Data-driven policing: New tools for YRP in 2023

Connected Officer Program

As of 2023, every York Regional Police officer has a powerful new tool to add to their duty belts.

A smartphone.

In an effort to modernize the service, in 2017 Deputy Chief Paulo Da Silva launched the Connected Officer and E-notes program, with the goal of deploying smartphones to frontline members.

“It was high time we leveraged technology to improve the experience of our officers and the quality and effectiveness of their notes,” Deputy Chief Da Silva said.

In 2022, a total of 965 smartphones were handed out to officers. In 2023, that number increased to 1,243.

The smartphones have the ability to make calls and use the internet, but they can also access several YRP applications. They allow officers to access police and criminal records, review the details of an incident, watch in-car camera footage and schedule court dates.

“IT WAS HIGH TIME WE LEVERAGED TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF OUR OFFICErs.”

DEPUTY CHIEF PAULO DA SILVA

Another important part of the Connected Officer program, was developing a way to allow officers to take electronic notes.

The e-notes app, developed by Digital Mobility Inc., was rolled out to YRP members in 2022. It allows officers to take notes on the go on their smartphones, in their cruisers or on a York Regional Police computer.

The notes are then filed and stored on a secure cloud server.

business intelligence apps

In 2023, the phones also provided access to data-mapping tools and dashboards. These ever-evolving applications come courtesy of the Business Intelligence Unit, which works with officers to create tools designed for specific uses.

Last year, that included the development of a special data layer on Active Operating Picture, a mapping application used by officers. The layer helped officers to identify bail offenders and to collect and analyze data around the police service’s effort to enforce bail compliance and warrant apprehensions.

Designed with leadership from the High-Risk Offenders Unit, this app will be essential for future deployments to help find offenders skipping bail, which has been deemed a provincial priority by the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.

Thanks to the Community Safety Data Portal, this same technology also allows citizens in York Region to see policing data, crime trends and important updates right in their homes.

The data portal, first launched in 2021, now provides even more specialized information to keep residents in the know, like a new dashboard that outlines the most commonly stolen vehicles in our region.