Increase in thefts raises safety concerns at Rideau-Nelson intersection
Capital Current has found that the Rideau and Nelson streets intersection is one of the worst in the city for thefts under $5,000.
Gender-based violence support groups criticize planned federal funding cuts
Support services and organizations may face significant challenges because of a proposed 80 per cent budget cut towards their federal funding.
Fewer assaults reported in ByWard Market, yet safety remains a concern for locals
Assaults in the ByWard Market are down somewhat still the area feels unsafe to some. They say more needs to be done, especially during the day.
With half of reported thefts in Somerset Ward on Bank Street, small businesses are calling for police support
Capital Current has found that 44 per cent of thefts in Somerset Ward occur on a stretch of Bank Street running from MacLaren to McLeod streets.
“This is my bike!”: Ottawa family races to recover stolen e-bike
To protect you investment, lock your bike in well-lit, highly visible areas with sturdy, immovable racks. Use a high-grade steel lock and secure the frame and wheels properly, ideally with more than one lock. Then register your bike with the free 529 Garage app, which allows police to quickly identify and return stolen bikes to their owners.
Blunt oversight: As knife violence continues in Ottawa, data about the danger is lacking
Eight stabbings have happened Ottawa within the last four months, what action is being taken?
Chinatown BIA director wants his community to be safe
Yukang Li is executive director of the Chinatown BIA. In his four years in the job he has become more and more concerned about public safety in his community.
Target of hate-driven paintball attack in Kanata revealed to be pride flag
A flag displayed at a Kanata home and which was vandalized in June — leading to an Ottawa police hate-crime investigation and several charges against a local man — was a pride banner, Capital Current has learned. In a June 30 press release, the Ottawa Police Service announced five counts of “hate/bias-motivated mischief and harassment” charges against a 41-year-old male...
Fake $100 bills circulating in Ottawa, police warn retailers, consumers
The Ottawa Police Service is warning residents about a rash of counterfeit $100 bills hitting retailers across the city. The fraud unit has received reports of fake currency being used December 2024. These bills are often used without retailers noticing, only to be identified as counterfeit later. In a recent press release, police were “asking Ottawa residents to be on...
Ottawa police data shows ‘consistent increase’ in intimate partner violence
The Ottawa Police Service responded to more than 6,600 intimate partner violence incidents in 2024 and has warned of an upward trend in such calls.
As hate vandalism incidents rise in the city, an Ottawa artist challenges stereotypes around graffiti
With an increase in hate graffiti complaints, the City of Ottawa is working to combat this. At the same time, local graffiti artists are fighting against hate in their own way by using art.
Thefts soar in Ottawa’s crime hotspot Rideau-Vanier Ward
Rideau-Vanier reported the highest reported theft cases in Ottawa, according to a Capital Current analysis of the Ottawa Police’s crime data.
Some downtown Ottawa convenience store owners say it’s not worth the risk to sell alcohol
Weeks after the Ontario government allowed convenience stores to sell beer, wine, and coolers, many store owners in Ottawa are taking a cautious approach, saying they have concerns about the impact on safety and the potential for increased shoplifting.
Ottawa councillors want more provincial help as police crack down on stunt driving
City councillors are pushing for updated provincial legislation to help police efforts to combat stunt driving
The Mushroom Chronicles: Psilocybin sales outlets popping up everywhere
The push to purchase psylocibin is creating a new wave of desire for legalization.
Making mischief a cause for serious concern in Ottawa may be premature, experts say
Ottawa has seen an increase in criminal mischief recently. This is according to Ottawa crime map data. Rideau-Vanier and Sandy Hill were its hotspots.
Concern about security and organized crime as vehicle thefts soar in Ottawa
Capital Current analyzes the concerning rise in car thefts in the city, as well as the measures the police force are taking.
Rising theft in Ottawa raises safety concerns for businesses
“He wasn’t our usual clientele,” Ça Va De Soi sales associate Laly Delaoune said. “But I don’t judge people by appearance, so I’m going to give the same service to everybody.” “He was actually polite, and he was apparently looking for a gift for his mother,” she said. Delaoune offered suggestions to her customer for a suitable present. Within seconds,...
Enforcement overhaul: Ottawa Police Board members set to study how to recognize systemic racism and more
Members of the Ottawa Police Service Board are set to undergo new provincial training on topics like multiculturalism and systemic racism.
Barrhaven is Ottawa’s car-theft hotspot, and residents aim to do something about it
Facing a high rate of car theft, many Barrhaven residents are adding additional security measures to protect their vehicles.
Feeling unsafe: Sandy Hill residents concerned with lack of policing, drug-related crimes around safe injection sites and other services
Residents of Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood voiced some strong concerns with under-policing in the area, especially around safe injection sites and other community services.
Hate on the rise: Ontario sees increase in police-reported crimes
Toronto and Ottawa police hate-crimes statistics show rise of uttered threats and hate crimes as a whole in Ontario.
Ottawa-Gatineau property crime at an all-time high, most recent statistics show
The Ottawa-Gatineau area had the highest rate of reported incident-based offences in 2022.
Jewish students say they feel unsafe as reports of antisemitic hate rise in Ottawa
Jewish students say they have felt a shift in people’s attitudes toward them since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent air strikes in Gaza.
‘Grandma, I’m in jail’: How Artificial Intelligence could reboot online scams
The Instagram account seemed pretty convincing to Marie-Claude Fontaine. Comforting, even. So when the artist behind the account reached out to her via direct messages offering to pay her to be an art model, the 18-year-old student was too excited to be put off. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s really cool.’ I think (the message) said she was...
