In a candid year-end discussion, Ottawa's top law enforcement official has outlined the most significant obstacle facing the city's police service in the coming year. Chief Eric Stubbs sat down with CTV's Patricia Boal for a wide-ranging interview, where he pinpointed the relentless pressure to meet public demand as the foremost challenge for 2026.
The Core Challenge: Scaling Resources with Demand
Chief Eric Stubbs emphasized that the central issue for the Ottawa Police Service is not a lack of will or strategy, but the practical difficulty of scaling resources to match the volume and complexity of calls for service. The force is grappling with an ever-growing list of responsibilities, from responding to emergencies and investigating crimes to community engagement and preventative initiatives. Stubbs indicated that finding sustainable ways to manage this workload, while maintaining effectiveness and public trust, will be the defining task of the next twelve months.
Context of a Busy Service Year
The Chief's remarks come at the end of a year that has seen the Ottawa police involved in a wide array of incidents, reflecting the diverse demands on the service. While not directly cited in the interview, the operational environment includes everything from major investigations to traffic enforcement. The force's duties are broad and unrelenting, requiring constant adaptation and resource allocation.
Stubbs's identification of this challenge suggests a focus on operational efficiency, staffing, and potentially technological solutions in the year ahead. The goal will be to ensure that response times are maintained, investigations are thorough, and the community feels adequately served and protected despite the pressures.
Looking Ahead to 2026
While Chief Stubbs did not delve into specific budgetary or staffing requests during the highlighted interview segment, framing "keeping up with demands" as the biggest challenge sets a clear agenda. It signals to the Ottawa Police Services Board, city council, and the public that the coming year will require careful planning and potentially difficult decisions about priorities and funding.
The interview, conducted in late December 2025, serves as a strategic preview of the police service's focus areas. Residents of Ottawa can expect the force's leadership to frame discussions around service delivery models, resource deployment, and community safety outcomes through the lens of this central challenge throughout 2026.
