The Ottawa Police Services Board held its first of two public consultations about the draft 2024 budget on Friday, with no public delegates in attendance.
Despite years of community advocacy groups calling on the City of Ottawa to freeze the police budget, Ottawa police argue that the force actually needs more money because of increased crime rates.
The board tabled its 2024 draft operating budget of $415.5 million on Nov. 8, reflecting a $13.4-million increase over the previous year.
Police chief Eric Stubbs said police officers need a larger budget since there has been “a significant rise in calls,” “increasing crime rates,” and “more complex demonstrations,” indicating the recent Israel and Palestinian demonstrations and ongoing protests associated with the Freedom Convoy.
“Reallocating funding to some of the many services and programs would give people more safety and police less work to do.”
Sam Hersh, community organizer
Crime rates in Ottawa continue to rise, showing an overall increase of seven per cent by mid-October compared to the corresponding period in 2022, according to police.
To address these challenges, the police board proposed a “staff stabilization strategy,” which aims to hire 555 police officers and civilian employees over the next three years.
Stubbs elaborated on the deployment of new police officers in response to a question from Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr. The police department will integrate new members from the Ontario Police College to “stabilize the frontline,” and transfer them into the neighbourhood resource and traffic teams as they become more experienced “to help bolster the district.”
During the meeting, Stubbs acknowledged “all our answers won’t be there in terms of the resources in year one.”
Some councillors aired their disappointment.
“I wish we were hiring more police officers at this round, but it is what it is,” Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry said at the end of the meeting.
If the budget plan is approved by city council without modification, the average urban household will pay $17 more in taxes ($697 per year in total) for their local police force in 2024, according to deputy chief Steve Bell. The added dollars would fund 25 new hires in 2024, along with 40 replacements of vacant positions.
“Ottawa’s population growth and the urban and suburban sprawl are outpacing the Ottawa Police Service’s growth, Stubbs said “Our staffing levels cannot keep up with the growth.”
“I wish we were hiring more police officers at this round, but it is what it is.”
Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry
Each year, Ottawa police ask the city for more money and always get it. However, some local community groups wonder if this is the best approach for ensuring a safer Ottawa.
Sam Hersh from Horizon Ottawa, a grassroots community advocacy group committed to dismantling oppression, said they “don’t think that’s a good use of taxpayer money.”
“Reallocating funding to some of the many services and programs would give people more safety and police less work to do,” he said.
In terms of the absence of public delegates at Friday’s meeting, Hersh said there’s been a decline in public delegations and participation after the new bylaws made it more difficult for people to speak because people “have to submit all comments beforehand” and only have “a very limited window” to do so.
“Ottawa Police Service Board was supposed to hold the police accountable,” Hersh said. “But in many cases, it’s the opposite, where the police board is like the police’s representatives to us, and they basically try to pass anything with a rubber stamp.”
The budget plan will require board approval on Nov. 27 after a second public consultation, followed by council approval on Dec. 6. Ottawa residents and local businesses who would like to share their thoughts on the police budget can complete a questionnaire before that.
