The Ottawa Police Service will be launching a series of community safety initiatives this summer to focus on reducing incidents of crime and public disorder in the ByWard Market and Downtown Rideau, beginning this weekend.
“We will be conducting safety initiatives, throughout the warmer months with a zero-tolerance approach to disorderly behaviour, such as Liquor Licence Act offences, criminal activity and aggressive panhandling that negatively impacts residents, visitors and businesses,” said OPS frontline superintendent Mark Ford.
Ottawa Police officers will be joined by partners, such as Ottawa Bylaw, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and OC Transpo, as part of these enforcement initiatives.
As in summers past, there will be an increased presence of officers on bikes and foot in the ByWard Market and other high-density neighbourhoods throughout the city. In addition to these resources, the bikes and beat unit, the traffic unit, RIDE programs, the drug unit, the guns and gangs unit and the direct action response team will be active in these areas as well.
“We have heard the concerns of both businesses and residents in the downtown core,” added Supt. Ford. “We are actively working to alleviate some of these issues to ensure everyone can enjoy this great area of the city.”
Ottawa Police is asking for community support for this initiative to be successful. If community members see a crime, report it. They can do so online http://www.ottawapolice.ca/onlinereporting, by calling the non-emergency number 613-236-1222, extension 7300, or by dialling 911 in the case of an emergency.