Ottawa police face $21.8 million budget shortfall as new council prepares to take office
Ottawa's police service expects a $21.8 million deficit in 2026. Overtime costs account for nearly half of it, and the new city council will confront the problem when members are sworn in on November 15.
Long read. The subject the most local outlets covered that day, with the public record behind it. Every outlet and record is linked under the story. Read the original report on cbc.ca.
Ottawa's police service expects to end 2026 with a $21.8 million deficit, a third-quarter report shows. Overtime costs account for nearly half of it, and the service has been running a spending restraint program since February to hold the shortfall below last year's $28.9 million. The 2027 budget, which will arrive before the city in the weeks ahead, will be one of the first major decisions for the new council sworn in on November 15.
What the deficit is
The $21.8 million figure comes from the third-quarter report covering July, August and September, which the chief's office has prepared for the Ottawa Police Services Board Finance and Audit Committee meeting on Friday, November 6. CBC reported the number on October 30.
The projected shortfall is $21.8 million, compared to the $21.6 million deficit forecast in the second-quarter report three months earlier. At the start of this decade, Ottawa police deficits ran at about $10 million a year. They rose to $28.9 million in 2025. The 2026 figure, if it holds, would be a $7.1 million improvement on last year.
Why overtime is the central problem
The chief's report says the force expects $10 million in overtime costs to "meet the needs of the organization and the community to ensure adequate and effective policing," as CBC cited it. Front-line policing generates the largest share of those hours. Court security and the communications centre follow.
In 2025, Ottawa police paid out $11.2 million in overtime. The 2026 projection of $10 million in overtime pressure represents an ongoing strain that the force has not been able to eliminate.
Other costs adding to the shortfall
Three other items in the report account for most of the remaining gap.
A landfill search connected to a homicide investigation cost $4.6 million, the CBC report said. The report does not name the investigation. The search was unspecified in the public document, and this article does not name any individual connected to it.
Recruiting and onboarding new officers is projected to cost about $3 million. The service has been adding staff, and the cost of hiring and training those officers lands in the current year's budget.
Higher fuel prices have added about $1 million to the total.
Together, those three items plus overtime account for the bulk of the $21.8 million gap.
What the force has done to control spending
The service started a spending restraint plan in February 2026. It has scaled back some overtime and left some positions vacant. By the time the third-quarter report was completed, those steps had saved the force about $9 million.
The report says the service is still looking for another $2.2 million in savings before the year ends. It is also developing a long-range financial plan that covers 2026 through 2036, and is planning an efficiency review. That review is expected to inform future budget submissions to the city and to the police services board.
The November 6 committee meeting
The Finance and Audit Committee of the Ottawa Police Services Board will review the third-quarter report on Friday, November 6. The same meeting is expected to include an update on the 2027 budget timeline.
The committee is a public body and its meetings are open. Residents can watch or attend through the city's meetings site at pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com.
What this means for the new council
Ottawa's new city council, including re-elected Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, takes office on November 15. The 2027 city budget will be one of its first major pieces of work. The police budget is part of the city's overall budget, so the council will decide how much the city allocates to policing for the coming year.
CBC noted this directly in its October 30 report: "The next city budget will be one of the first major tasks for Ottawa's new city council once members are sworn in."
During the campaign, Sutcliffe made a promise to keep the property tax increase to no more than 3 percent annually. The police service is now projecting a shortfall that has run well above $10 million for two consecutive years. The council will need to decide whether to provide more money, require further savings from the force, or some combination of both. The tracker at /on/ottawa-2026/tracker follows the promises Sutcliffe and councillors made about city finances and will record how those decisions land.
What you can do
If you want to follow the police budget review, the Finance and Audit Committee meets November 6. The agenda and instructions for attending are on the city's meetings site at pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com.
City Council budget deliberations will begin after the new council is sworn in on November 15. Those meetings are also open, and the city publishes agendas at the same site. The budget process will run through the winter into early 2027.
Questions this story answers
How large is Ottawa's police budget deficit in 2026?
The Ottawa Police Service expects a deficit of $21.8 million in 2026, according to its third-quarter report covering July, August and September. That figure was reported by CBC News on October 30, 2026. The projected shortfall of $21.8 million is $200,000 higher than the $21.6 million deficit forecast three months earlier, and lower than the $28.9 million deficit the force recorded in 2025.
What is driving the Ottawa police budget deficit?
Overtime is the largest single factor. The third-quarter report from the chief's office projects $10 million in overtime costs to meet policing needs across the city. Front-line policing accounts for the biggest share of those hours, followed by court security and the communications centre. The force paid $11.2 million in overtime in 2025.
What other costs contribute to the shortfall?
Beyond overtime, three other items account for most of the rest. The CBC reported that a landfill search connected to a homicide investigation cost $4.6 million. Recruiting and onboarding new officers is expected to cost about $3 million. Higher fuel prices have added about $1 million to the budget pressure.
What is the Ottawa police doing to reduce the deficit?
The police service has been running a spending restraint plan since February 2026. Measures include scaling back some overtime and leaving some positions vacant. By the time of the third-quarter report, those steps had saved the force about $9 million. The service says it is still looking for another $2.2 million in savings. It is also developing a long-range financial plan covering 2026 to 2036.
When will the Ottawa Police Services Board review this report?
The third-quarter budget report goes to the Ottawa Police Services Board Finance and Audit Committee on Friday, November 6. The same meeting is expected to include an update on the timeline for the 2027 budget.
How does this deficit compare to previous years?
Ottawa police recorded a $28.9 million deficit in 2025. CBC News notes that deficits were around $10 million at the start of this decade, so the current shortfall represents a substantial increase over that period. The 2026 projected deficit of $21.8 million is an improvement on 2025 but remains far above those earlier levels.
What does the new city council have to do with the police budget?
The new Ottawa City Council, including re-elected Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, is sworn in on November 15. The 2027 city budget will be one of its first major tasks. The police budget is part of the overall city budget, so the council will need to decide how much money to allocate to policing for next year. The CBC report notes this directly.
Where can residents follow the budget process?
Residents can watch or attend the Police Services Board Finance and Audit Committee on November 6 through the Ottawa city meetings site at pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com. City Council budget deliberations will begin after November 15, when the new council takes office. The tracker at /on/ottawa-2026/tracker follows the promises Mayor Sutcliffe and councillors made about city finances.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- CBC News: Ottawa police still staring at deficit near $22M this year (October 30, 2026)cbc.ca
- CTV News Ottawa: Rising overtime costs leave Ottawa police facing $22M deficit (October 30, 2026)ctvnews.ca
- Ottawa Police Services Board Finance and Audit Committee meetingspub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com
- Unpublished.ca: Ottawa police still staring at deficit near $22M (October 30, 2026)unpublished.ca
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