Barrie police now using tool to track offenders on bail for gun crimes

The Barrie Police Service detachment on Fairview Drive in Barrie, Ont.

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.