Ottawa police launch new district traffic units to target speeding, traffic violations

The Ottawa Police Service launched a new approach to traffic enforcement on Monday, aiming to get officers in more neighbourhoods. CTV’s Josh Marano reports.

Ottawa residents could see more traffic enforcement officers in their neighbourhoods starting Monday, as the Ottawa Police Service deploys new “district-related traffic units” focusing on speeding and other traffic violations.

As part of the shift to a four-district policing model, officers will be assigned directly to neighbourhoods to focus on traffic violations.

“What we’re going to see with this new deployment, if you will, is that ability to be super specific and super responsive to a community-based issue,” Supt. Ken Bryden told CTV News Ottawa.

“This is taking it to the next level of where the evidence is telling us to go, where the community complaints are telling us to go.”

Chief Eric Stubbs said councillors and the public have requested police increase traffic enforcement in their wards.

“On Dec. 15, we are launching new district-related traffic units that will be focused on their districts,” Stubbs told City Council last Wednesday.

“Initially, it will be a sergeant and four constables that will be assigned to each district and then we’ll start building those district teams to a sergeant and seven constables for each district traffic team.”

The chief said Ottawa police have 34 budget approved positions available in the Traffic Unit, but there are currently between 15 and 20 officers in the unit.

Stubbs said the Ottawa Police Service has launched “a lot” of traffic-related initiatives in response to feedback from councillors and the public.

“We have what’s called the Enhanced Integrated Enforcement Initiative in 2025, that is targeting high-risk drivers, problem areas and boosting our enforcement capacity,” Stubbs said, adding police use data to plan enforcement.

The Ottawa Police Service rolled out the new district traffic units one month after the city was forced to turn off photo radar cameras. Coun. Riley Brockington said that he has seen an increase in speeding in areas where photo radar cameras were located.

“The resources that the police use are simply not enough to keep pace. The elimination of speed enforcement cameras does not help,” Brockington said Monday.

“That’s one less tool to catch speeders. So, more emphasis on police.”

In May, the Ottawa Police Service announced an adjustment to their approach to traffic enforcement.

“As traffic enforcement needs can be different from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, our frontline officers will use community and City Councillor feedback to strategically deploy to problem areas across the city. In addition to community feedback, officers will use information from the Fatal Collision Review Committee, speeding data and patrol observations to inform their enforcement strategies,” police said.

“With the support of the OPS District Traffic Manager, enforcement by frontline officers will increase to focus on communities’ varying traffic concerns.”

Each quarter, frontline officers conducted traffic enforcement initiatives focusing on speeding, stunt driving, impaired driving and intersection compliance.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Marano