The continuation of critical police services during the pandemic crisis is the top priority of the Thunder Bay Police Service.
As of Thursday April 2, 2020 a special unit will go live to provide frontline support to the TBPS Uniform Patrol Branch. The Patrol Support Call Back Unit (PSCU) has been created to maximize the Thunder Bay Police Service’s ability to respond to priority calls for service while reducing the risk of officer and public exposure to COVID-19. Very often, an initial police report can be taken over the phone which reduces the need for in person contact between a Uniform Patrol Officer and a member of the public.
How the PSCU operates:
When a member of the public places a 911 call to seek emergency assistance, the 911 Communications Operator will determine the nature of the emergency and dispatch the appropriate response. In the case of an incident which requires an immediate police presence, the police 911 call taker will dispatch a Uniform Patrol Officer and may then assign the call to the PSCU depending on the nature of the incident. The PSCU may follow up on incidents when:
• a suspect is not present
• there is no immediate risk to a person’s safety
Officers assigned to the PSCU will call the complainant back and take a more detailed report of the incident.
The public is reminded that many non-emergency incidents can be reported through the TBPS Online Reporting page at: https://www.thunderbaypolice.ca/key-services/services/online-reporting or by calling 684-1200.
TBPS Video explaining the program can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekv34bAOqxM&feature=youtu.be