NEWS RELEASE
YORK REGIONAL POLICE SERVICE
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York Regional Police is utilizing a new technology to enhance communication with the public. SPIDR Tech is a software platform that sends customized text or email messages to victims of crime and members of the public who report crime, along with surveys used to measure community trust and satisfaction with service.
SPIDR Tech was created by a California-based company of former law enforcement officers to help police services improve communication, transparency and service delivery to the public. York Regional Police is the first police service in Canada to implement SPIDR Tech, which included a pilot project testing out this technology in 2020.
Text communications were sent to members of the public who reported residential and commercial break and enters and motor vehicle collisions. Citizens received automated texts with information about their call for service, information about investigations pertaining to their property and follow-up surveys to gauge their satisfaction with the service they received. The SPIDR Tech pilot was a significant success.
To date, the platform has sent almost 24,000 messages and surveys have indicated a 94 per cent satisfaction rate with the technology. SPIDR Tech saw its first implementation as a fully operational platform on Feb. 1, 2021 when York Regional Police used it to conduct a survey, which gathered important information that will help us improve service delivery.
Going forward, SPIDR Tech will be used for similar surveys as well as information about calls for service and investigation updates. All SPIDR Tech communications will have a feedback component to help us assess and improve our service. York Regional Police continues to be a leader in leveraging technology to modernize and automate our service delivery and we believe SPIDR Tech will be a game changing technology for our police service, enhancing the efficiency and quality of our communication with the public.
York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween expressed his excitement for SPIDR Tech: “Community engagement has always been a priority for York Regional Police. Through the implementation of the SPIDR Tech platform, I am confident that we will continue to maintain public trust and confidence while modernizing and enhancing the services we offer. Innovation and technology remain key priorities for York Regional Police as we continue to serve our community.”
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