At the board meeting, Stubbs said there would be other initiatives announced for the ByWard market “in the coming weeks.”
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The Ottawa Police Service says many of the initiatives outlined in its new Community Outreach Response and Engagement Strategy (CORE) strategy are expected to be in place in the next few weeks, as members of the community express their worries about the plan.
In a press conference on Monday, ahead of the Ottawa Police Service Board’s monthly meeting, Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs said the project’s timeline outlines that the new neighbourhood operations centre will open “in the latter part” of May.
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Several of the other programs will also be launched around that time and into June, the chief said.
“It is ramping up and in terms of sort of that spring busyness and people outside in the Market, so we’re aware of that and we will have a presence there, you know, today, if you will, but we’ll be layering more resources and some of our programs throughout the spring,” he said at the afternoon press conference.
At the board meeting, Stubbs said there would be other initiatives announced for the ByWard market “in the coming weeks.”
The Ottawa Police Services Board’s new Community Outreach Response and Engagement Strategy (CORE) has promised increased police presence in the city’s crime “hot spots” identified using data analytics, like the ByWard Market and surrounding area, along with a new neighbourhood operations centre in a Rideau Centre storefront.
Police said in a recent report that the strategy is focused on “sustainable prevention, deterrence, and enforcement solutions, and marks a shift from reactive policing to proactive management of community issues.”
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The Ontario government and the City of Ottawa reached a new funding deal in late March, with $48 million over three years to address community and public safety. That money will pay for an increase in uniformed police officers in the ByWard Market and on the transit system, along with alternative mental health supports.
Two members of the community participated in the meeting to share their concerns about the CORE plan.
Elizabeth Venczel, ByWard Market resident, criminology PhD student at uOttawa and a member of the Criminalization and Punishment Education Project, said she had several concerns about the plan, particularly the use of hotspot policing and community partnerships.
Venczel noted that hotspot policing is problematic, noting that predictive policing systems are racist, and lead to individuals being over policed, arrested, “or worse.”
“Hotspot policing has drawn valid criticism from professionals, academics and activists since it almost always results in discriminatory practices and increased police brutality,” Venczel said. “Communities with limited resources experience a higher rate of documented policing than affluent neighbourhoods and this will only increase with the implementation of the neighbourhood operation centre.”
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“Hotspot policing in the ByWard Market is a complete violation of our human rights.”
Venczel said she was also concerned that the plan was highlighting community partnerships, noting that it was “attempting to hide the fact that it’s investing in punishment” by claiming to partner with community-based organizations.
“Rather than investing directly into community organizations that deal with the root causes of harm, such as mental health and substance use services, life skills training, affordable housing, after-school programs for youth and free breakfast programs, OPS is de-legitimizing the efforts of these organizations,” Venczel said.
More to come…
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