Here's why Barrie police are revamping their entire fleet to be more eye-grabbing

Police in Barrie will soon be much more visible as the service switches its entire fleet to a more noticeable design following a pilot project launched last summer.

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The service unveiled the blue and lime green checkered 'Battenburg' design inspired by European police vehicles on three cruisers in July 2022 to help enhance visibility.

"The need for police visibility is increasing in today's world," said Chief Rich Johnston in a video posted to Twitter. "I think there's an expectation on behalf of our community; they want to see us."

The switch to the Battenburg-designed cruisers is part of a broader effort by the Barrie Police Service to enhance its presence in the community and improve public safety.

"You can't miss it," said CTV News Public Safety Analyst Chris Lewis. "I think that's a good thing because the more visible police cars are for those that want to be visible who are on community patrol, that's a good thing. The higher the visibility, the better and good for Barrie."

Barrie police said research indicates increasing police visibility can positively impact crime prevention and community engagement.

"The idea is to remind our community that we want to be approachable. We want to be seen as approachable, and we want to build that trust within our community - strengthen it," Johnston added.

The checkerboard design is mainly on the side of the vehicles, making it visible to passing motorists, with retroreflective fluorescent markings visible from a distance.

"These vehicles, under normal conditions on a day like today, you can see the reflective markings on them from approximately 601 meters. In a snowstorm, up to 333 meters, and in rain, 284 meters. So, the reflective qualities that are built into these markings are going to be safe for our officers and for the public," said Barrie police communications coordinator Peter Leon.

Changing over the entire fleet is expected to take roughly two years to complete.

This marks the third look for Barrie police cruisers in recent years. In 2016, the cruisers went from white to dark blue, making them harder to notice.

The project was funded through the Community Safety and Policing Grant.