Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs has confirmed that some officers are using police databases to run the license plates of women they find attractive, a practice he describes as illegal and part of a broader sexual misconduct problem within the force. In a video message to officers in May, Stubbs said that officers are “seeing a woman at a coffee shop, coming out of a gym, driving next to them, getting their license plates and running them on the system,” effectively turning police databases into “their own way to meet women.”
John sting operation nets 11 arrests
The Ottawa Police Service conducted a “John sting” operation in early June targeting individuals seeking paid sexual services from minors. The operation, planned over four months, involved an undercover female officer who advertised herself as an 18-year-old sex worker. Sgt. Amanda Larche, the officer in question, told Radio-Canada that the phone “didn’t stop ringing” once the ad ran. When contact was established, she would reveal she was younger than 18, but her team was “flabbergasted” that this news did not deter potential clients. The result: 11 people arrested and 26 charges laid.
Police culture under scrutiny
This sting operation, the first of its kind in a decade, marks a shift in focus toward clients rather than just pimps. Larche noted that if there were no demand for sex work, there would be no trafficking. However, the police force’s own record on sexual misconduct remains a major concern. Five separate reviews within 10 years have failed to change the culture. Stubbs acknowledged in a CBC interview that solving the problem is “gnarly,” adding, “If there was a program that existed, we’d all be doing it.” Critics argue that enforcing the law should be straightforward, as other workplaces manage to avoid routine misconduct.
Public pressure and hope
The Ottawa Police Services Board held its first public in-person meeting in over three years, pressuring the OPS to report quarterly on progress. While this is a step forward, it falls short of fixing the underlying issues. Brigitte Pellerin, an Ottawa writer, expressed cautious optimism, stating that “continued and sustained public pressure” and naming the problem clearly may force police leadership to change their culture. “It’s just the law, as other workplaces manage not to break so routinely,” Pellerin wrote.
