OPS call takers and officers. Surveys will be available in both English and French and no confidential information will ever be shared by text.
What calls does this service apply to?
This service will apply only to priority 3 and 4 calls where there is no immediate threat to life or crime in progress. Calls involving sexual assault, intimate partner violence, abduction, bomb threats, alarms or demonstrations will not be part of the system. To ensure public safety, real-time updates will not be sent for in-progress incidents or situations where messaging could pose a risk to those involved.
“By providing updates and inviting feedback, we are improving transparency and strengthening the connection between police and the community,” said Eric Janus, Operations Manager of the Communications Centre.
What residents can expect
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A confirmation text that their call was received
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The associated case number
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Information about next steps
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Updates if police response will be delayed
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A link to an optional multilingual feedback survey
Residents will receive texts from 343-803-6032. If they call or text this number they will receive an automated message directing them to call police emergency and non-emergency lines.
Why this matters
OPS receives tens of thousands of calls for service each year. Based on 2024 data, OPS handled 62,795 priority 3 calls and 211,280 priority 4 calls, most of which will now qualify for text updates.
By providing consistent and accurate information OPS aims to:
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Reduce uncertainty for residents waiting for assistance
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Better understand resident experiences
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Identify opportunities to improve service delivery
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Provide constructive feedback to officers, communicators and call takers
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Detect emerging neighbourhood issues earlier
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Strengthen trust and transparency in our service
How feedback will be used
Survey responses will be gathered in the future and shared internally with OPS members. In the future, the accumulated data will also be published on the Community Safety Data Portal, where members of the public can view, download and interact with OPS data. OPS will continue to review the system to make updates and adjustments as needed.
Communities today have come to expect a higher standard of transparency, communication and service from organizations they engage with including public safety agencies. This technology is already being used in many other North American and Canadian services and has proven useful in gathering feedback both positive and negative. This feedback provides a clearer sense of how residents perceive their police service and helps OPS improve the way it responds to community needs.
This initiative is part of the OPS modernization program which includes investments in upgraded communications technology and improved service pathways for residents.
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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.
Help make your community safer: register your information and security camera location at CAMSafe.ca to support investigations.
CONTACT:
Media Relations
Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366