OTTAWA Ontario Provincial Police is closing the Provincial Communications Centre in Smiths Falls, affecting 100 employees at the eastern Ontario facility. In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, the OPP confirms it will close its Provincial Communications Centre early next year, with a phased decommissioning of the facility to be completed by June 2022. There will be no impact on frontline policing within the communities we serve, said Bill Dickson, OPP acting manager of communications. Call-taking and dispatch duties will be moved to the Communications Centre in Orillia. The OPP is implementing provincial call sharing, which will allow calls to be answered by the next available call taker at any OPP Communication Centre, regardless of where the call originates.
MIDDLESEX CENTRE, ONT. Provincial police have carried out additional training and implemented new communication tools following the death of a man on Lake Erie. Reginald Fisher, 77, set off alone in his sailboat from Port Glasgow on Sept. 17, 2020. Searchers located his boat, overturned, the next evening and his body was found along the shoreline weeks later, on Oct. 2, 2020. According to an OPP statement there was a lot of activity on Lake Erie on Sept. 17 as another vessel was also in distress. OPP, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) and other emergency groups were responding to that distress call. With marine rescue units and two search and rescue crews in the air, flares were dropped by a rescue aircraft.
The Anishinabek Police Service continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation in collaboration with national, provincial and community health partners.
The APS is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for its employees and community members.
The province of Ontario has instituted a lockdown for 28 days or 14 days depending on the health unit.
Although there have been no changes in operations the members of the public are reminded that detachments are closed to the public with the exception of emergent situations.
The APS will continue to operate and provide policing coverage for its communities. If you require a police officer for an incident please call the Provincial Communications Center at 1-888-310-1122. An officer will be dispatched to respond. For Emergent Situations, please call 911. Detachment telephones are operational and all of our detachments and headquarters remain open for emergent situations.