The Ottawa Police Service says nearly two dozen people were arrested at the end of September following a week-long safety blitz in the Centretown and Chinatown areas. The initiative, which ran from Sept. 21 to 27, included Community Outreach Response Engagement (CORE) officers and members of the Central Neighbourhood Resource Team. “Officers engaged with residents, business owners and community members, including through positive interactions along Bank Street and Somerset Street,” Ottawa police said. As a result of the initiative, 23 people were arrested with charges including Controlled Drugs and Substances Act violations and assaulting police. Police also issued one trespass notice and recovered one stolen bicycle. “Project Fall Out reflects the Ottawa Police Service’s continued focus on combining targeted enforcement with community-based policing to address neighbourhood concerns, enhance public safety and strengthen relationships with the communities we serve,” police said. The Ottawa Police Service’s “CORE” strategy focuses on targeting prolific offenders and geographic hot spots, with a focus on retail theft, drug activity, trespassing and disorder, in areas such as Centretown and Chinatown, the ByWard Market, Lowertown, and Sandy Hill. Earlier in September, police said a separate initiative focused in Centretown, including areas along Booth Street, Somerset Street, Bank Street, and Cooper Street, led to 10 arrests and 27 criminal charges.
