EPS implements new virtual tool to help during non-emergency calls
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) says it is deploying new virtual software to help respond to non-emergency calls more efficiently.
In a press release sent last week, EPS said it is using 911eye, a software collaboration by Calgary company Levvel Inc. and Capita Solutions in the United Kingdom, in non-emergency situations.
The tool allows EPS to follow up with someone reporting a non-emergency or non-life threatening crime remotely by sending them a link to a private video chat on their smartphone or tablet. The caller can then walk police through a situation or provide details through live video about an incident without EPS having to deploy members to a scene.
"The COVID-19 pandemic was a driving force in exploring new ways the Edmonton Police Service could continue serving the community while ensuring safety for the public and responding officers," said Supt. Warren Driechel, EPS information technology division, in a statement.
"911eye enables our officers the ability to help Edmontonians in a way that hasn't been done before: remotely," he added. "Just as 911eye helps shape the future of law enforcement, it also helps policing become more innovative in a meaningful way."
EPS says it began testing the platform in March 2020 and has recently signed on to continue using the software.
According to Levvel Inc., callers can opt into using the service. Once a user clicks the link on any smart device, the video stream with an EPS officer begins.
No footage is stored, and the EPS cannot access any other data from any device, other than the caller's geographical location, Levvel Inc. says. The video stream can be pushed to other first responder devices when it's active.
According to Dan Munkittrick, Levvel Inc. vice president, the EPS is the first police force in Canada to utilize the platform that many emergency service agencies in the U.S. and U.K. are using.
"It's exciting to share that the Edmonton Police Service is a pioneer in the Canadian emergency services sector," Munkittrick said in a statement. "Enabling responders and call-takers to see vital real-time footage to make informed decisions will reduce risk and cost."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'