Ottawa Police Service
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| Ottawa Police Service |
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| Established | 1995 (OPS), 1855 (Original) |
| Jurisdiction | Municipal |
| Sworn | 1138 |
| Non-sworn | 362 |
| Stations | 5 |
| Chief | Vernon White |
| Website | http://www.ottawapolice.ca/ |
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) (Service de police d'Ottawa in French) serves the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
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[edit] 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.[1]
[edit] Organization
The current Chief of Police is Vern White, formerly of the Durham Regional Police.
The rank structure consists of the following: 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st Class Constables, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Inspector, 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 $71,000, 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 fives highest paid services in the Province.
[edit] 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 their assets and personnel when on Department of National Defence property, however, military police officers are also sworn peace officers and have law enforcement powers outside of DND property as well thought they would not usually be used 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.
[edit] Operations
OPS has five police stations and 19 community policing centres.
[edit] Patrol Operations
- East Division
- Central Division
- West Division
[edit] Criminal Investigative Services
- Major Crime Section
- Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Section
- Partner Assault Section
- Organized Auto Theft
- Guns and Gangs Unit
- Fraud Section
- Elder Abuse Section
- General Investigative Services
- Break and Enter Response
- Victim Crisis Unit
- High Tech Crime Unit
[edit] Support Services
- Communications
- Courts, Temporary Custody and Victim Services
- Telephone Response Unit (Call takers for minor crimes with no investigative leads)
[edit] Emergency Operations
- Tactical Section
- Canine Section
- Emergency Services Unit
- Marine Unit
- Underwater Search and Recovery Unit
- Collision Investigation Unit
[edit] Corporate Services
- Quartermaster
[edit] Executive Services
- Professional Standards Section
[edit] Fleet
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 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor cars 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:[2]
| Vehicle | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Ford Crown Victoria/Police Interceptor | 170 |
| Chevrolet Impala | 27 |
| Dodge Charger | 4 |
| Other sedans | 158 |
| Vans | 50 |
| SUVs/Small Trucks | 44 |
| Motorcycles | 30 |
| Trailers | 17 |
| ATVs/Snowmobiles | 8 |
| Boats | 5 |
| Specialty vehicles | 6 |
| Total | 519 |
[edit] Racial profiling
The Ottawa Police have been accused of amid racial profiling amongst the cities visible minorities. In 2004, an 18-year old black teenager was driving home in his mothers Mercedes-Benz with his window down when an Ottawa Police officer immediately did a U-turn and began to follow him. The officer pulled over the teen for no apparent reason.
The young man asked the police officer, "Is there any way I can have your badge number, sir?"
The officer then replied, "No you can't, why? 666 is my badge number."
The teen then asked if he could have the officers name and he replied, "666." [2] The young man says that the officer tried to provoke him and then physically assaulted him. Using his cellphone, the young man recorded part of the ordeal which was released to Ottawa media. The case like many others in the past, is under internal investigation by the Ottawa Police.
In January 2004, Ottawa police were called to the Ambassador Bar & Grill on Bank street after two white men in a snow plow pulled into the single lane driveway when a black man was exiting; it's said that both parties refused to move. An anonymous party placed a 911 call to the Ottawa police, claiming that seven black men were touting guns, hammers, and knives and threatening the anonymous callers life. Within minutes, over 10 Ottawa police cruisers were on the scene with the tactical unit. At this point the police order everyone handcuffed; the only one in the restaurant not handcuffed was a white contractor. The restaurants co-owner, who is black, claims an officer threw him against the wall, choked him, and injured his arm before arresting him and bringing him to the downtown police station holding cell with the other 8 black men at the restaurant during the time.
An internal tribunal cleared the officers of any misconduct. [3] The case was criticized by the Ontario Human Rights Commission who referred the case to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal. The Commission who had representatives present during the ordeal said that there was ample evidence to suggest the police acted discriminatingly due to the men's skin color and ethnic background. The Commission also suggested there was evidence that showed at least two of the officers used excessive force against the black men.
[edit] The Special Investigations Unit
The actions of the Ottawa Police Service 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.
[edit] Police brutality
There have been several cases of alleged police brutality by members of the Ottawa Police services. Most notable, Constable Martin Cardinal was caught on camcorder banging a female's head on his cruiser. Cardinal was convicted, but ordered to rejoin the force. [4] In 2005, yet another assault by members of the Ottawa police was recorded on camera. Constable Shane Henderson was caught on tape assaulting a civilian from Montreal at a Tim Hortons coffee shop. [5]The case is still under investigation.
