2SLGBTQQIA+

Ottawa Police Service and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Community of Ottawa

The Ottawa Police Service is currently working alongside key stakeholders, to determine how to best proceed to build meaningful and sustainable relationships between the OPS and the intersectional 2SLGBTQQIA+ community of Ottawa.


What has been done so far?

Since 1991, the OPS GLBT Liaison Committee has played a vital role in improving services to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community of Ottawa.

In 2018, the committee, on the advice of its members, voted to terminate the committee and enlist the services of Catalyst Research and Communications to conduct a comprehensive community consultation and report back. Work is currently underway, in order to forage the best path forward and complete the outstanding recommendations of the report.

Please review the Reports, to see what the community had to say!


2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer

In August 2022, the OPS welcomed Cst. Amanda Williams (she/her) in joining the Respect Values and Inclusion Directorate, as the full time 2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer. As a member of 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and a long-standing resident of Ottawa herself, Cst. Williams brings strong values in community policing and strives to be a role model for youth.



2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer Roles and Responsibilities

An Overview

The role of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer (LO) serves to increase and improve trust and confidence in the Ottawa Police Service by the 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities. Fundamental to achieving this is being an effective channel of communication to link internal & external agencies. This must include raising the awareness of 2SLGBTQQIA+ matters with a focus regarding the intersectionality of marginalized individuals such as Newcomers, Racialized, Youth, Street Involved and sharing information.

The 2SLGBTQQIA+ LO may be assigned to strategic and deployable duties to develop reassurance, building, and maintaining trust & confidence in the Ottawa Police Service. Furthermore, LO will be pivotal in supporting critical incidents and day-to-day police investigations to encourage crime incident reporting and providing community input from 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Lastly, the 2SLGBTQQIA+ LO is a resource on Gender identity and Sexual Orientation for all members of the service by developing training in relation to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Community to all new recruits, and employees within the Police Service. As part of such, the LO attending continuing education opportunities, conferences and training related to and hosted by 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities are paramount.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities

Increase the trust and confidence of 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities

  • Serve as a single point of contact to facilitate communication between 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and OPS.
  • Develop initiatives to encourage the reporting of 2SLGBTQQIA+ crime/incidents.
  • Facilitate effective two-way communication between the community and the OPS
  • Engage with community and partner agencies to evaluate and improve police-led outreach initiatives and participate in community events.
  • Work with the community to develop and implement strategies to prevent hate crimes within the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.
  • Support our recruitment program to ensure that it actively advertises to 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities; and
  • Support joint Community / OPS projects and initiatives.

Transparency

  • Effectively use online engagement website in real time to problem-solve, maintain open relationships, improve public trust and confidence to identify gaps, overlaps and inconsistences.
  • Maintain Social Media presence to broaden the scope of reach and showcase initiatives, outreach and participation in community-led events.

Ensure continuity

  • Ensure that records of work conducted in the community, in a format that is accessible to all colleagues and community members, and for those future Liaison Officers, are maintained.
    • Participate as ex-officio member of the Community Equity Council and any working groups under the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community direction.

Relationship and Partnership Building

  • Network extensively with city wide coalitions, community groups, and social agencies on issues pertaining to 2SLGBTQQIA+ people through community engagement and strategic partnerships.
  • Prioritize and address emerging and trending issues within the community at the earliest opportunity and provide information on police processes to other stakeholders.

Officer support and Investigation

  • Assist, advise, and consult with other officers on cases involving 2SLGBTQQIA+ matters.
  • Support the Hate Crimes Unit with homophobic and transphobic hate crime investigations.
  • Act as a resource for Hate Crime investigators, Intimate Partner violence, Sexual Assault Unit with regards to liaison with victims, witnesses (who identify as 2SLGBTQQIA+) and referrals to appropriate support agencies.
  • Assist with community complaints, mediation, and other matters which require an 2SLGBTQQIA+ focus

Promoting awareness of 2SLBGTQQIA+ matters

  • Provide training, or organize a training with a experts, for OPS members on 2SLGBTQQIA+ topics, including proper pronoun use, how to correctly identify a hate crime based on sexual orientation or gender identity, etc.
  • Raise the profile of Liaison Officer role across the OPS to ensure that our police officers and investigators are conversant with their roles and the services available to victims and witnesses (i.e. refer suitable incidents to the Liaison Officer).
  • Develop an understanding of general 2SLGBTQQIA+ matters with colleagues and the diversity which exists within the community.



Please contact Cst Amanda Williams with any questions, concerns, outreach and educational opportunities. Learn a little bit more by clicking her Bio.

