Ontario opens new provincial police communications centre in London

#Ontario; #OPP; #London; #Covid19Outbreak; #CommunityProtection; 

News release

London (ON), Jun 9 (Canadian-Media): The Ontario government is opening a new leading edge Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Communications Centre in London. This new high-tech facility will provide officers and civilian staff with the modern communications technology needed to better serve and protect communities in Ontario.

"Our government recognizes that provincial police officers continually encounter new challenges on the job, whether it's enforcing the law during the COVID-19 outbreak or combatting new online criminal activity," said Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General. "This new facility will help ensure our provincial officers and staff have the state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and technology they need to fight crime and keep people safe."

The new 35,000 square-foot communications centre will house 135 civilian members and officers who handle emergency and non-emergency calls for service. Equipped with advanced technology, the facility will serve an assigned area of more than 170,000 square kilometres and a population that reaches approximately 850,000 people during the summer months. The new centre will also support other OPP jurisdictions as needed and provide the space OPP officers and civilian members need to conduct their work in an improved workplace environment.

"The new Provincial Communications Centre will allow the OPP to enhance their services and ensure frontline officers can meet the demands of modern police operations" said Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure. "We are committed to investing in infrastructure that puts people's safety first."

"The new London Provincial Communications Centre is a critical component of the OPP's delivery of emergency services to our communities and the support we provide to our dedicated officers on the front line and in our speciality units," said OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique. "This modern facility will provide a workplace that is safe, healthy and properly equipped for the civilian and sworn OPP members who work in this high-stress environment."

"I am very proud London is now home to this impressive facility," said Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP and Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Jeff Yurek. "I am especially proud that the building meets the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Standard, which recognizes buildings with reduced environmental impacts. This will be of great benefit to both the community and the environment and reflects our government's commitment to delivering modern, efficient infrastructure across Ontario."
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Quick Facts

• The London PCC is one of five OPP PCCs across the province that operate 24/7, answering emergency and non-emergency calls for service.
• The new facility is accessible and designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Standard – the standard that recognizes buildings with reduced environmental impacts.
• This project has been delivered through Infrastructure Ontario's Design-Bid-Build (DBB) model. The DBB model is used in the delivery of capital projects between $10 million and $100 million and makes use of the standardized CCDC-2 stipulated sum contract.

OPP. Image credit: Twitter handle