The Ottawa Police Service’s recent decision to bring back the District Policing framework represents an important and welcome change for our city. Though it carries costs, this model promises more responsive, community-specific policing by addressing the distinct needs of each neighbourhood and deploying officers accordingly to build stronger connections with residents, organizations, and partners. Read MoreAs the city of Ottawa grows and changes, policing must adapt. The latest district policing model can be refined.
As the city of Ottawa grows and changes, policing must adapt. The latest district policing model can be refined.
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The Ottawa Police Service’s recent decision to bring back the District Policing framework represents an important and welcome change for our city. Though it carries costs, this model promises more responsive, community-specific policing by addressing the distinct needs of each neighbourhood and deploying officers accordingly to build stronger connections with residents, organizations, and partners.
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This shift also begins to undo the damaging legacy of an Ottawa police initiative launched in 2013 and rolled out in 2016 at great expense. That program was promoted to the Ottawa Police Services Board and the community as a strategy to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and enhance service quality through new technology and a real-time operations hub. However, the outcomes never matched the promises, and the anticipated savings or improvements in service delivery failed to materialize.
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Instead, OPS was left with a fragmented, transactional system that reduced its ability to understand and serve communities. The loss of community officers — those most effective at building long-term solutions — further distanced the service from residents and groups tackling root causes of crime such as poverty, inequality and social risks. Emergency patrols alone could never resolve these complex problems.
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Rather than investing in neighbourhood relationships, OPS leaned heavily on algorithms and assigned officers unfamiliar with communities to manage workflows — leading to scattered enforcement with little meaningful collaboration. The return to the district model is an essential step toward rebuilding trust, genuine engagement and sustainable public safety.
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Chief Eric Stubbs deserves recognition for building on earlier groundwork by his predecessor while steering the police service beyond the transaction-based methods of the initiative. His approach redefines police as a crucial — but properly limited — partner in shaping community safety, working alongside residents, NGOs and especially those who are most marginalized or at risk.
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Still, real transformation cannot come from simply reviving old systems. The earlier district model, while better than the 2013-16 initiative, lacked the agility and adaptability required to fully meet community needs and address internal staffing pressures. To secure lasting improvement, I propose three major innovation priorities.