As technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) become more common in public safety, the Barrie Police Service is committed to ensuring these tools are used responsibly, ethically, and in a way that reflects our community’s values. We are conducting a preliminary survey to hear from our community. We want to understand your familiarity with these tools, your hopes for their potential benefits, and your concerns regarding their use.

Your feedback will directly influence our upcoming Open House and the development of our Community Conversation Series, ensuring we address the topics that matter most to you.

This survey does not collect your name, email address, IP address, or any other identifying information. You can skip any question you are uncomfortable with or stop the survey at any time.

This survey should take approximately 5–7 minutes to complete. Thank you for helping us shape the future of technology in our community.

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* 1. I live, work, and/or frequently visit the City of Barrie

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* 2. How familiar are you with the technology and tools currently used by Canadian police services?

Not Familiar Very Familiar
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 3. How much do you trust the police to use AI and data responsibly and ethically?

I do not trust them at all I completely trust them
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 4. How do you feel about the following types of AI tools being used by police?

*Note: These are not all used by the Barrie Police Service

  Not Comfortable Neutral Comfortable I am unfamiliar with this technology
Automatic License Plate Readers (Automatically flags vehicles of interest)
Facial Matching/ Recognition (Automatically identifies unknown subjects using police photo databases)
Drones (Provides aerial surveillance for search, rescue, and tactical safety)
Computer Assisted Data Analysis/Predictive Policing (Identifies high-risk crime patterns to guide officer deployment)
Automated Video Review (Automatically scans hours of footage for specific people or objects)
Automated Transcription & Report Writing (Instantly converts audio recordings into searchable text documents)
Automated Call Taking (Automatically handles non-emergency requests to keep 911 lines open)

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* 5. To what extent do you agree that AI adoption will improve the following?

  AI Will Improve Neutral AI Will Not Improve
Solving crimes (e.g., faster investigations)
Preventing crimes (e.g., hotspot mapping)
Allocating resources (e.g., more officers on patrol)
Transparency (e.g., faster release of body-cam footage)
Officer Safety (e.g., robots for high-risk situations)
Public Communication (e.g., real-time translation)

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* 6. To what extent do you believe the use of AI by police could increase the risk of the following?

  AI Use Increases Risk Neutral AI Use Does Not Increase Risk
Privacy violations (e.g., excessive data collection)
Biased outcomes (e.g., unfair treatment of certain groups)
Lack of human oversight (e.g., "machines" making decisions)
Data security risks (e.g., hacking of sensitive information)
Lack of transparency (e.g., not knowing how AI works)
Misidentification (e.g., AI incorrectly identifying a person)
The Barrie Police Service is hosting an open house discussion at the Barrie Police Library (Downtown) on March 17th, 2026 at 6:30pm.


This event is open to all members of the public and is free to attend.

The panel will consist of:
Shakir Rahim - The Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Ryan Fritsch - The Law Commission of Ontario
Rich Johnston - Chief of The Barrie Police Service

The moderator will pose questions to the panel.

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* 7. Do you have any specific questions or topics you would like the moderator to ask our panellists?

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* 8. What do you think is most important for the Open House to focus on? Please rank the options below.

Thank you for your input! Your responses will directly shape our upcoming Open House and Community Conversation Series. If you would like to receive updates, please follow the Barrie Police Service on social media.

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