Alex Lawson promises to raise Ottawa police patrol car minimum from 42 to 64
Mayoral candidate Alex Lawson says he would increase the minimum number of police patrol cars on duty in Ottawa and tie the number to population growth.
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Mayoral candidate Alex Lawson released a policing plan on October 17 promising to raise the minimum number of Ottawa police patrol cars on duty from 42 to 64, according to CTV News. The campaign says the plan would add 110 officers and cost $20 million per year.
Lawson says the 42-car minimum has not changed since 1995, when Ottawa had 721,000 residents. The city now has 1.1 million people. His platform says the minimum should rise as the city grows, and he would also set separate minimums for each of Ottawa's four policing districts.
"In 1995 Ottawa had 721,000 people and 42 cars. Today we have 1.1 million people and 42 cars," Lawson said in a news release cited by CTV News. "The officers aren't the problem. The math is."
What the auditor general found
A 2025 report from Ottawa's auditor general, cited by CTV News, found the Ottawa Police Service's frontline deployment targets were "outdated and increasingly difficult to sustain." Police typically aimed to deploy 48 patrol vehicles rather than the contractual minimum of 42, but often only reached 42 because of what the report called "frontline resource constraints."
A July 2026 report for the Ottawa Police Board's Finance and Audit Committee, also cited by CTV News, said the police service posted a $21-million budget deficit that year. The largest single cost was $10 million on "non-recoverable overtime" for policing events and protests.
Lawson says he would ask the federal government to cover those protest and embassy policing costs, and ask the province to provide funds for frontline officers and a proposed Ottawa Police Service training centre.
What other candidates have said
Incumbent mayor Mark Sutcliffe says he plans to hire 200 more police officers, allocate resources to priority areas and expand community policing, according to CTV News. Mayoral candidate Neil Saravanamuttoo says he would ask the Ottawa Police Service Board to do a comprehensive review before approving any future budget increases. Jeff Leiper says he would move non-core police responsibilities to alternative response programs so officers can focus on community safety.
Voting day is October 26. Fourteen candidates are running for mayor. Candidate profiles, including Alex Lawson's, are at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor.
Questions this story answers
What is Alex Lawson promising on policing?
According to CTV News, Lawson says he would raise the minimum number of police patrol cars on duty in Ottawa from 42 to 64 if elected mayor. He says the current 42-car minimum has been in place since 1995 and has not changed even as the city's population grew from 721,000 to 1.1 million people. He also says he would tie the minimum to population so it rises as the city grows, and would add minimums for each of Ottawa's four policing districts.
What would the plan cost?
CTV News reports that Lawson's campaign says the plan would require 110 additional police officers and cost $20 million per year. Lawson also says he would ask the federal government to cover costs associated with policing protests, national events and embassies, and ask the province for funds for frontline officers and a proposed Ottawa Police Service training centre.
What does an auditor general report say about current patrol car levels?
A 2025 report from Ottawa's auditor general, cited by CTV News, found that the Ottawa Police Service's frontline deployment targets were 'outdated and increasingly difficult to sustain.' The report said police typically aimed to deploy 48 patrol vehicles rather than the contractual minimum of 42, but often only reached 42 due to what the report called 'frontline resource constraints.'
What did the police service's own finances show?
A July 2026 report for the Ottawa Police Board's Finance and Audit Committee, cited by CTV News, said the police service had posted a $21-million budget deficit that year. The report said the most significant financial burden was $10 million spent on what it called 'non-recoverable overtime' for policing events and protests.
What are other mayoral candidates saying about policing?
CTV News reports that incumbent mayor Mark Sutcliffe plans to hire 200 more police officers, allocate resources to priority areas and expand community policing. Mayoral candidate Neil Saravanamuttoo says he would ask the Ottawa Police Service Board to conduct a comprehensive review before approving any future budget increases. Jeff Leiper says he would shift non-core police responsibilities to alternative response programs so police can focus on community safety.
What is the current patrol car minimum and when was it set?
The Ottawa Police Service is contractually required to keep a minimum of 42 frontline patrol cars on duty at any given time, according to CTV News. That minimum was set in 1995. The 2025 auditor general report found the target was increasingly difficult to meet.
When is voting day in Ottawa?
Voting day for the Ottawa municipal election is October 26, 2026. Advance voting day was October 16. Fourteen candidates are running for mayor. You can see profiles of all Ottawa mayoral candidates at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates#mayor.
Where can I find more about this candidate and the Ottawa election?
You can read Alex Lawson's candidate profile on this site at /on/ottawa-2026/candidates/alex-lawson. His profile includes his background, sources and a record of what he has said during the campaign. For all Ottawa 2026 election news published on this site, visit /on/ottawa-2026/news. Voting day is October 26, 2026.
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