Ottawa Police Service 2022 Annual Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 26, 2023    11:51 a.m.

(Ottawa) – The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has issued its 2022 Annual Report, which, along with Ward data maps, is now available on our website at ottawapolice.ca.

The Annual Report highlights the work OPS members are doing to serve and protect the residents of Ottawa, providing an overview of the number of calls for service, police response times, initiatives to support victims of crime and modernize policing. 

“A common theme that I hear from business owners, concerned citizens and community groups is the need for more policing in their communities; that the work we do to ensure our city’s safety is important to our neighbourhoods’ well-being,” stated Chief Eric Stubbs. “The demand often exceeds our resources, and we are working to identify gaps and develop models that maximize our efficiency to respond to calls for service effectively.”  

Ottawa remains one of the largest geographical areas of coverage for any police service, nearly six times the size of the City of Toronto and about twice that of comparable populations in Edmonton and Calgary.

As we transition from the pandemic, it is important to highlight the comparability between these two periods. As a result, several public safety metrics have risen compared to the previous year. 

Here are some of the highlights from 2022:  

• Demand for service increased nearly 4 percent in 2022 to 370,000 requests for service, translating into 8,600 more calls received through the dispatch system and 4,700 more reports received online.   
• With approximately 43,000 reported Criminal Code of Canada offences (excluding traffic) in the city of Ottawa, the level of reported crime increased by 19 percent last year.    
• The clearance rate for total Criminal Code offences (excluding traffic) declined by 3 percent with 29 percent of all cases cleared by charge or cleared otherwise.   
• Ottawa’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) increased by over 12 percent last year to 54 points (Violent CSI 3 percent; Non-Violent CSI 17 percent).   
• The volume of reported violent crimes increased by 6 percent in 2022, driven by assaults, threats, and robberies.   
• Property related offences increased by 26 percent in 2022 primarily due to increases in the number of thefts (including shoplifting), thefts from motor vehicles, and commercial break and enters.    
• There were 13 homicide incidents in 2022 with 15 victims, and a 107 percent clearance rate including historical cases solved.    
• The number of shootings has declined from 82 in 2021 to 60 in 2022 (-27%).   
• OPS officers seized 107 crime guns.  
• Naloxone was administered 104 times by officers to help save lives last year.   
• The number of collisions on our roadways increased by 40 percent to 15,100 collisions while fatalities increased by 15 percent to 23 on Ottawa roadways.  

Strategic Planning

“I’m looking forward to developing a new Strategic Plan with the Police Services Board and in tandem with the community through a multi-tiered consultative approach that can help to inform OPS on priority areas of focus for our Service,” said Chief Stubbs.

Ottawa Police members are committed to the safety, security and well-being of all residents and visitors of the Nation’s Capital.

The 2022 Annual Report highlights the excellent work our members do, in partnership with our communities and frontline agencies, to prevent and investigate crime and to develop programs and services that support the safety and well-being of our communities.

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CONTACT:

Media Relations Section         

Tel: 613-236-1222, ext. 5366

@OttawaPolice  

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