Jeff Leiper concerned about community policing changes

An Ottawa city councillor says he's watched how steady, proactive work by community police officers has dismantled so-called crack houses in his Kitchissippi ward over the years.

Jeff Leiper now fears the successful model could be jeopardized as the Ottawa Police Services Board considers an organizational overhaul at its Monday evening meeting.

• Police to shift specialized officers, focus on 'core service'

Dealing with a problematic property can take months, but a single officer can create partnerships with the community and city departments to help solve it, Leiper said.

"What we're concerned about is that if the community policing model changes so that officers are being rotated in and out more often, or if they're only responding to incidents as opposed to a persistent program, that we could lose that day-to-day really excellent perspective on what's going on in the community," Leiper said.

New model aims to remove 'unnecessary silos'

The Ottawa Police Service needs a new model for deploying frontline officers that"breaks down unnecessary silos," according to a report by the police chief that will beconsidered at Monday's meeting.

It's the latest update in a long-term "service initiative" by the force that's aimed at dealing with demands on police under budget constraints.

Hold your horses. Let's do a meaningful consultation first.- Coun. Jeff Leiper

Under the new model, some community police officers will keep working with mental health and youth officers as part of a special group aimed at intervening in high-risk neighbourhoods and among vulnerable people.

But many community police officers will joinpatrol, neighbourhood and beat squad officers under the plan to respond to calls, work with schools and do proactive work.

"What is currently being developed is a strategy that better coordinates these activities using a more generalist, community policing approach, strengthening our ability to be more flexible and responsive,"the report says.

After hearing rumours of changes for months,Leiper says he'll have a message for the police services board Monday night:"'Hold your horses. Let's do a meaningful consultation first.'"