THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Services Board has decided to modernize its online presence.
At its meeting this week, the board approved spending $14,000 on the first phase of a major update to its website.
The decision follows a review of the site that was conducted by KPW Communications — the current host and content manager — in conjunction with board secretary John Hannam and board member Shelby Ch'ng.
According to a memorandum presented to the board by Hannam, the site was established in 2019 for basic purposes such as posting information about the board, documents including meeting agendas and minutes and selected reports.
But more recently there have been demands to add features such as video streaming, online deputation request forms and more interactive components.
The proposal from KPW stated that revamping the site will lead to a cutting-edge platform for accessing information and resources related to policing and public safety in Thunder Bay
In addition to revamping it with innovative features, it said the board may want to ensure it is mobile-responsive, accessible to users with disabilities, and optimized for search engine visibility to maximize its reach and impact.
"By prioritizing digital excellence and staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in the digital space, the Thunder Bay Police Services Board can create a website that truly reflects its commitment to transparency and engagement with the community."
Hannam told the board that it's evident through its work over the past few years, "and particularly in looking at the recommendations for various policy development, the need for ongoing community consultation, and things that we want to post — links to video and that sort of thing — the website needs a bit of an update and redesign to allow it to be more flexible and have more flexibility and utility for us."
Ch'ng called the move a good opportunity for the board to be transparent with all the work that it's doing, and noted that this was also one of the recommendations of the expert panel that handed down its report last month.
"I think we're off to a good start" in that regard, she said.
KPW expects to complete the changes by July.
