The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has reported that the Community Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) Strategy has led to positive outcomes in the community, it said in a news release.
OPS explained that an increase in the number of officers on foot patrol in high-priority areas has resulted in a 17.9 per cent reduction in calls for service and a 4.62 per cent reduction in crime, across all hot spots.
As a part of the CORE strategy, police patrols are present in eight high-priority hot spot areas — with officers conducting foot patrols during peak times.
“The current analysis shows a clear correlation between proactive policing and decreased calls for service,” officials added.
The initiative, which launched in June 2024, was designed to address the unique challenges ByWard Market, Rideau Street corridor and Sandy Hill north area are facing.
According to OPS, “It is a proactive, evidence-based, and harm-focused community policing strategy that ensures police presence in the right place at the right time.”
Recent formal agreements with the Rideau Business Improvement Area and ByWard Market District Authority have helped to identify 20 high-priority addresses for initial Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) audits and reports.
As a part of CPTED, strategies include surveillance and access control.
These improvements mark a milestone in enhancing public safety and community engagement in Ottawa’s downtown core. While police are seeing positive results in crime reduction and community safety, the city continues to grapple with a public health crisis, wrote OPS.
While Ottawa Public Health (OPH) confirmed 188 confirmed overdose deaths in 2023, preliminary data for 2024 shows the city is set to surpass last year’s number.
Based on data from OPH, there have already been 244 suspected overdose fatalities reported, as of November.
“This marks the fourth consecutive year of rising overdose deaths in the National Capital, highlighting the urgency for continued collaborative efforts to support vulnerable populations,” wrote OPS.