| Ottawa Police Service Service de police d'Ottawa |
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| Logo of the Ottawa Police Service. | |
| Motto | Community Service Communautaire |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1995 (OPS), 1855 (Original) |
| Annual budget | $237 million (2011)[1] |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Legal jurisdiction | City of Ottawa |
| General nature |
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| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Elected officer responsible | The Honourable Jim Bradley, Ontario Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services |
| Agency executive | Vern White, Chief of Police |
| Facilities | |
| Stations | 5 |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) (Service de police d'Ottawa in French) serves the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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The OPS roots come from the formation of the "Bytown Association" in 1847.[2] In 1855 Roderick Ross was the first Chief Constable for the newly formed City of Ottawa. Over time, neighbouring 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.[3]
Over the course of Ottawa's history, the Police forces have lost 14 officers in the line of duty.[4]
The current Chief of Police is Vern White, formerly of the Durham Regional Police Service.
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.[5]
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.
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.
OPS has five police stations and 19 community policing centres.[6]
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, a Cessna 206 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:[7]
| 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 |
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