Summary of the Evaluation of the Nation’s Capital Extraordinary Policing Costs Program (NCEPCP)

About the Program

NCEPCP is a contribution program whose purpose is to reimburse the City of Ottawa in recognition of the unique policing environment created by the presence of federal landmarks, institutions and events of national significance in the Nation’s Capital.

Following the terrorist attack at the War Memorial and Parliament Hill on October 22, 2014, the Economic Action Plan 2015 announced the Government of Canada would provide $10 million over five years to the City of Ottawa to support these extraordinary policing costs incurred by the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) in performing policing duties specific to the Nation’s Capital.

What We Examined

The purpose of the evaluation was to examine the relevance and performance of NCEPCP from its inception in 2015-16 to 2018-19.

Evaluation Findings

• There is a continued need for NCEPCP. OPS polices approximately 203 events every year and the cost for security is increasing. Other capital cities are funded for policing and security related to national capital events.
• All program funding is used for extraordinary policing costs related to the Nation’s Capital with the majority of costs, over 75% since 2015-16, attributed to personnel.
• The City of Ottawa would have difficulties addressing extraordinary policing costs without the ongoing support of NCEPCP. Canada Day has accounted for half of all program spending and the City of Ottawa absorbs additional related costs.
• The Contribution Agreement was amended to add $1.2 M for fiscal year 2017-18 to support heightened security and policing requirements for Canada Day 150 events. Even with these additional funds, OPS expenditures exceeded the funding.
• Funding provided by the program contributes to an increased sense of safety and security at events in the Nation’s Capital as it supports OPS’ ability to deploy adequate personnel. It was noted that the City’s response to events, such as protests, can include fire, paramedic and transit services, in addition to police services.
• There have been no concerns with duplication of funding efforts. Information provided by the Recipient does not appear to be used for anything beyond administrative purposes.
• When planning for events, the primary considerations are crowd size and dynamics though there is a growing awareness of accessibility. To date, GBA+ has not played a role in the design and delivery of the program.

Recommendations

The ADM of the Community Safety and Countering Crime Branch should, as part of program renewal:

1. Examine the full scope of security costs related to events unique to the Nation’s Capital and explore options to engage other federal partners in supporting these costs;
2. Assess performance measurement and reporting requirements at both the program and recipient level;
3. Include GBA+ considerations in program design and implementation.

Date modified:

2019-10-09