Policing Ottawa 2017 to cost $1.5M, force estimates

The Ottawa Police Service estimates keeping the capital secure during celebrations for Canada's 150thbirthday next year will cost$1.5 million.

Ottawa police hopeto recoup those 2017 costs with revenue from hiring out off-duty officers and funding from other levels of government, butnot fromtaxes, said Chief CharlesBordeleau.

Officers earn "paid duty"when they're hired by outside organizationssuch as festivals or construction companiesto oversee traffic or security at public events or construction sites. The organizations also pay the police service for the use of its officers.

2017 will be a different type of pressure.- Chief Charles Bordeleau

"We've got 10 fairly significant events that are being planned. So we're doing the assessment as far as what's the resource requirement, what's the threat assessment around those," he said.

"I don't think you'll see the same level of activity from apaid duty perspective that we're seeing this year, because there's a lot of construction this year, a lot of demands.So,2017 will be a different type of pressure," said Bordeleau.

According to a financial status report earlier this year, Ottawa police were anticipating more than$1 million in revenue from paid duty in 2016.

• Ottawa police facing $2M overtime deficit after shootings, homicides

Open-door meeting

The estimate for policing2017 events came at a public session of the Ottawa police finance and audit committee.

Until recently, police standing committees had been meeting behind closed doors, asCBC reported earlier this year.

• Ottawa police committees hold secret meetings
• Wynne says police services board committee meetings should be public
• Ottawa Police Board to vote on opening secret meetings

Although the draft police budget will not be tabled until Nov. 9, Ottawa police estimate their total spending on operationswill be $319 million in 2017, with 81 per cent of that taken going to compensation.

The police service plans to hire 25 new officers next yearat a cost of $2.1 million,which would bring the number of sworn officers to 1,379.The number of civilian positions would remain at 604.

But the force will need to make some choices if it's going to stay within a budget that'slimited by a 2 per cent tax increase, or an additional$8.9 million.

Force plans to rein in overtime in 2017

Debra Frazer, directorgeneral of the Ottawa Police Service, said police are overspending on overtime in 2016 because of the city's many shootings, as well as the gathering of Hells Angels in Carlsbad Springs over the summer.

The force plans to keep overtime under $3 million andlimit new projects in 2017, said Frazer.

At a meeting of Ottawa council meeting earlier Wednesday, Coun. RileyBrockingtonasked for the chief to appear in the coming weeks to allow councillors to ask questions about police priorities and spending ahead of budget day.

Six councillorstook advantage of Wednesday's opencommittee meeting to ask questions about police spending.

"That's great. That's a good start," said Brockington, as he left the meeting. "I'm certainly very interested inthe details of how the police put their budget together."