Ottawa maintains a modern, highly trained and well-equipped police department, with a current authorized strength of 26 sworn officers. The basic mission of the Police Department is to maintain law and order, protect persons and property, apprehend persons suspected of crime, direct and control traffic, investigate traffic accidents, and enforce all state and city criminal laws.

The Department is committed to community policing; a partnership of police officers and citizens working together to address crime and neighborhood quality-of-life issues. In fulfilling their roles, the men and women of the Police Department are guided by the following values: "human life, integrity, the laws and Constitution, excellence, accountability, cooperation, problem-solving, our-selves, and our role in the community." We are also committed to employing a diverse workforce to better serve our community.

The Police Department is located at 715 W. 2nd Street. Dial 911 for both police non-emergencies and emergencies and 785-242-2561 to contact the Police Department Administrative offices for general information.

Message From the Chief

Dear Fellow Citizens:

I am proud to welcome you to the Ottawa Police Department's website and offer you the chance to learn more about both the officers who serve this City and the opportunity to discover what you can do to prevent crime in your home, neighborhood or workplace.

The Ottawa Police Department is fortunate to occupy a state-of-the-art Law Enforcement Center located at 715 W. 2nd Street. The construction of this facility eliminated years of chronic overcrowding in a shared police/fire facility and has greatly improved working conditions, employee morale, and agency effectiveness.

It is our partnership with the people of Ottawa that makes our policing efforts successful. Our community policing philosophy extends from liaisons with the Chamber of Commerce to a resource officer in schools, the D.A.R.E. Program and summer camp, from officers on foot and bicycle patrols to officers who live within the city they serve.

I am confident that you will find this website to be consistent with the Ottawa Police Department's approach of openness, friendliness and practice of mid-western values. I hope you will not only access crime prevention tips and safety information, but also expand your knowledge about your police department and discover new ways that we can work together.


Sincerely,
Dennis P. Butler
Chief of Police

Mission Statement
The Ottawa Police Department exists to serve the community by protecting life and property; by preventing crime; by enforcing laws; and by maintaining order for all citizens. Central to our mission are the values that guide our work and decisions, and help us contribute to the quality of life in Ottawa.

Values
Our values are characteristics or qualities of worth. They are non-negotiable. Although we may need to balance them, we will never ignore them for the sake of expediency or personal preference. We hold our values constantly before us to teach and remind us, and the community we serve, of our ideals. They are the foundation upon which our policies, goals and operations are built.

In fulfilling our mission, we need the support of citizens, elected representatives and City officials in order to provide the quality of service our values commit us to providing. We, the men and women of the Ottawa Police Department value:

HUMAN LIFE
INTEGRITY
FAMILY
ETHICAL BEHAVIOR
LAWS AND CONSTITUTION
EXCELLENCE
ACCOUNTABILITY
COOPERATION
PROBLEM-SOLVING
OURSELVES