Hate on the rise: Advocates say more needs to be done to stem tide of incidents in Canada
Advocates say that more needs to be done to prevent hate crimes in Canada.
Police aren’t the solution to rising crime in Ottawa, experts say
Concerns over an increase in acts of violence and crime continue to rise, and Ottawa communities are left searching for answers.
‘Backlash’ documentary provides a front-row seat to gendered cyberviolence
Cyber misogyny is an alarming trend of the digital age: community members are calling for increased awareness and education through intentional events, like the screening of Backlash.
Mexico-bound snowbirds face stern travel warning from government
The Canadian government is warning those travelling to Mexico to be careful because of a rise in crime including kidnapping and violence.
High-tech vehicle theft challenges car owners, manufacturers, police
Car theft is soaring, statistics show. Capital Current offers some tips on how to protect your ride.
Carleton panel discusses how to combat cyberbullying of female journalists
As the world grows more digitized, female journalists find themselves more and more vulnerable to intense cyberbullying. The urgent issue and some possible solutions were explored during panel discussion on Dec. 1 at Carleton University. The in-person and online event, titled “Journalists and Online Hate: What to do when the battlefield is everywhere,” was hosted by Carleton’s School of Journalism...
Witnesses recount devastating impact of Freedom Convoy, lack of police action
Witnesses describe the harassment and anger they experienced during the convoy occupation of downtown Ottawa this past winter.
Alleged attack on non-binary firefighter sparks scrutiny of anti-LGBTQ+ hostility
Charges of hate crimes against two Ottawa firefighters indicates a wider concern facing non-binary individuals.
Women’s walkathon aims to create safer neighbourhoods and battle violence
The walkathon encourages Ottawa residents to take pictures of community safety concerns.
See something say something: Akwesasne wellness team uses conference to raise awareness and combat sex trafficking
The Akwesasne Family Wellness Program hosted an anti-trafficking conference to raise awareness about human trafficking.
Police dismantle cross-border gun and drug trafficking network in southern Ontario
"Project Monarch" was a joint-forces operation resulting in 22 people facing more than 400 charges.
Phishing scams targeting Carleton students with fake offers of online work
Since May 2021, Carleton students kept receiving phishing emails in their cmail inbox. Carleton's ITS is making efforts to protect students from fraudsters.
High phone rates in prisons leaves incarcerated people disconnected
Phone calls are the only way for prisoners to contact the outside world but many factors, such as high costs and limited accessibility, have made it more difficult to make a call. For some prisoners the inability to connect with loved ones has had negative effects on their mental health and safe reintroduction into society.
‘Panda-monium’: Police release images of persons of interest in the destructive post-game party in Sandy Hill
Ottawa police are looking for those responsible for criminal activity during the destructive post-Panda game celebration.
Ontario to implement first of its kind anti-human trafficking protocol in schools
Ontario will spend $2.4 million to implement a strategy in schools to combat human trafficking.
Political issues and COVID-19 fuelling rise in hate crimes in Ottawa in 2021
Ottawa police statistics show a 33 per cent rise in hate crimes so far in 2021.
Security concern growing for Ottawa mosques and Muslim community
The London, ON, terror attack that resulted in the deaths of four members of the Muslim community has prompted a heightened concern about security in Ottawa's community.
“We want to be safe here”: Hundreds gather in Ottawa for a vigil to honour victims of London attack
Hundreds of people of all backgrounds gathered to pay tribute to four members of a London, ON, family slain when they were struck by a truck driven by a 20 year old white man. London police are saying the attack was planned and targeted the Muslim family as they waited to cross the street. A nine year old boy is...
Plans for new provincial jail near Kemptville sparks community backlash
The new Eastern Ontario Correctional Complex to be built by 2027 continues to be controversial in Kemptville.
Nova Scotia to ban police memorabilia one year after 22 died in mass shooting
Eleven months after the deadly mass shooting in Nova Scotia, legislation has been created to strengthen laws on impersonating police.
Toronto school board creates guidebook to combat anti-Asian racism as pandemic fuels bigotry
The cover illustration for Addressing Anti-Asian Racism:A Resource for Educators. Artwork created by Meera Sethi. She explains in the package that "Sethi wished to show a sense of connectedness between humans and everything else in the world: the wind, the oceans, the waterways, the fish and the trees. To invoke diverse Asian identities, she has used patterns, motifs from Asian...
Increased demand for puppies is leading to rise in dog thefts
Dog thefts are rising as some try to capitalize off the increased demand for puppies.
Faces of change: Farhia Ahmed calls for a restructuring of the criminal justice system
Capital Current continues its occasional series profiling some of the people who are making a difference in our community: When Farhia Ahmed first heard about the death of Abdirahman Abdi, a man from Ottawa’s Somali community who died after an altercation with Ottawa police officers in July 2016, she joined the community in mourning. Mourning quickly turned to outrage as...
Locked down in lockup: Prisoners’ mental health suffers as visits, volunteer groups suspended during pandemic
Volunteer-led activities in prisons across Canada have been shut down because of the pandemic, leading to a decline in already-difficult conditions that strain mental health.
As COVID-19 drags on, traffic collisions are way down but dangerous driving may be up
Business closures and working from home during COVID-19 has reduced traffic across Ontario. How is this impacting road safety for Canadians?