Barrie Police Service
Community Conversation Series
About the Art
Two bronze forms stand apart in this piece, independent from most angles, aligning into a single shape only from one specific position in the room. Between them, even at that angle, a ribbon of space remains. The work speaks to a series of public discussions on policing technology, convened ahead of any decision to implement it, where speakers — including those raising concerns about the technology itself — were invited into the conversation. Like the sculpture, the sessions didn’t resolve into a single, agreed-upon shape. They depended on who was in the room, and on the space, however narrow, that remained between differing views.
Original artwork by Aedán Crooke of Surface Impression. No AI was used in generating this artwork.
A public discussion series lets residents question proposed police technologies before procedures are developed, through expert panels, surveys, livestreaming and anonymous questions
Before adopting new policing technologies, Barrie Police Service invites residents to question experts, raise privacy concerns and help inform how proposed tools may be governed and used.
Barrie Police Service’s Community Conversation Series brings residents into the discussion about emerging policing technologies before decisions are made about how those technologies may be used. The timing is central to its transparency value.
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Community Conversation Series – Technology in Policing
General New Technology – Tuesday March 17 | 6:30PM
Barrie Public Library | Downtown Branch
Face Matching Technology – Tuesday March 31 | 6:30PM
Barrie Public Library | Downtown Branch
*Doors open at 6:00PM, join us for light refreshments
– learn more about technology available to police services
– hear from industry experts on opportunities and concerns
– ask questions and share feedback
Tues. March 17 | 6:30PM
Ryan Fritsch – Law Commissioner of Ontario
Shakir Rahim – Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Rich Johnston – Chief of Barrie Police Service
Tues. March 31 | 6:30PM
Dr Peter Lewis – Associate Professor of Computer Science & Canada Research Chair in Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence
Dr Christopher O’Connor – Associate Professor of Criminology and Justice
Dr Kanika Samuels-Wortley – Associate Professor of Criminology and Justice & Canada Research Chair in Systemic Racism, Technology and Criminal Justice Service
Dr Andrea Slane – Professor of Legal Studies
Visit BarriePolice.ca for more information, including:
– Live stream – Speaker Bios – Pre-Event Survey
The series invited the public to discuss technology in policing with experts representing different perspectives, including voices prepared to question whether police should use these tools at all. The first session focused on new technology in general. The second focused on facial matching technology, a subject the service knew would raise significant public interest and concern.
The format was designed to support open dialogue, rather than one-way promotion. Residents were invited to complete a pre-event survey and submit questions anonymously during the sessions through MentiMeter. The events were held in the evening at the downtown Barrie Public Library, rather than at police headquarters, to reduce barriers and make participation feel more accessible. They were also livestreamed so virtual participants could submit questions alongside those attending in person.
The service positioned these conversations as an early step in the process, before procedures were developed. Speakers discussed the potential benefits and risks, rewards, privacy protections, accountability and the guardrails that should be considered when determining how new technologies are governed and utilized.
Holding the discussions before procedures were developed made the service’s planning more visible and gave the community a meaningful voice early in the process. Residents learned about what the Barrie Police Service was exploring and were given the opportunity to raise concerns and identify issues they wanted considered before decisions were made. The conversations also created a public record of the questions and safeguards that should inform the Service’s approach as policies and procedures evolve.
