Motion from Member Desroches:
Reporting on Use of Revenue from Red Light Cameras and Automated Speed Enforcement
WHEREAS in February 2019, as part of Budget 2019, agreement was reached between the previous Chair of the Ottawa Police Services Board (OPSB), the previous Chief of Police, and City staff, and approved by both the OPSB and Ottawa City Council, to allocate funds annually from the Red Light Camera (RLC) program to the general revenues of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS);
WHEREAS Ottawa City Council subsequently approved the Road Safety Action Plan in December 2019, which included initiatives under the purview of the OPS, including an Automated License Plate Reader system, innovative enforcement technology, the Summer Market Enforcement Blitz, the RIDE Program, and speed enforcement, amongst others;
WHEREAS a recent City audit raised the need for greater clarity on the disposition of Red Light Camera funds, including those allocated to the OPS and the Road Safety Action Plan;
WHEREAS specific reporting requirements on the Red Light Camera funding were never requested by City Council; however, current members of the OPSB have highlighted the need for reporting on RLC funding;
WHEREAS the Chief of Police has previously committed to providing reporting to the OPSB on the use of Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) funding approved by City Council in October 2024, including most recently at the OPSB Finance and Audit Committee on April 7, 2025;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Ottawa Police Service report annually to the Ottawa Police Services Board on funding received from the use of Red Light Cameras, in addition to funding from Automated Speed Enforcement Cameras, with a focus on programming, activities, operational resources, and enforcement outcomes;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the draft 2026 Ottawa Police Service budget include specific line items related to Red Light Camera and/or Automated Speed Enforcement revenue;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT future OPS annual reports include a section on activities and outcomes related to its role in the Road Safety Program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT the Ottawa Police Services Board approve this reporting prior to its submission to Ottawa City Council, should such submission be requested.