Advancements and funding commitments for new technologies such as CCTV, body cameras, and automated license plate readers are helping Stratford Police Services in their day-to-day work.
The influx of new and emerging policing technologies are based around video recording and captured images, an invaluable tool for police and hard evidence in day-to-day investigations for everything from an expired driver’s license to violent assaults.
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” Chief of Police Greg Skinner said during an interview with StratfordToday.
The city police service, also tasked with covering St. Marys and Perth South, recently received a $200,000 grant to expand CCTV (closed circuit television) in seven city-managed buildings. The funds have moved up the original five-year implementation timetable significantly, Chief Skinner said.
“As you can appreciate, it takes money to expand these programs and we are trying to make evidence-based decisions to make sure that we are getting the best bang for the taxpayer buck by putting them in places that are the best benefit to public safety.”
CCTV is used inside and outside of city facilities. Private sector businesses and residents are not covered by CCTV, however, to help fill in the gap, Stratford police entered into an agreement earlier this year with residents - the Security Camera Registry and Mapping program (SCRAM).
The program allows community members to voluntarily identify residential or business video surveillance locations through a secure online form on the City of Stratford’s website. Identified addresses are mapped on a database of surveillance camera locations for officers to direct resources when investigating criminal offences.
Chief Skinner said after a crime is committed, police will go to residences and businesses that have video footage and ask for copies, if it can help with the investigation.
“Instead of doing the door knock, we have asked people to register their security camera capabilities so that we can go specifically to them first. We have had success with businesses and residents providing taped evidence that have led to quick arrests. It’s helpful to us, people want to help when they can.”
Residents are understanding that video can be a strong piece of evidence in solving crimes, he said.
Chief Skinner said there is more to the process of using CCTV than the public may realize. Because of Freedom of Information (FOI) restrictions on the release of municipal government-held data, Stratford police have to go through a process to get the CCTV information released. Depending on the circumstances, it could mean judicial authorization, similar to a warrant.
“We have to abide by the law. We want to make sure anything we come into possession of will stand the test in court, to make sure it was obtained lawfully. It is important we follow the law and case law to make sure we are doing things correctly.”
Body-worn cameras…best evidence and accountability
Chief Skinner said video evidence had a lot to do with Stratford police's board of directors deciding to invest in implementing body-worn cameras. No additional funding was needed for the cameras, as money was found in the existing police budget.
Though used extensively elsewhere, and highlighted through media reports mainly due to controversial police tactics, the initiative is relatively new in Stratford.
Training is complete and officers are several months into wearing them out in the community. Chief Skinner said there has been a learning curve as the program has rolled out. Officers are getting accustomed to the routine and adding turning on the camera to the daily checklist.
The cameras and recordings they capture are about ‘best evidence and accountability', he said.
The recordings are a positive piece of evidence for the court to rely on, however, similar to closed-circuit television evidence, there is work to do to get the evidence ready, the chief said.
“There are issues about retention and redaction and where we can and can’t video. There are policies in place and there needs to be some time to get officers used to it. When we release the video, we have to make sure that any person or communication that is not specific to the incident at hand is redacted. It has to be specific to the subject.”
If a police officer entered a house party with 20 people, for example, and only one person on the recording was facing a criminal charge, the rest have to be redacted, along with their voices, the chief said.
The hardware itself is not expensive, and officers have docking stations for the cameras that download directly to the cloud in a relatively simple process. The back office support takes up memory space on the police service’s hardware, however, and has to be stored indefinitely for future evidence, potential law suits or external investigations.
“We have a few (videos) that are going to court that need to be redacted but that will increase. The requests from defence counsel and the court itself for that information is going to be there.”
Stratford police must provide all evidence, including video, to an accused before they are expected to enter a plea.
While there is still a level of trust and accountability attached to a police officer’s notes or testimony in court, chief Skinner said the addition of video evidence only helps police with their cases. Technology improvements over the years have helped police do their jobs.
Audio interviews have progressed to video interviews at the police detachment, to live video recorded at the scene of a potential crime. In-car video is the next iteration, the chief said, which will help compile evidence when police officers investigate potential criminality while out on the road.
Stickers on license plates gone…but you still need to renew
To the cheers of many, the provincial government did away with license plate renewal stickers but drivers still need to register their plates each year. Government funding for automated licence plate reader technology is helping police officers in a number of ways.
Cruisers equipped with cameras can take photos of license plates and run them through MTO systems to look for stolen cars, suspended drivers, or drivers with no insurance.
“It supports the work of police officers and makes sure our time is being used properly.”
Chief Skinner said most of the uniformed Stratford police cars will be equipped with automated license plate reader technology and the in-car camera, likely by next year.
Texting 911
With an increased societal reliance on texting over talking, many police departments are in the process of offering text services to reach 911 operators, or have already implemented it. Stratford police are equipping their communication centre for the addition, as they are required to be compliant with the new technology by the first quarter of 2024. Live streaming video for 911 calls is a little further down the road but is coming, the chief said.
Hybrid Cruisers
Supply chain issues have slowed the implementation of a full fleet of hybrid marked cruisers. Chief Skinner said the local detachment should have hybrid models for nine of 12 marked cruisers by the end of 2023. It would happen quicker if the supply chain were in better shape, he said.
“Policing is an expensive business. Anywhere we can find savings is good for the taxpayer, whether it leaves the budget or is redirected. It may seem like nickels and dimes but it saves money”
