Windsor Police Service (WPS) is deploying its officers on bicycles equipped with technology provided by local companies.
“Police has become a high-tech industry,” said Matt Caplin, director of information technology at the National Police Agency. Police decisions used to be based on experience and intuition, but now those decisions are driven by technology and data. He pointed out that it has been strengthened. .
“Our organizations, from the top to the operational level, are obsessed with data-driven decision-making, and the adoption of technology increases the accuracy of data and enables better strategic and operational decisions. ,” he said.
But Caplin said the bikes in the fleet had a connectivity gap that was recently filled by a local technology company.
The technology was developed by local company Monerus, which has started a one-year pilot project with WPS.
The technology is housed in a box on the back of the bike, which contains Wi-Fi and a 5G hub, which connects via satellite and provides real-time data to police headquarters.
“These devices kind of capture data and allow law enforcement to use it to make really smart decisions,” said Adam Castle, director of venture services and partnerships at WE-Tech Alliance. . “So even if the officer is not spending time communicating, they have all the equipment to make the report for you.”
The WE-Tech Alliance team helped connect Monerus to WPS and hoped the technology would be valuable to Windsor Police.
“This technology on this bike allows for another layer of connectivity and additional accuracy in terms of the data we collect,” Caplin said. “So we can know where the officers are, where the bikes are, what calls they're on.”
The goal of the pilot is to make police operations more efficient and provide better information for operational decision-making.
More officers are currently stationed in downtown Windsor as part of the city's Strengthen the Core initiative, and more officers will be using the technology to ride bikes.
“Some of the benefits of having bicycle units are not only their visibility in the community, but also the ability to patrol very congested areas like downtown Windsor with agility,” Caplin said. “We have a lot of flexibility to respond to calls, and we can also do proactive enforcement.”
This is also good for the company, which is a startup looking to grow.
“It's not easy to hire a pilot as a small startup company. It's incredibly difficult, but so rewarding,” Castle explained. “Right now, he's working with WPS so they can go to other police forces. They can go to Kitchener-Waterloo, they can go to OPP and say, 'Look, there's value in this area. You can say, “I have a partner who sees this, and you should join as a partner.''
Monerus also offers light bars and sirens for bicycles. These are the elements whose noise levels and brightness will be tested throughout the pilot.
Two weeks into the pilot, Caplin said feedback has been positive and Windsor police plan to test the technology throughout the cycling season.
“And in 2025, we'll make some decisions and decide how we're going to move forward with the bike squad,” he said.
