NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE POLICE SERVICE
**************************
The Barrie Police Service is pleased to announce that, in an effort to enhance our service to the community, we are launching a pilot project for a Virtual Call Response.
Virtual Call Response, or VCR, will allow certain non-emergency calls for service, where there is no immediate threat to people or property to be addressed through a secure video chat with a police officer located at the Barrie police headquarters.
Sgt. Bill Grant will serve as the VCR officer.
Callers whose occurrences meet this criteria may receive a phone call from Sgt. Grant, offering a secure, two-way video call to respond to the incident. If it is determined that an in-person response is needed, uniformed officers will still be dispatched.
“Virtual call response offers an additional option for callers who may not want to wait for a front-line officer to be available, or who may not want to have police attend their location,” said Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston. “We are committed to working with the community to provide service that is not only effective and efficient, but also empathetic.
"This type of approach has been implemented in several other police services, and research has shown that it is appreciated by those who have used it," Johnston said.
The VCR pilot project launched on Sept. 23.
For more information, please visit www.BarriePolice.ca/VCR.
**************************
