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REPORT RAPPORT |
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REPORT RAPPORT |
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DATE: |
18 October 2011 |
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TO/DEST: |
Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board |
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FROM/EXP: |
Acting Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service |
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SUBJECT/OBJET: |
PERFORMANCE REPORT
– THIRD QUARTER 2011 |
The Ottawa Police Service monitors and evaluates information on a variety of performance metrics. The Service also contributes data to a number of local and provincial initiatives, including the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI) and the Municipal Performance Measurement Project (MPMP). As part of a cooperative effort in sharing performance data, performance indicators are first presented to the Board then forwarded to the City of Ottawa for inclusion in its Quarterly Performance Reports.
DISCUSSION
As part of our commitment to measuring performance, the Ottawa Police continues to work with the City by providing selected metrics to be included in the quarterly performance reporting framework, including:
§ Total calls for police service;
§ Emergency response calls for service (Priority 1);
§ Response performance on Priority 1 calls (on-scene within 15 minutes, 90 percent of the time);
§ Service time (citizen-initiated, mobile response calls); and,
§ Number of Criminal Code Offences per sworn officer.
This information has been regularly provided to the City’s Performance Measurement Branch. The measures are also included in the annual OMBI report and as part of the Ottawa Police performance measurement framework launched in 2008. Third quarter metrics are now presented to the Board prior to being compiled with other city data for Council.
Total Calls for Service – All
Priorities
In the past five years, the Ottawa Police received an average of 370,000 calls for service annually. Last year, the number of calls received grew by six percent, to over 386,000.
Following a six percent increase in the third quarter between 2009 and 2010, call volume has held constant over the past two years during this period with approximately 104,000 calls received by the OPS. Overall, demand for service is tracking closely to 2010 levels.
Emergency
Calls for Service (Priority 1)
Priority 1 calls, otherwise known as emergency response calls, are characterized as crimes in progress or life threatening situations. In the past five years, the number emergency calls has risen by 12 percent to over 77,000 calls.
After growing
by one percent (160 calls) in the first quarter this year, the OPS received 700
fewer Priority 1 calls in the second quarter (-4%), and 258 fewer in the third
quarter (-1%). To date, emergency call volume has fallen by two percent overall
- or nearly 1,000 calls.
The Ottawa Police aims to respond to Priority 1 calls for service within 15 minutes 90 percent of the time. For the past five years response performance has fluctuated between 87 to 90 percent. Call volume, travel time, and available resources most influence police response.
In the third quarter, response performance remained unchanged compared to results achieved last year (87%). Response performance consistently remains at or above 87 percent citywide.
Service Time
(Citizen-Initiated, Mobile Response Calls for Service)
Service Time refers to the
cumulative amount of time (hours) officers spend responding to and dealing with
calls for service from the public. The service time metric is used for operational
planning and deployment of personnel. Seasonally,
reactive workload fluctuates throughout the year, with variations in climate
influencing call volume and criminal behaviour. In
2010, service time rose by nearly 10,000 hours (3%) to 285,000 citywide.
Following a three percent increase in service time in the first quarter, attributed to an additional 2,500 hours in East Division relating to a homicide in the City’s south end, service time has declined by the same margin in the second quarter and held constant with 2010 at midyear.
In the third
quarter, service time rose by approximately one percent or (2,000 hours).
Service time continues to creep upward despite fluctuations between quarters
and years. Possible explanations for the rising time including, but not limited
to, rising complexity of calls, administrative reporting requirements,
experience on the road, and number of officers on scene. The OPS continues to
monitor the service time metric but no definitive explanation for the rising
time can be provided to date.
Number of Criminal
Code Offences Handled per Police Officer
The number of reported Criminal Code of Canada incidents prorated over the number of sworn personnel is one indication of workload. This, of course, does not capture the entire scope of police operations, including proactive initiatives, assistance to victims of crime, traffic enforcement/Highway Traffic Act violations, street checks, and other community and public safety activities. In 2010, the number of Criminal Code offences declined five percent (2,000 offences) compared to the same time period last year.
In the third quarter, the number of Criminal Code offences per officer is consistent with 2010 figures. Year to date, the number of Criminal Code offences, and offences per officer, have fallen approximately four percent (-1,275) compared to the same period in 2010.
The Board will continue to receive quarterly performance updates as part of the performance measurement framework contained in the 2010-2012 Business Plan. As well, Ottawa Police representatives will continue to serve on the OMBI Police Expert Panel, the national Police Information and Statistics (POLIS) Committee, and other venues that contribute to the ongoing discussion, improvement, and transparency of police performance measures.
(Original signed by)
Charles Bordeleau
Acting Chief of Police
This
document contains information that reports on activities related to the Ottawa
Police Business Plan.
