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REPORT RAPPORT |
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REPORT RAPPORT |
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DATE:
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27 January 2014 |
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TO/DEST:
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Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board |
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FROM/EXP:
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Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service |
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SUBJECT/OBJET:
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PERFORMANCE REPORT: FOURTH QUARTER 2013
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RECOMMENDATION
BACKGROUND
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 in 15 min, 95 percent of the time);
§ Service time (citizen-initiated, mobile response calls); and,
§ Number of Criminal Code Offences per sworn officer.
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
The Ottawa Police received an average of 376,000 calls for service annually over the past five years. This total includes both calls that were dispatched and those that were handled through alternative means.
Figure 1: Total Calls for Service (All Priorities)
The total number of calls in 2013 declined to 354,450 (-5.0%) from 374,409 calls last year. As highlighted in Figure 1, the fourth quarter also exhibited a slight decline (-1.3%) compared to the same period last year. The decline continues to be driven by fewer 9-1-1 calls determined to be non-emergencies, known as Alternative Response.
Emergency Calls for Service (Priority 1)
The Ottawa Police Call Response Protocol reflects the need to respond to citizens’ calls for assistance in a manner that reflects the seriousness of the incident, while weighing the interests of the safety of police officers and the general public. The circumstances surrounding the incident determine the priority level assigned.
In 2013, the Police Service received 4,361 calls for service classified as Priority 1, with 1,022 received in the fourth quarter. This includes all events involving a known imminent danger to life; actual or potential danger for bodily injury or death; crimes in progress or imminent. These calls include the known use of weapons or apparent life-threatening injuries, and all police officers assistance call. The number of calls in the fourth quarter declined by 18 percent or -219 calls compared to the same time period in 2012. The decline may be attributed to the introduction of, and familiarization with, the new Call Response Protocol launched in June of 2012.
The Ottawa Police aims to respond to Priority 1 calls for service within 15 minutes, 95 percent of the time. Last year the organization achieved the performance standard across all four quarters.
Service Time (Citizen-Initiated, Mobile Response Calls)
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. Reactive workload generally fluctuates seasonally throughout the year, with variations in climate influencing call volume and criminal behaviour.
Figure 2: Service Time (Citizen Initiated, Mobile Response)
Figure 2 illustrates Service Time by quarter over the past five years. Despite a slight increase (0.5%) in the fourth quarter compared to the same time period in 2012, service time declined four percent in 2013 to 266,700 hours. The cumulative amount time officers spend on calls has fallen below the five year average of 278,490 hours after remaining relatively consistent for the previous five years.
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.
Figure 3: Number of Criminal Code Offences per Officer
In Q4 2013, the number of criminal code offences handled per officer declined to 5.8 offences per officer (Figure 3). The decline continues to be driven by fewer offences (-806) from the same time period in the previous year. Additionally, the authorized sworn complement also declined due to fewer officers in the just-in-time program and operational backfill.
CONSULTATION
The performance metrics presented this report and subsequently forwarded to Council are part of the Performance Measurement Framework developed with the assistance of a citizens’ advisory panel. The metrics are also reported to the public by way of the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative (OMBI).
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
There is no financial impact from this report.
CONCLUSION
The Board will continue to receive quarterly performance updates as part of the Performance Measurement Framework. Further development of the Monitoring Framework will take place under the Value priority (Goal 2.0) in the 2013-2015 Business Plan. 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
Chief of Police
Responsible for report: Superintendent Terrance Cheslock
