Deputy Chief Trish Ferguson - Ottawa Police Service

TOPIC: What 30 years of policing has taught me

Trish has been a proud member of the Ottawa Police for 30 years. Drawn to policing at a young age, it was a career that aligned with the values she was raised with and allowed her to commit to a life of service. The privilege of working in this community with the courageous women and men of the Ottawa Police Service has been a humbling and inspirational experience.

With several years of working on patrol, recruiting, school resource and community policing, Trish got to see the power of relationship building and how effective it is to work with external partners to making the community safer. While working in General Investigations, Elder Abuse and Sexual Assault and Child Abuse investigations, Trish witnessed the courage and strength of survivors and the commitment of the people called to support them through their journey. This work led to committee and advocacy work for victims and survivors as well as OPS members post Critical Incidents as the Coordinator for the CISM team for 15 years. In 2017, Trish co-founded the Women’s Employee Resource Group and has driven a number of initiatives to improve culture and conditions for all OPS members.

In 2018 Trish was promoted to Inspector and worked on the Frontline as a Duty Inspector. She led the OPS’ response to the Pandemic and was later promoted to the rank of as the Superintendent of Frontline. Trish was the Acting Deputy Chief of the Community Policing Command in 2021-2022 during the Freedom Convoy and served as the Major Event Commander- later testifying at the Public Order Emergency Commission and making appearance at several Senate Committees.

She is a committee member of CACP Counter Terrorism National Security Committee as well as a member of the National Working Group Committee on Mass Casualty/Victimization Committee and serves as the Chair of the Ontario Association of Chief’s of Police Victims’ Assistance Committee since With her appointment to Deputy Chief in June 2023, Trish currently oversees the Investigations, Information and Serious & Organized Crime Directorate and has since 2022.