Wilmington Police launching Virtual Response Unit

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington Police Department recently announced its new Virtual Response Unit and WWAY got the first look at the unit’s soon-to-be home on Wednesday.

The new unit will create six new civilian jobs at the department, meaning all operators will not be sworn police officers. There will be a sworn corporal managing the unit and approving the reports that are filed daily.

“This way it frees up our officers so if we have multiple violent crimes, like an armed robbery or an active breaking and entering, they can be dispatched to those calls and our virtual response unit can be handling the non-emergency calls so our citizens are still getting the customer service they need,” Records Supervisor Robin Boyd said.

The unit will utilize programs like Zoom and Facetime to file reports virtually. It’s the first of its kind in our region, likely the first in the state and possibly even the country. The department is taking inspiration from a similar unit in Winnipeg, Canada.

It’s a fresh take, but not a brand new idea. Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams said they had a Telephone Response Unit way back when that was made up of non-sworn employees who took reports by telephone.

The pandemic inspired them to think outside the box. He said some officers at other departments across the country file reports virtually from their patrol cars.

Like many other police departments across the country, Williams said WPD is experiencing a shortage in staffing. On average, he said they run eight to 10 vacancies, so they began looking at ways to get the work done in a different way.

“The goal here is to free our police officers, our sworn resources up and get the same job accomplished utilizing civilians,” Williams said.

The applications have closed for the positions in the new call center. Boyd said she anticipates having the positions filled and beginning the four to six-week training process by October.