Some Fort Frances residents are saying police response time has slowed down since the OPP have taken over here, and most are laying the blame squarely on the centralized dispatch in Kenora.
Two dispatchers work each shift at the communications centre in Kenora. And the one who fields calls from the Fort Frances area also dispatches for seven other detachments.
Fort Frances OPP S/Sgt. Hugh Dennis admitted there have been complaints about response time but probably not because the system isn’t working.
“What happens is the calls go into Kenora from the public, someone takes the call, and then it’s sent to the dispatcher [handling] this area and they put it on a priority list,” S/Sgt. Dennis explained.
“The lag time between the person calling in and policing coming in occasionally has been questioned why so long,” he continued. “It’s because of the number of calls ahead of the other caller.”
S/Sgt. Dennis said he’s found those who have complained about long waits for police service have not been in a life-threatening or emergency situation.
He also noted some people can’t be pleased regardless of what the response time is, having expectations greater than any police service can provide.
Although it’s relatively new to Fort Frances residents, centralized dispatch service has been common for west-end residents for the last six years.
S/Sgt. Dennis admitted the system isn’t perfect but that it has gotten better since it began.
“Over the six years, there has been some issues that have worked out as the experience of the dispatcher increases,” he noted.
One problem that’s had to be overcome is knowledge of the local geography. With the dispatcher 225 km away, the responsibility falls on the individual officers to know the area they are patrolling and the people calling for service.
“In our case, mapping is crucial,” S/Sgt. Dennis said. “The public has to be encouraged to give all the information.”
The dispatch in Kenora also offers several technological bonuses, he added.
“Our communications to Kenora are excellent, who can patch me to any car in the district,” he said.
But with the dispatch moved to Kenora, there is no longer anyone manning the police station here 24 hours a day.
“The public still has 24-hour access to police officers through the 1-888-310-1122 number,” S/Sgt. Dennis stressed.
“[And] I would rather have any police officer out patrolling than waiting in the office waiting for someone to come in,” he said.
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