Deputy Chief Steve Bell has lived in Ottawa for the past 30 years. He is a 25-year veteran of the Ottawa Police Service (OPS) where he is currently responsible for the Corporate Support Command.
During his time with the OPS he has gained experience in various positions including: Interim Chief of Police (May-October 2019); Deputy Chief of Criminal Investigations, Deputy Chief Community Policing Command, Support Services and Planning, Performance & Analytics Directorates.; Neighbourhood Officer, Drug Unit, Guns and Gangs Unit, Youth Section, Professional Standards, Courts and Temporary Custody and Resourcing and Development Directorate.
Deputy Chief Bell’s background gives him a solid understanding of both the community’s diverse needs as well as the needs of Police Service members. He is a demonstrated, innovative and strategic thinker who is successful at managing complex organizational change. He has played a key role on several significant projects including Gun Violence Suppression, Neighbourhood Policing, Gender Audit, Service Initiative, and Wellness Strategy.
Deputy Chief Bell is also actively involved in the community: he currently sits as Co-Chair of the Community Equity Council, serves as Chair of the Human Resources Committee of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, sits on the Board of Directors for Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa and is Co-Chair of the Ottawa Child and Youth Initiative. Most recently, Deputy Chief Bell has also joined as Chair of the David Smith Youth Treatment Centre Board.
Deputy Chief Bell has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Political Science from Carleton University. He is married and has two sons.