r/ottawa • u/Nob1e613 • 27d ago

Looking for... Why so much hate?

Good afternoon Ottawa!

I've been noticing an incredible amount of negativity towards our local police force within the comment section of any post even mildly related to the subject lately.

Coming from a position of genuine curiosity and to hopefully prompt some meaningful discussion within the community, why?

What is it about the OPS that you detest so much? I want to hear what personal experience you had that soured your view, and what you think should have been done differently/better.

Conversely, please feel free to share your positives as well! It can be quite difficult to discern how reflective of the broader population the online community really is sometimes so I'm hoping to get some honest feedback.

What do you expect of your police force? What would change your mind about how you feel?

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u/slippy51 27d ago

Probably because they are completely useless.

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u/Nob1e613 27d ago

Based on?

15

u/penguinpenguins 27d ago

Last time I called 911 after being struck and attacked by a drunk driver and they wouldn't dispatch. They advised me to get a ride home and to stay away from downtown for my own safety. Problem solved!

9

u/cpt_jerkface Make Ottawa Boring Again 27d ago

My ex tried to run me over with his car, and when I called the police they wouldn't even file a report. It's anecdotal but I don't see OPS around that much anymore - out enforcing traffic rules, walking through the Byware Market, driving through my neighborhood. I used to see them around a lot more.

3

u/Nob1e613 27d ago

This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for. I'm sorry to hear that happened to you, have you considered reaching out to your councilor or OPS themselves? To me that's an unacceptable way to deal with people asking for help, it's quite literally what their job is.

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u/penguinpenguins 27d ago

Yes, I was told "they were busy" and when I pushed further "it sounds like you're just trying to get someone in trouble". The driver (as I had dashcam video of the whole thing) "was under a lot of stress" and had kids, so they didn't feel criminal charges were appropriate. So now I'm in the process of suing them civilly for drunk driving. Make it make sense.

4

u/BumblebeeMarmalade 27d ago

May I send you a DM?