Yesterday Councillor Mathieu Fleury spoke with press about the surprise decision taken by Ottawa Police that – without consultation with the City – from April 2016 they would no longer respond to noise complaints.
As pointed out by the Councillor, responding to noise issues is a standard service provided by municipal police forces across Ontario. This service would be pushed to Bylaw enforcement which does not currently have the resources to handle it as the tax-funded force neglected to consult with councillors and no public discussions or mitigation strategies were established.
Engagement – Benefits of Community Policing
Services are crucial to the quality of life in any community. To step away from a service is unprofessional and, without ensuring that service is handed over effectively, potentially damaging. Direct law-enforcement engagement with the community provides important crime reduction and trust building opportunities. Foot-patrol barely exists in Ottawa and now is not the time to pull further service and opportunities for our police to engage and connect with the community.
Sandy Hill Seen 