Bail Compliance: A public safety priority

By Chloe Patsakos, Ontario Provincial Police

A new level of for front-line officers and investigators operational awareness to access the information they need and public safety is regarding offenders who are out on coming to policing in bail for firearms-related offences. Ontario with the rollout of the Provincial Bail Compliance This situational awareness and Dashboard (PBCD). Originally designed investigative tool is now available for and built by the Toronto Police Service all Ontario police services who wish (TPS), the dashboard makes it possible to join.

The PBCD provides map-based, near-real-time critical information about offenders released on bail for firearms-related offences. It significantly improves the tracking and monitoring of bail compliance, enhancing the safety of front-line officers and ensuring they can proactively respond to bail violations.

The dashboard allows officers to:

• Identify offenders on bail for firearms-related offences within a specific jurisdiction;

• Access detailed information to assist in conducting bail checks;

• Track compliance or non-compliance in near real time;

• Track an offender in multiple jurisdictions throughout their bail period, even if the offender’s release location changes and/ or additional bail conditions are added; and

• Support offender management planning.

Throughout 2023, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) collaborated with TPS to create the PBCD.

According to TPS Chief Myron Demkiw, “The Bail Compliance Dashboard was developed by an incredibly talented team within the TPS who were looking for an opportunity to give our officers a new tool.”

Taking lessons learned from TPS’s bail dashboard, the OPP, in collaboration with the Government of Ontario and other justice and police partners, successfully expanded the dashboard so that it can include the data of police services across the province. “This was something that TPS started back in 2018, and through their leadership, the entire province is going to benefit,” said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique.

“When I was field testing the new Bail Compliance Dashboard, my initial impression was ‘This is absolutely amazing,’” said Sergeant Mark Cantlon of the OPP Brant County Detachment. “Everything you want is right there – you have your accused person’s photo, height, weight, what crime they’re alleged to have committed, where they’re supposed to live and who their sureties are.”

At the time of publication, the PBCD contains data from the Ontario Provincial Police, Guelph Police Service, Peel Regional Police Service, York Regional Police Service, Toronto Police Service, Waterloo Regional Police, Chatham-Kent Police Service, Durham Regional Police Service, Stratford Police Service, Brantford Police Service and Rama Police Service. All Ontario police services have been engaged by the OPP to start the process of sharing their data to the PBCD. While the dashboard currently only hosts data relating to offenders on bail for firearms-related offences, the provincial service will be expanding the tool’s capabilities to cover offenders on bail for other types of violent crime.

OPP Commissioner Carrique believes that the dashboard marks a groundbreaking shift in public safety. “The Provincial Bail Compliance Dashboard will enhance public and officer safety by enabling Ontario police services to verify that highrisk and repeat violent offenders are complying with their bail conditions for firearms-related offences,” said Commissioner Carrique. “This front-line tool elevates situational awareness for officers to help keep them and our communities safe as well as to prevent further victimization.”

The development and implementation of the Provincial Bail Compliance Dashboard represents a significant advancement for bail compliance and community safety in Ontario. Ontario police services are encouraged to visit opp.ca/pbcd for more information.

Chloe Patsakos is the Director of Information Technology and Telecommunications Services at Ontario Provincial Police and can be reached at chloe.patsakos@opp.ca.

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