Not defund the police. Instead, I will modernize our emergency services to ensure we are delivering a safer Ottawa for everyone.
Invest in priority areas including violence against women (including victim support), hate and bias crimes, and gun violence. I’ll also ensure there are more ambulances available to reduce or eliminate the number of “level zero” events.
Act immediately to address at-risk neighbourhoods to make them safer for residents and visitors.
Invest in social services and introduce new, multi-faceted, compassionate solutions for vulnerable citizens struggling with substance use disorder and mental illness.
Ensure proper oversight by the Police Services Board and increase opportunities for community representation and input to re-establish trust and ensure our police service is better for everyone.
Unfortunately, Ottawa is not as safe as it used to be. And confidence in our emergency services has declined dramatically for a number of reasons:
Violent crime rose by 12 per cent from 2020 to 2021. In 2021, Ottawa’s crime rate and the severity of crime were higher than Toronto’s. And in the first half of this year, crime was up 25 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, with rises in threats, car thefts, assaults, sexual assaults and robberies.
Ottawa has experienced a decline in confidence in its police service, with concerns about systemic issues and a failure of leadership during the convoy in February.
In the first seven months of 2022, Ottawa’s ambulance service was at “level zero” 750 times, meaning there were no ambulances available to dispatch, leaving residents vulnerable.
It’s time to take the politics out of policing. We cannot cut spending on emergency services, including policing, when crime is rising and the city is short on available paramedics. Instead, we must invest in and modernize emergency services, address leadership issues, inequities, and systemic flaws, and restore public trust.
Residents of Ottawa must be confident that not only are there enough resources available to respond in an emergency, but that their police service treats all people and all communities consistently and equitably, and is responsive to public concerns.
We need a fresh approach that sees the city’s police and other protective services work together with community partners and social service agencies and other levels of government to deliver a safer Ottawa for everyone.
A new approach is also needed when it comes to paramedic services. Residents must be able to count on ambulances being available when they need them.
Reject calls to defund our police service. Some candidates in this race have voted to cut funding from our emergency services. Some activist organizations are advocating that the police budget be slashed by over $200M. I do not support either of these proposals.
Add at least 100 new positions over the next four years, with a focus on priority areas including violence against women, hate and bias crimes against marginalized communities, and gun violence.
I will sit on the Board, and ensure every region of our city is represented on the Board.
I will work with Council and the provincial government to ensure that each group of appointees to the Board have the necessary skills, experience, diversity and training to hold the leadership of our police service accountable for their performance.
Working with others, I will recruit a strong independent community member who is qualified not only to serve on the Police Services Board but also step into the role of Chair.
Improve our response to violent offences involving firearms. There was a record number of investigations into shootings in Ottawa in 2021. The Guns and Gangs unit of the Ottawa Police Service needs to be prioritized to ensure they are receiving the resources needed to address gun violence.
Place greater emphasis on preventing and reporting gender-based violence, including instances of domestic abuse, sexual assault and harassment. This means directly and regularly engaging organizations who provide support and resources to victims of gender-based violence, such as the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa and the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre.
Ensure members of the Ottawa Police Service are adequately trained and resourced to respond in a timely and compassionate manner to incidents of gender-based violence, sexual assault, and harassment.
Accelerate and expand the city’s anti-racism strategy to ensure the community is safe for everyone. This includes improved training for emergency and protective services, increasing diversity in those services, and regularly consulting with communities to ensure incidents of racially-motivated crime are adequately addressed.
Reform the Emergency Measures Management Unit so that first responders are prepared to respond to a range of situations, from a major occupation such as the convoy, to a massive power outage. This reform will provide better collaboration and accountability for responding entities, rather than laying blame and playing politics when residents expect results.
Renegotiate the annual funding arrangement between the federal government and the city to ensure local taxpayers are not covering the costs of policing a national capital.
Make more ambulances available by investing $5 million in paramedic services to hire 42 paramedics, with funding from the provincial government.
Work with the provincial government to shorten wait times for patient transfers at hospitals in the city with the highest wait times, so health care costs are no longer being downloaded on the city.
Support the piloting of community paramedicine, in which emergency medical technicians operate in expanded roles by assisting with public health and primary healthcare and preventive services.
Expand the Targeted Engagement and Diversion frontline service program, which provides immediate care to individuals with symptoms of substance abuse and mental illness who would otherwise occupy ambulance and hospital capacity.
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