The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) is introducing a new text messaging system designed to improve communication with residents reporting less urgent incidents. The service, set to launch on Thursday, January 11, 2024, will provide callers with updates and a way to give feedback on their experience.
How the New Text Alert System Works
When residents call police for assistance in non-critical situations, they will now receive a follow-up text message to confirm their request is being processed. The texts will be sent from the number 343-803-6032 through the OPS CommunityConnect portal.
The messages will include an associated case number and may advise if a police response will be delayed. Once the call is resolved, residents will receive a link to a short, voluntary survey about their interaction with police call-takers and officers.
Defining Non-Urgent Calls Eligible for Texts
Police emphasize this service is only for Priority 3 and Priority 4 calls, where there is no immediate threat to life and no crime is actively in progress. Based on 2024 data, OPS handled 62,795 Priority 3 calls and 211,280 Priority 4 calls, the majority of which will now qualify for text updates.
The system will not be used for calls involving:
- Sexual assault
- Intimate partner violence
- Abduction
- Bomb threats
- Alarms or demonstrations
Goals: Transparency and Community Connection
Eric Janus, Operations Manager of the Ottawa Police Communications Centre, stated the initiative aims to reduce uncertainty for residents waiting for police and strengthen community ties. "By providing updates and inviting feedback, we are improving transparency and strengthening the connection between police and the community," Janus said.
Survey responses will be shared internally with OPS members, and accumulated data will eventually be published on the public Community Safety Data Portal (data.ottawapolice.ca). This portal allows the public to view, download, and interact with released police data.
This text service is part of the broader OPS modernization program, which includes investments in upgraded communications technology. Similar caller response systems are already successfully used by other police services across Canada and North America.
