North Bay police turning to mobile app in fight against misinformation during lockdowns

Police in North Bay are hoping that technology can provide a much-needed assist in the battle against misinformation. 

Starting in April, North Bay Police Service (NBPS) expects to be using Alertable, an app that pushes messages out to subscribers' mobile devices during emergencies.

The plan to use the app stems from an incident in February, where false reports spread across social media during a lockdown at West Ferris High School in North Bay.

David Woolley, Corporate Communications Officer with NBSP, said adding Alertable to the law enforcement "toolbox" will take pressure off officers – and parents – during a lockdown.

"Currently we have our Facebook page, we have an Instagram account, we have a Twitter account and we have our website," Woolley said. "Those are all channels with which we can communicate with the public in situations like what occurred at West Ferris."

"But Alertable is going to give us a more direct route. Once you download the app, you can choose your preferred way of being communicated and we can send out information much faster, much more frequent updates on situations."

On February 16, NBPS was alerted to a student carrying a firearm at the school. Police responded immediately, and a lockdown was engaged. 

At the same time, rumours began swirling online that students at West Ferris had been injured, that police were at the school because of a stabbing, and that another potential shooting was expected to happen at Chippewa High School. 

Those rumours were found to have originated in southern Ontario targeting a similarly-named school. 

"Don't trust everything you read online," Woolley said. "If you see something, an assertion made online, remember to view that with a grain of salt and ensure that you have evidence before you trust that information."

"Look at where that information is coming from, if it's coming from a trusted, reliable source, or if it's just coming from a random user online."

How quickly misinformation, or in some cases, disinformation, spreads, is a growing challenge for police, Woolley said.

"It's certainly a challenge, especially at a smaller police service like ours.I am the only one who's monitoring social media and I you know, I don't work 24/7. So it is a challenge, for sure." 

The Near North School Board has also amended their own policies, tightening up their communications responses between schools and parents during and after a lockdown.