Ottawa homicides concerning, but not necessarily on the rise, experts say

UPDATE: The same day this story published, Ottawa police announced they were investigating another homicide that took place the previous evening in Barrhaven and at that least one person had died in Nepean in a possible shooting.

Ottawa officials are responding to three homicides committed in the past week, but say this is not necessarily indicative of a worrying trend.

The three latest reports since March 30 brings to eight the number of homicides recorded in Ottawa this year. Charges have been laid in relation to six of them.

"We share the community's concerns about the level of violence in our city," said a statement from the Ottawa Police Service released Friday. "Three lives have been senselessly lost, and families, friends, and loved ones are now grieving."

The cases were unrelated, the statement said, and police do not believe there is a current risk to public safety. 

Despite this, Alta Vista Councillor and Ottawa Police Service Board Vice-Chair Marty Carr said Saturday she's heard from residents feeling afraid after the killings.

"I understand why people are concerned," she said. "To say we shouldn't be worried, I can understand why people wouldn't accept that.

"Three in a week is a lot. It's a lot for this community. It's a lot for the city that's considered to be one of the safest cities in Canada."

While three homicides in one week is concerning, experts say it will take time before the numbers show a trend.

Homicides in Ottawa reached a record high in 2024, with 25 people killed in 20 cases.

Irvin Waller, a professor emeritus and criminologist with the University of Ottawa, said Saturday he's not more worried than usual just yet.

"Is it consistent with the trend that we've been seeing in the last couple of years? We'll have to wait and see," he said.

Waller said while it's not clear whether the number of homicides in the city will continue to increase, it is important that Ottawa rethinks its strategy for prevention.

"[Police] react to crime and to homicides," he said. "The city council needs to invest smartly in the things that will reduce the risk of homicides taking place."

The city dissolved its crime prevention taskforce, Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO), in 2023. Instead, it incorporated its mandate into the provincially-mandated Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (CSWB). 

Both Carr and OPS have said it will take more than enforcement to reduce crime. In its statement, OPS said it is "committed to working with community partners to address the root causes of violence and build long-term solutions."

For Carr, those long-term solutions include using the CSWB to build more community supports — including mental health resources, addictions counselling, and youth programming. According to Carr, drug addiction and mental illness were believed to be factors in at least one of the recent homicides. 

"We really need to look at the upstream part where we're looking at how we can prevent these things from happening in the first place," Carr said.