The Ottawa Police Service Board (OPSB) is launching a national search to find a third deputy police chief.

On Friday, the board issued a press release stating they would be adding another deputy chief to their complement of two “in the coming weeks.”

Chair of the OPSB, Coun. Diane Deans, says the addition was warranted by the number of recent changes taking place at the Ottawa Police Service (OPS).

“The chief requires a strong and stable senior leadership team to assist him in shepherding those changes,” says Deans. “The board is looking to provide increased support and stability to the chief and the service through this recruitment," Deans stated in the release. 

The 2022 OPSB budget, which was approved in late November, included allocations for one chief, two deputy chiefs, and one civilian chief administrative officer. According to executive director of the OPSB, Krista Ferraro, the additional deputy chief position will be funded using “gap position funding” and won’t have an impact on the overall budget.

The OPSB indicated they are enlisting executive search firm Odgers Berndtson to help find an ideal candidate. The firm was previously hired in 2018 to recruit Ottawa deputy police chief Uday Jaswal, who has been suspended with pay since March 2020 pending an investigation into misconduct charges.

Jaswal, who was charged again in spring 2021 for alleged misconduct during his time with the Durham Regional Police Service, continues to be on the payroll, according to Ferraro. 

The OPSB has not given a specific timeline for the recruitment process, but indicated that additional information would be released when the process is officially launched. 

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