Barrie’s downtown video surveillance camera system is getting a little polishing up and upgrade.
A $170,000 provincial investment is meant to enhance the technology of the 21-camera closed-circuit television system and its data quality to ensure their efficient and effective operation, says Const. Keira Brooks, the local police department's community safety and well-being officer.
“We are already working on improving the quality of the service,” she said, with regular maintenance being conducted.
The four-lens cameras have provided a useful resource for investigations and identification of suspects, Brooks said.
Ultimately, she said, they bolster evidence.
When there is a conflict or police-involved issue, officers will often determine if there is a camera in that particular area and, if there is, the data may then be pulled and examined as potential evidence.
“They’re constantly in need of connectivity and work and cleaning and annual inspections… to improve the network connectivity,” Brooks said.
The downtown video surveillance system was installed about a decade ago with 10 camera locations. It’s received additional attention since then, particularly in recent years
The Barrie Police Service had secured a $170,000 provincial closed-circuit television (CCTV) grant as part of a $6-million, three-year provincewide program.
In 2019, the city also put $225,000 into the Barrie police capital reserve designated for the CCTV system to replace cameras in 2020 and 2021.
