Ottawa Police Service Chief Eric Stubbs has characterized 2025 as a "very busy" year, marked by significant operational demands. In a year-end interview with the Ottawa Citizen, the chief reflected on the challenges faced by his force and the road ahead following a substantial budget increase from city council.
A Year of Major Events and Growing Pressures
Chief Stubbs highlighted that the service's workload was significantly increased by a rise in demonstrations, which diverted resources from proactive policing teams with other core mandates. The capital city also hosted several high-profile events requiring major police management, including a visit from the King and Queen and the Ironman triathlon.
A pronounced challenge identified by Stubbs is the situation in Ottawa's downtown core. He pointed to an increasing vulnerable population that is overwhelming social service agencies. This has contributed to public concerns about safety, social disorder, and open drug use.
Funding Boost to Address Chronic Staffing Gaps
After advocating for more resources to deal with a staffing and resource crunch, the Ottawa Police Service successfully secured a large budget increase for the coming year. Stubbs expressed gratitude for the council's support but was cautious about immediate solutions.
"Unfortunately, we have a lot of gaps to fill and a lot of people from the community want our presence," Stubbs stated. He described the need for a multi-year effort to right-size the police force relative to Ottawa's population, emphasizing the unique demands of policing the national capital.
The service is now embarking on a long-term forecasting exercise with the police board and City Hall to project needs and provide cost certainty for the community over the next four years.
Responding to Community Budget Concerns
When asked about criticism from activists who argue police funding could be better spent on community initiatives, Chief Stubbs defended the budget increase. He asserted that the "overwhelming majority" of citizens want a greater police presence in their neighbourhoods and that feedback on the budget was very positive.
Stubbs reiterated his support for mental-health alternatives and social agencies, but clarified, "not at the expense of our budget." He emphasized that the police service's funding is crucial to maintaining public safety and responding to the diverse calls for service that define policing in Ottawa.
As 2025 concludes, the Ottawa Police Service, under Chief Eric Stubbs, looks to a future where increased funding must translate into tangible improvements in staffing, community presence, and the management of ongoing public safety challenges.