Ottawa Police Service and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Community of Ottawa

The Ottawa Police Service is currently working alongside key stakeholders, to determine how to best proceed to build meaningful and sustainable relationships between the OPS and the intersectional 2SLGBTQQIA+ community of Ottawa.


What has been done so far?

Since 1991, the OPS GLBT Liaison Committee has played a vital role in improving services to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community of Ottawa.

In 2018, the committee, on the advice of its members, voted to terminate the committee and enlist the services of Catalyst Research and Communications to conduct a comprehensive community consultation and report back. Work is currently underway, in order to forage the best path forward and complete the outstanding recommendations of the report.

Please review the Reports, to see what the community had to say!


2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer

In August 2022, the OPS welcomed Cst. Amanda Williams (she/her) in joining the Respect Values and Inclusion Directorate, as the full time 2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer. As a member of 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and a long-standing resident of Ottawa herself, Cst. Williams brings strong values in community policing and strives to be a role model for youth.



2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer Roles and Responsibilities

An Overview

The role of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Liaison Officer (LO) serves to increase and improve trust and confidence in the Ottawa Police Service by the 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities. Fundamental to achieving this is being an effective channel of communication to link internal & external agencies. This must include raising the awareness of 2SLGBTQQIA+ matters with a focus regarding the intersectionality of marginalized individuals such as Newcomers, Racialized, Youth, Street Involved and sharing information.

The 2SLGBTQQIA+ LO may be assigned to strategic and deployable duties to develop reassurance, building, and maintaining trust & confidence in the Ottawa Police Service. Furthermore, LO will be pivotal in supporting critical incidents and day-to-day police investigations to encourage crime incident reporting and providing community input from 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Lastly, the 2SLGBTQQIA+ LO is a resource on Gender identity and Sexual Orientation for all members of the service by developing training in relation to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Community to all new recruits, and employees within the Police Service. As part of such, the LO attending continuing education opportunities, conferences and training related to and hosted by 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities are paramount.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities

Increase the trust and confidence of 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities

  • Serve as a single point of contact to facilitate communication between 2SLGBTQQIA+ community and OPS.
  • Develop initiatives to encourage the reporting of 2SLGBTQQIA+ crime/incidents.
  • Facilitate effective two-way communication between the community and the OPS
  • Engage with community and partner agencies to evaluate and improve police-led outreach initiatives and participate in community events.
  • Work with the community to develop and implement strategies to prevent hate crimes within the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.
  • Support our recruitment program to ensure that it actively advertises to 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities; and
  • Support joint Community / OPS projects and initiatives.

Transparency

  • Effectively use online engagement website in real time to problem-solve, maintain open relationships, improve public trust and confidence to identify gaps, overlaps and inconsistences.
  • Maintain Social Media presence to broaden the scope of reach and showcase initiatives, outreach and participation in community-led events.

Ensure continuity

  • Ensure that records of work conducted in the community, in a format that is accessible to all colleagues and community members, and for those future Liaison Officers, are maintained.
    • Participate as ex-officio member of the Community Equity Council and any working groups under the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community direction.

Relationship and Partnership Building

  • Network extensively with city wide coalitions, community groups, and social agencies on issues pertaining to 2SLGBTQQIA+ people through community engagement and strategic partnerships.
  • Prioritize and address emerging and trending issues within the community at the earliest opportunity and provide information on police processes to other stakeholders.

Officer support and Investigation

  • Assist, advise, and consult with other officers on cases involving 2SLGBTQQIA+ matters.
  • Support the Hate Crimes Unit with homophobic and transphobic hate crime investigations.
  • Act as a resource for Hate Crime investigators, Intimate Partner violence, Sexual Assault Unit with regards to liaison with victims, witnesses (who identify as 2SLGBTQQIA+) and referrals to appropriate support agencies.
  • Assist with community complaints, mediation, and other matters which require an 2SLGBTQQIA+ focus

Promoting awareness of 2SLBGTQQIA+ matters

  • Provide training, or organize a training with a experts, for OPS members on 2SLGBTQQIA+ topics, including proper pronoun use, how to correctly identify a hate crime based on sexual orientation or gender identity, etc.
  • Raise the profile of Liaison Officer role across the OPS to ensure that our police officers and investigators are conversant with their roles and the services available to victims and witnesses (i.e. refer suitable incidents to the Liaison Officer).
  • Develop an understanding of general 2SLGBTQQIA+ matters with colleagues and the diversity which exists within the community.



Please contact Cst Amanda Williams with any questions, concerns, outreach and educational opportunities. Learn a little bit more by clicking her Bio.

  • Hate Crimes on the Rise

    (Ottawa) – The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) has seen a significant rise in the number of reported hate and bias motivated incidents, with a 23.5 percent increase from 2022 year to date.

