According to a report released by Ottawa police, reports of violent crime in Ottawa have increased by 20 per cent between 2016 and 2017.
According to police, violent crime refers to violations in the Criminal Code of Canada identified as “crimes against the person.” Specifically, a violent crime is any crime where physical or verbal threats of violence are made against a person. This category can include offences such as homicide, attempted murder, assault, robbery, sexual assault and uttering threats or intimidation.
“This increase was driven by a rise in uttering threats, harassing communications, assaults and sexual violations offences,” said Ottawa police in the report. “Factors such as greater public awareness and improved access to reporting have contributed to the increased reporting.”
“We’ve seen in the last two years an increase in violence and guns and that is obviously a preoccupation of all of us and it was one of the reasons why we wanted to move forward above and beyond the 75 new police officers we hired this term to hire an additional 10,” said Mayor Jim Watson.
Watson and police board chair Eli El-Chantiry released a memo last week informing council that they intend to seek to hire these 10 additional officers with projected funding from other levels of government to even out the cost.
That vote will be brought to the police board at their monthly meeting on June 25 and should it pass there, will go to city council to vote on.
— With files from Beatrice Britneff
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