Latest news with #RichJohnston
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Barrie police now using tool to track offenders on bail for gun crimes
The Barrie Police Service (BPS) has adopted a new tool aimed at improving public safety by keeping a closer watch on people out on bail for gun-related offences. The service has joined other police services across Ontario in using the Provincial Bail Compliance Dashboard (PBCD), a database developed and managed by the Ontario Provincial Police. The dashboard provides officers with up-to-date information about individuals who have been released on bail for firearms-related offences. Police say the system improves how officers track and monitor bail compliance. It also allows different police services to share information more easily. 'This dashboard will provide invaluable information about high-harm individuals residing in our city,' said Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston. 'We will use any and all tools at our disposal to better serve our community and reduce harm from recidivism.' The PBCD is part of a broader effort to strengthen bail enforcement and protect both the public and frontline officers. Officers using the dashboard can quickly access details about an offender's release conditions, past charges, and whether they are following court-ordered restrictions. Local authorities have been using another data-driven approach since 2021 known as the Canadian Crime Harm Index, which assigns a 'harm score' to various offences. 'By allocating a harm score to the most serious offences and offenders, the Barrie Police Service is able to better track the individuals causing the most harm in our community,' the Barrie service added. 'In Barrie, our data shows that in 2024, 1.4 per cent of offenders cause 20 per cent of the harm in our community, and research references this level of concentration of criminality in a population as the 'power few',' BPS noted. The dashboard is available to all police services in Ontario and is part of a growing, province-wide strategy to improve bail compliance and reduce repeat offences.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Barrie police opt for technology and scrap pen and paper to improve service
Residents in Barrie may notice police officers using their cell phones at incident scenes, but they're not checking out the latest trends on social media, they're utilizing technology to be more efficient. "As a service focused on innovation to support community safety, the Barrie Police Service is committed to seeking out technology that can support our officers and improve our service to the public," the service noted. The service recently implemented electronic note-taking on police-issued cell phones to allow officers to take voice notes rather than writing out details on small notebooks and scanning or photocopying them to be recorded. 'E-notes are quicker, more accessible and more sustainable,' the service noted. The move to scrap the old pen and paper method makes the Barrie service one of the first in the province to shift to e-notes. 'As technology continues to play a significant role in assisting our investigations, we are taking advantage of this innovative opportunity to allow our officers the ability to focus on the community when they are responding to calls, without the need to spend significant time taking hand-written notes,' said Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston. The technology was rolled out as a pilot project and is now being used by frontline patrol officers, the traffic unit and specialized investigative units.
