Canada 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Ottawa This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Ontario. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Eastern Canada. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Canada country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Canada at Level 1, indicating travelers should exercise normal precautions. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Ottawa as being a LOW-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. The crime rate for the City of Ottawa has increased for the third year in a row, to approximately 3,900 incidents per 100,000 population. This represents a 12% increase from 2017 to 2018 (the last year for which statistics are published). The increased crime rate includes a rise in robberies, assault, sexual assaults, breaking and entering, and fraud. An additional contributing factor could also be a rise in public reporting, which is up 13% from 2017 to 2018. Non-violent crime increased 12% in the City of Ottawa from 2017 to 2018. Specific crimes in this category that rose: Theft under $5000 (+18%), Fraud (+13%), and breaking and entering (+12%). An additional contributing factor could also be a rise in public reporting which is up 14% from 2017 to 2018. Violent crime in the City of Ottawa rose 8% from 2017 to 2018. The Ottawa Police Service asserted the increase in the violent crime is reflective of trends seen across Canada. A 10% increase in public reporting and movements like #MeToo are contributing factors to the overall increase. The homicide rate for the City of Ottawa was higher than normal, and the Ottawa Police Service say that gang activity is a significant factor. In 2019, the number of homicides was the same as it was in 2018, with a total of 16 homicides for the year. The homicide rate was significantly down from 2016, when Ottawa experienced 24 homicides. The means of murder varied from the use of firearms, edged weapons, strangulation, and physical confrontation, to one case where a victim was thrown off a balcony. It is important to note that three of the homicides, two using a firearm and one using an edged weapon, occurred less than 500 yards from the U.S. Embassy. Crime across all of Canada, as measured by both the crime rate and the Crime Severity Index (CSI), increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2018. (Nationwide 2019 statistics are not yet available.) The CSI measures the volume and severity of police-reported crime in Canada and has a base index value of 100 for the year 2006. The change in the CSI in 2018 was the result of higher police-reported rates of numerous offenses. Ordered by their relative impact on the CSI, these offenses include fraud (+13%); sexual assault without a weapon or evidence of bodily harm (+15%); shoplifting of $5,000 or under (+14%); Canada 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Ottawa and theft over $5,000 (+15%). Decreases in other offenses (e.g. breaking and entering down 1%, and robbery down 3%) partially offset these increases. Police reported more than two million Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic offences) in 2018, almost 70,000 more than in 2017. At 5,488 incidents per 100,000 population, the rate of crime reported to police increased 2% in 2018, but was 17% lower than in 2008. It is important to note that the police-reported crime rate and the CSI include only those incidents that come to the attention of police, either through reporting by the public or through pro-active policing. Results from the most recent General Social Survey on Victimization found that victims reported just under one-third (31%) of violent and non-violent incidents. The CSI increased in two-thirds of Canada's largest cities (census metropolitan areas [CMAs]) in 2018, with the largest increases in Windsor, Ontario (+21%); Moncton, New Brunswick (+15%); and St. Catharines– Niagara, Ontario (+15%). Breaking and entering was an important contributor to the increases in Windsor and St. Catharines–Niagara, while fraud was an important contributor to the increases in Moncton and Windsor. After increasing in 2017, Canada's homicide rate declined 4% in 2018, from 1.82 to 1.76 homicides per 100,000 population. Police reported 651 homicides in Canada in 2018, 15 fewer than the previous year. Despite the decline, the homicide rate was higher than the Canadian average over the previous decade. Visitors to large cities and popular tourist destinations should be aware that criminals regularly target parked cars for opportunistic smash-and-grab thefts. Avoid leaving any unattended possessions in a vehicle, even in the trunk. Due to the high incidence of such crimes, motorists in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and other jurisdictions can receive fines for leaving their car doors unlocked or for leaving valuables in view. Exercise precaution to safeguard property. In 2019, two tech-savvy motor vehicle theft rings stole over 500 motor vehicles. The thieves targeted Toyota Highlanders and 4Runners, Lexus RX350, Ford F-Series pick-up trucks, and some Honda sport utility vehicles. One group stolen motor vehicles mainly from homes, while the other group targeted car dealerships stealing several motor vehicles at once. Most of the thefts involved the same technique where the thieves would manually break the locked door and connect a computer to the port normally used by a mechanic to diagnose possible problems. This would allow the thieves to reprogram the motor vehicle’s computer, thereby removing the original key fob and reprograming to the thieves’ key fob. The City of Ottawa reported more than 100 stolen motor vehicles; hundreds more were stolen in Eastern Ontario, Toronto, and Montreal. Thieves took the stolen vehicles to Montreal, placed them into containers, and shipped them to Africa. Police disrupted the ring in December 2019. A combination of regional police forces arrested 20 individuals, who now face 350 criminal charges. Canada 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Ottawa Two Mission Canada employees had their motor vehicles stolen by this ring. In one case, the thieves shipped the motor vehicle by train to British Columbia. The police recovered the vehicle, but the Mission employee only received word six months later. The other employee’s vehicle was stolen twice; the first time from the employee’s driveway. The Ottawa Police Service successfully located and apprehended the thieves, returning the slightly damaged vehicle to the employee. While the motor vehicle was getting repaired at the dealership, another group of thieves stole the vehicle for a second time, using it as a ram to knock down the dealership fence so they could steal additional vehicles from the lot. Review OSAC’s report, All That You Should Leave Behind. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Review OSAC’s reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Cybersecurity Issues Cybersecurity and internet-related crime issues are like those identified in the U.S. Travelers to Canada should continue to practice smart internet use and guard all financial transactions. Canada’s National Cyber Security Strategy, released in 2018, recognizes that robust cyber security is an essential element of Canadian innovation and prosperity. The Strategy is adaptable and to account for a continuously changing cyber landscape, introduces a new strategic direction, and defines goals to achieve its vision of security and prosperity in the digital age. Canada distributes cyber security operational capabilities across different departments and agencies. Though measures are in place to ensure good communication and coordination, ambiguity concerning roles and responsibilities and the inherent difficulty in coordinating multiple decision makers is a problematic. The new Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (the Cyber Centre) within the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) will address this gap as a single, unified team of government cyber security technical experts that will be the definitive source of unique technical advice, guidance, services, messaging and support on cyber security operational matters for government, critical infrastructure owners and operations, the private sector, and the Canadian public. The Centre will also provide cyber security expertise to support lead agencies in the delivery of their core functions, including collaborating with the RCMP’s NC3 and its law enforcement efforts to address cybercrime. The RCMP will establish the National Cybercrime Coordination Unit (NC3 Unit) to coordinate Canadian police operations against cybercriminals and to establish a national mechanism for Canadians and businesses to report cybercrimes to police. Additionally, the RCMP will also enhance its operational capacity (e.g. investigations, intelligence, specialized technical investigative services, international presence, and specialized cyber expertise) to take federal enforcement action against priority domestic and international cybercrime activity. Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Canada 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Ottawa Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Road conditions in Ottawa are similar to those found in large U.S. cities. Ottawa is tourist and business friendly. Travelers should not experience any security-related issues driving around Ottawa or in Ontario. Drivers in winter should expect adverse conditions. Snow plowing, snow removal, and treating of major and secondary roadways is very efficient.