Latest news with #AnthonyOdoardi
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Peel police considering drones as first responders to some 911 calls
Police in Peel Region may soon deploy drones to certain 911 calls, something the deputy chief says could reduce response times. While drones have increasingly been used by services around the country for a variety of police work, Deputy Chief Anthony Odoardi said in a statement Thursday that the new initiative would make Peel Regional Police "one of, if not the first police service in Canada to deploy drones in this capacity." The intention is to reduce response times and give officers real-time information from the scene before they arrive, Odoardi said in the statement. Exactly what types of calls drones will be assigned to is still being determined, he said, but they could possibly be used for "in-progress incidents" like break-and-enters, missing vulnerable persons and auto thefts. "At this time, we are in the planning and regulatory review phase and will begin with a limited pilot to assess operational value, cost, and community impact," Odoardi said. "Privacy protections, including a Privacy Impact Assessment and community consultations, will guide implementation." Drones will not be used for general surveillance and will not incorporate facial recognition technology, Odoardi said. Transparency should be priority, says tech analyst Carmi Levy, an Ontario-based technology analyst and journalist, says communication with the public on how drones are being used is key. "If I'm walking down the street and I see a [police] drone zipping over my head, as a citizen, I want to understand why it's up there, what it's being used for," Levy told CBC Radio's Metro Morning last week. The public should know what information drones are able to gather, how it's used and where it ends up, he said. WATCH | As more police services use drones, privacy concerns arise: Police across Canada are using drones. Here's why that's raising privacy concerns 2 years ago "It all comes down to context," Levy said. "Potentially, this can be a game-changer when it comes to addressing crime and allowing the resources that we devote to law enforcement to cover more ground and keep us safer," he said. "I think we can realistically assume that's something we all want, but the devil is always in the details." In Hamilton, where police began using drones in 2021, people in the city have voiced concerns in recent years over privacy and a lack of transparency from police over how drones were being used. More recently, in Kingston, the use of drones this spring to catch and ticket distracted drivers drew immediate backlash from the public and legal experts, who said it was an invasion of privacy that may have violated drivers' Charter rights. The use of drones is increasingly a part of police work across the country, often aiding in investigations, ground searches and collision reconstruction. Last year, the Chatham-Kent Police Service said it was able to find a man wanted on several warrants with the help of a police drone after the man had fled into a wooded, swampy area about 100 kilometres southwest of London, Ont. Deputy Chief Odoardi said in his statement that Peel Regional Police's planned use of drones on 911 calls is intended "to better support our communities and equip officers with the tools needed to enhance emergency response efforts."
Global News
4 days ago
- Global News
Ontario police force may be 1st in Canada to use drones for some 911 calls
A police force in one of Canada's most populated regions may soon be deploying drones as first responders for certain 911 calls. Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Anthony Odoardi told Global News in a statement Wednesday the initiative would make them 'one of, if not the first police service in Canada' to use drone technology in that capacity. 'The initiative aims to reduce response times and provide officers with real-time information before they arrive,' Odoardi said. 'While specific call types are still being finalized, drones may be used for in-progress incidents such as break and enters, missing vulnerable persons, or auto thefts.' Odoardi added the force is currently in the 'planning and regulatory review phase' and will eventually begin with a limited pilot. He did not offer a timeline of its implementation, but said the pilot will assess operation value, cost and community impact. Story continues below advertisement 'Privacy protections, including a Privacy Impact Assessment and community consultations, will guide implementation,' he said. 2:20 Glimpse into VPD's drone program Over the last several years, police forces across Canada have been increasingly utilizing drones. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Several police forces, including in Halton Region and Peel, currently utilize drones for search and rescue cases, collision reconstruction, tactical operations and disaster response. In June, an Ontario Provincial Police drone was crucial in finding a three-year-old Quebec girl who was the subject of a frantic four-day search in both provinces. The girl, who was reported missing in Coteau-du-Lac, Que., was spotted four days later by the police drone sitting alone in a ditch along the side of a highway near St. Albert, roughly 100 km from where she was reported missing. Story continues below advertisement Even in Vancouver — where the Vancouver Police Department's (VPD) 20 drones flew 1,826 missions in 2024 — drones have been described as critical to daily policing. 'We answer 700 calls for service a day and these pilots are incredibly busy,' VPD Supt. Don Chapman told Global News in March. One of their drones was key in capturing murder suspect Brendan Colin McBride, accused of killing a man in downtown Vancouver in September 2024 and of slicing off another person's hand. McBride was found on Habitat Island by the police drone. 2:55 Suspect charged in Vancouver stranger attacks Every mission requires a pilot and a spotter, with video streamed back to an operational command centre, the VPD said. But only five per cent of the recordings are preserved, and VPD told Global News those must be connected to a crime. Story continues below advertisement Odoardi reiterated to Global News Peel police's drones won't be used outside of their intended purpose. 'All drone operations will be managed by trained officers through our Aerial Support Unit and Community Safety Operations Centre and will not be used for general surveillance or utilize facial recognition technology,' he said. 'We are committed to advancing technology in our service to better support our communities and equip officers with the tools needed to enhance emergency response efforts.' — with files from Catherine Urquhart
CBC
08-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Nearly half of 911 calls to Peel Region are non-urgent. A new campaign aims to change that
Peel Region has a new campaign to let people know when they should call 911, which may sound silly until you realize that about half of the calls to its emergency line aren't urgent at all. Despite years of warning, some residents are still calling 911 about the temperature of their coffee. Peel's Commissioner of Health Services Nancy Polsinelli said Thursday that more than 30 per cent of Ontarians don't know what number to call when they have municipal issues or when they require municipal services like garbage pickups or utility outages. "911 is for urgent life-threatening calls. 911 is no joke," she said. "There are other numbers to call if you have a non-urgent need or a question." Polsinelli said the campaign will use advertising in 90 languages to help residents connect with the right resources for a non-emergency situation and help people understand the importance of keeping 911 calls free for people who really need it. In January 2024, Peel region council voted to explore whether fines or other penalties could be issued for those who misuse 911. Peel police said at the time that 40 per cent of the calls were categorized as non-legitimate, inappropriate, or misuse. Peel Police Deputy Chief Anthony Odoardi said on Thursday that the non-emergency calls are usually a pocket dial or a misunderstanding of what qualifies as an urgent call. He says police have also received "pretty ludicrous calls where people should know not to call police." Some of those calls involved people asking police if they could borrow objects or even complaining about a wrong pick-up order or their coffee temperature. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said at the announcement on Thursday that "every second counts" when it comes to urgent 911 calls and asked residents not to take first responders away from a critical response. "We had calls from people complaining about their cricket game being noisy. That's not the right reason to call 911," Brown said.
