OTTAWA – It only took the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) two weeks to issue 582 speeding tickets as part of Operation Overwatch.

“On May 1, the OPS announced that its officers would be focusing on high speed drivers and riders across the city with the launch of Operation Overwatch,” the OPS released in a statement today (May 13).

Over the course of the first two weeks of the campaign (April 25 to May 8), more than 582 Provincial Offence Notices (PONs) have been issued for speeding. Multiple vehicles have been seized and their drivers charged with Stunt Driving under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act.

“Our officers continue to fan out across the city in an effort to hold those who insist on putting our friends, families and loved ones at risk with irresponsible driving habits,” OPS Traffic Case Manager/Sgt. Craig Roberts said. “I think we’d all rather see our medical professionals focus on the pandemic rather than the potential fallout from completely avoidable high-speed collisions.”

“We are committed to holding dangerous drivers to account day and night. There’s no excuse for behaviour that can so easily turn into tragedy,” , head of the OPS Traffic Services Unit Staff Sgt. Marc-Andre Sheehy said.

“We haven’t heard from a single resident across the city who doesn’t support a crack-down on stunt driving and street racing,” Roberts said. “Far too many drivers are travelling at 30, 40 and 50 kilometres per hour plus, over the posted limit, often in residential neighbourhoods. And this has to stop before someone gets killed.”