    “As a police service we have zero tolerance for any type of hate-motivated incident,” said Chief Eric Stubbs. “We want the community to know that we take every report seriously and we will fully investigate each incident. Hateful rhetoric, crimes, and incidents are unacceptable. These incidents threaten the peace and security of our families, our friends, our neighbours, and visitors to our city.”

    In a recent incident, a person from the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community was specifically targeted in a robbery.

    “I met with representatives from the Pride communities and had an open discussion about their concerns,” said Chief Stubbs. “As a police service, we fully support the 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities and we are working with them to ensure that people who attend public events feel safe doing so. We continue to work towards a strong relationship with the 2SLGBTQQIA+ communities to further build trust.”

    Of the 221 reported hate-motivated incidents to date in 2023, 158 have been deemed criminal and 63 have been determined to be hate-motivated but non-criminal. Twenty-three people have been charged with 56 counts of hate-motivated offences, with one (1) formal charge of public incitement of hatred.

    In recent months, Ottawa has seen an increase in hate-motivated incidents that range from robbery to threats, to assault and harassment. In the past few years, these numbers have been steadily increasing, with 340 reports filed in 2021, and 377 submitted in 2022.

    Nationally, Canada is also seeing an increase in the number of reported incidents, with a 27 percent rise in reporting in 2021 alone. Compared with 2019 national data, that represents a 72 percent increase in reported hate crimes.

    Locally, these crimes include:

    • 62 incidents of mischief to property
    • 25 threats uttered to a person
    • 19 level one assaults
    • 15 incidents of criminal stalking or harassment
    • 6 incidents of mischief to a cultural property

    Groups predominantly affected per the YTD 2023 data include:

    • 2SLGBTQQIA+ – 32 incidents
    • Jewish – 36 incidents
    • Muslim – 7 incidents
    • Black – 30 incidents
    • Chinese – 8 incidents

    The OPS Hate and Bias Crime Unit is actively working with the Crown Attorney’s office to fully investigate all reported incidents.

    The increase in hate-motivated incidents has a lasting impact not only on those who have been targeted, but throughout the neighbourhoods and communities where they occur.

    “The statistics are sobering because we know that they only tell part of the story,” said Chief Stubbs. “So often these types of incidents go unreported and we know that this data only provides a glimpse of what people are experiencing out in the community.”

    The OPS has been working with the impacted communities to help address their safety concerns, which includes meeting with Pride organizers to set up a plan to ensure the safety of all participants in advance of Pride celebrations in August; and outreach to impacted community groups and schools to help them understand the sometimes complicated process involved with prosecuting hate crimes and how to report such incidents.

    In 2017, the OPS became the first police service to provide residents with the ability to file a hate-motivated incident report online.

    If you have been a victim of a hate-motivated incident you can file a report online or call us at 613-236-1222, extension 7300. If you are in immediate danger, please dial 911 right away.

    Global New - Video Report

    Hate crimes: Reported incidents on the rise in Ottawa | CTV News

  • 12th Annual Ottawa Police Gala - Beneficiary Application

    The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for its 12th annual Gala to be held November 4, 2023, at the Shaw Centre.

    To qualify, your organization must be:

    • A registered charity; and
    • Provide services to Ottawa's residents.

    We invite those who qualify to fill out the application form before 4 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023, and let us know about the important work you are doing in the city.

    While we can select only two beneficiaries every year to sponsor, we want to thank everyone who applies, and also thank you for your commitment in making a difference in the lives of residents in Ottawa.

    Please Visit https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/who-we-are/gala.aspx for application and more information.

  • Tragedy in Colorado Springs

    The Ottawa Police Service is saddened by the senseless and heartbreaking shooting that took place in Colorado Springs and mourns the lives that have been lost. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected by this tragedy.

    The price of hate is profound, and its impact is intolerable. Hate has no place in our communities.

    While we understand that it can sometimes be difficult, the OPS encourages reporting of hate incidents and crimes. Reporting helps build a clearer and more fulsome picture of emerging issues in our city and will contribute to our overall safety.

    If you are unsure if an incident meets the definition or threshold of a hate-motivated incident, visit our website or contact us at the non-emergency phone number provided below.

    By working together, we can lessen the impacts of hate and nurture more inclusive communities.

    You can report hate-motivated incidents and crimes through the following channels:

    · 911 To report life-threatening emergency or crime in progress

    · 613-236-1222 ext: 7300 To report non-emergency by phone

    · www.ottawapolice.ca To report online


    Today we grieve with Colorado,

    Ottawa Police Service

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Page last updated: 01 Jan 2024, 10:59 AM