The Ottawa Police Services were hard at work the past week, with a number of stories to report.
On Thursday, October 2, and Friday, October 3, the OPS Street Crime and Drugs Units, with support from Neighbourhood Resource Teams, executed search warrants at nine locations suspected of unlawfully selling psilocybin — a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As a result, officers seized Over $10,000 in Canadian currency, more than 14 kilograms of dried psilocybin mushrooms, and significant quantities of psilocybin-based products, including capsules, beverages, edibles, and vape pens.
A suspicious fire occurred on October 7th, in the 2400 block of Bank Street, Towngate Plaza. The OPS Arson and Explosion Section’s investigators are requesting the public’s assistance and would ask for them to report any suspicious activity that was observed between 2:30 and 3:00 a.m.
Beginning in November, the Ottawa Police Service will begin deploying body-worn cameras (BWCs) as part of its ongoing commitment to accountability, transparency, and strengthening public trust. Thirty Axon body-worn cameras will be issued to members of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and select Change Agents. Officers will wear the cameras during their regular duties, including responding to calls involving individuals in crisis. This initial rollout supports the Alternative Mental Health Support Initiative and directly responds to jury recommendations from the coroner’s inquest into the death of Abdirahman Abdi, which are being implemented by the OPS’s Mental Health C.H.A.N.G.E. Initiative team.
A year after the murder of Roger Dale Lusk just outside his residence on Ira Morgan Way in Metcalfe, the Ottawa Police Service is offering a $75,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person(s) responsible for the fatal stabbing. Investigators believe there were at least two individuals in the suspect vehicle at the time of the attack. Surveillance footage and images of the suspect vehicle were released last year in an effort to generate tips from the public.
