Crime Prevention Ottawa looks to public for answers to street crime

Crime Prevention Ottawa is inviting the public to a consultation to find solutions to street violence next Wednesday, just two days after police discuss a report which noted a rise in gun-related crime and 10 gang-related deaths last year. 

The community organization said in a media release Friday that in order to "meet the shifting realities of our streets and communities in Ottawa" it needs to update its anti-gang strategy.

The public consultation will be held Wednesday, June 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jim Durrell Recreation Centre at 1265 Walkley Rd. 

People are carrying guns and knives and they're way quicker to use them.- Police Chief Charles Bordeleau

The meeting comes on the heels of the release of the 2016 Ottawa Police Annual Report which showed that 10 of the 24 killings on the city's streets last year involved gang activity, and that the overall crime rate jumped by almost six per cent.

Gun-related crime also saw an increase last year In 2016, "as offenders normalized the use of the weapon; even for even minor issues," according to the report.

"For some reason we're seeing individuals resorting to this kind of extreme violence. People are carrying guns and knives and they're way quicker to use them. It's very troubling," police Chief Charles Bordeleau is quoted as saying in the report.

That report will be discussed when the Ottawa Police Service Board meets on June 26.

There have been five reported homicides in Ottawa as of June 1, 2017, the report said.