Ottawa Police Services Board Expands Neighborhood Resource Officer Teams Across Core Wards

OTTAWA, ON — The Ottawa Police Services Board finalized an operational reallocation plan on Saturday, authorizing the deployment of 28 dedicated Neighborhood Resource Team (NRT) officers to establish permanent foot and bicycle patrols across downtown commercial corridors.

Community Policing Model and Tactical Focus

The dedicated officers will focus on high-visibility proactive patrols in the ByWard Market, Rideau Street retail district, Bank Street, and the Vanier commercial corridor. The initiative follows targeted enforcement operations that resulted in multiple arrests for retail theft, open drug trafficking, and weapon possession over recent weeks.

The NRT model pairs officers with municipal outreach social workers and mental health crisis clinicians to divert vulnerable individuals into supportive shelters while maintaining visible enforcement against repeat criminal offenders.

Business and Resident Response

The ByWard Market District Authority and downtown business improvement areas strongly endorsed the deployment, noting that consistent officer presence restores consumer confidence and reduces commercial property vandalism.

Community health organizations emphasized the importance of maintaining strong coordination between law enforcement and municipal safe-consumption and housing navigators.

Deployment Schedule

The newly assigned officers will commence foot patrols on Monday, August 24, operating in staggered morning and evening shifts seven days a week.