There have already been 10 killings in Ottawa this year, 6 since late March. Two recent ones were femicides, an additional disturbing phenomenon.

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There have been 10 homicides so far in Ottawa this year, plus another in nearby Clarence-Rockland. Of the 11, the six most recent occurred over just a nine-day span, beginning with the death on March 29 of Scott Landymore, 63, in an apartment in Chinatown.

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Residents are understandably anxious. Ottawa Police Service chief Eric Stubbs told the Citizen that at the current rate, the city will match or exceed last year’s total of 25, which itself was a record.

Should we be alarmed? It’s difficult to imagine the most recent spike continuing; Ottawa is a safe city. It is, however, also a growing one, and population growth will inevitably be accompanied by a rise in all kinds of crime, murder included. The city hasn’t had a homicide-free year since 1999; don’t expect to see that again anytime soon.

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