The city and the current councillor have completely failed war 10. Every neighbourhood in Gloucester–Southgate deserves to feel safe—on their street, in their home, and in their community. Residents have raised increasing concerns about violent crime and about dangerous speeding in residential areas and near schools. Safety is not only about response—it is also about prevention, visibility, and strong community connections.

 

Unfortunately, Ottawa Police Services has lost the trust of residents, particularly in Ottawa South and Ward 10. But community safety isn't just about crime rates and police response & performance. It is also about keeping streets and roads safe for children and families. 

 

Road safety in key arteries like Walkley, Hunt Club, Conroy, Albion, Lorry Greenburg, and others have deteriorated over time. Speeding and dangerous driving close to high traffic areas where children cross frequently have become the norm. And speeding right next to residential neighborhoods keeps residents up at night in some areas of the ward. 

 

If elected to council my priorities will be:

 

• Fight for better performance and accountability from OPS and the Police Service Board. Ottawa spends almost half a billion dollars a year on our policing service, but crime continues to rise and the solve rates of crimes remains unimpressive. OPS is currently running a $25 million deficit this year despite receiving annual budget increases averaging more than $14 million. Council needs to mandate better allocation for OPS and a performance improvement plan to make better use of resources available instead of raising taxes on homeowners as a band aid solution, to make sure tax payers are getting adequate service for our investment.

• Work to rebuild trust between OPS and the community to build better systems of accountability within the policing structure. Issues of unresolved misconduct have long been an issue in OPS, and the Police Service Board has a history of ignoring civilian concerns and testimony.

• Advocate for better counselling and mental health support in lower income and marginalized communities, working to deal with some of the upward causes of crime in conjunction with affordability issues.

• Request more police presence in locations like parks at night where drug dealers and other criminal elements are known to meet. 

• Work with willing members of OPS to set up community safety groups, helping to save police resources in the process.

• Advocate for more street lights in neighborhoods that don’t have enough to discourage criminal activity that currently goes on unseen by residents.

• Recommend additional stop signs and speed bumps in lieu of traffic calming pylons for known speeding roads like Lorry Greenburg, Johnston, Bloome, as well as in the vicinity of schools, community centres, and places of worship. High foot traffic areas where children in particular frequent need to be made safer from speeding and dangerous drivers. 

• Create a community request portal for additions of stop signs and speed bumps in residential neighborhoods.

• Work towards recovering lost funding for community crentres to expand programs, providing services and outlets for at-risk youth and keeping them away from criminal elements while providing structure and teaching skills.