The Niagara Regional Police Service provides constables with the best technology, equipment and vehicles that the Service has to offer.  Constables are issued equipment, vehicles and access to technology based on their needs and the duties to which they've been assigned.

TECHNOLOGY

Our Service strives to provide officers with the latest technology, including specialized software and equipment that is limited to law enforcement or developed especially for our Service.  For example, officers are dispatched using a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, search for information and create reports using computers in their cars, and have information on incidents stored in a computerized Record Management System (RMS).  These systems are available to our Service through internal development projects and by working with third parties who are major innovators in technology.

As needs arise within the Service, our Information Systems Unit develops and implements specialized programs to store and analyze data, or perform specific functions required by Units of our Service.  Using these tools, officers have the ability to view electronic libraries of information, analyze identification provided by the public, utilize Web-based programs, view information related to criminals and suspects, and share information throughout the Service using our intranet, public Web site, and other tools that enhance communication between officers.  To develop these systems, officers are always encouraged to provide feedback and insight.  As projects to implement new technology are formed, officers are often invited to participate and be a part of these innovative ventures.

The Niagara Regional Police Service contributes and benefits from a number of systems that allow information sharing with Canadian Police Services and other law enforcement agencies.  The Niagara Regional Police Service is part of numerous networks and initiatives that aid in investigations and the quality of data available to officers. These include:

• Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which is a computerized fingerprint search and storage system
• Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), which provides law enforcement across Canada with information on crimes and criminals.
• Law Enforcement Information Portal (LEIP), which allows officers to electronically query a data repository of information from multiple Police Services and other Canadian law enforcement.

Mobile Workstations are installed in police vehicles, providing officers with the ability to perform Canada-wide searches on vehicles, criminal background checks, view electronic bulletins and other functions. It also gives constables the ability to complete reports in the car, thereby limiting the need for them to be off the road completing paperwork. 

The Niagara Regional Police Service has also made contributions and advancements in the technology used by law enforcement.  One such area is forensic science.  Detective Craig C. Moore of the Forensic Services Unit developed a patented three dimensional model for blood stain analysis, which is used for analyzing the patterns of blood at a crime scene and useful for court explanation of forensic blood spatter results.  As with other Members of our Service, Detective Moore expertise has also led to him being published in text books and articles.

EQUIPMENT

Much of the standard equipment constables are issued is distributed through our Quartermaster Stores.  The equipment initially issued to officers include uniforms, badge, identification card, body armour (bulletproof vest), non-lethal weapons, firearm and related equipment.  Depending on the duties of the constable, he or she may be issued additional equipment.  For example, a constable assigned to Traffic Services may be issued a radar gun, orange safety vest and other equipment required to fulfill the duties associated with their assignment.  In the situation of a member assigned to the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit, the officer would be issued equipment required to breath and perform duties underwater.  As you can see from this, the types of equipment available to the constable are highly dependent on the Unit he or she is assigned to, and the duties related to a particular assignment. 

VEHICLES

Our Service has a fleet of vehicles that are used in policing the various types of terrain in the Niagara Region.  Some of these vehicles are limited to specific Units in the Niagara Regional Police Service, while others are used by a majority of constables during their careers for patrol duties, transport of prisoners and evidence, and numerous other tasks.

Interceptors are patrol cars used by the police, and the most common vehicle utilized by the Niagara Regional Police Service.  These cruisers are high performance vehicles designed for pursuit with special features that are necessary to police work and provide greater officer safety.

These vehicles are used throughout an officers career to patrol districts of the Region, respond to incidents, intercept other vehicles on the road to pull them over, and temporarily detain and transport prisoners.  The interceptors are also fitted with radio and networked computer systems, which provide them immediate contact to the Communications Unit, other officers, and access to information on a Canada-wide scale.  The technology outfitting these cars is on a level that was previously only seen in mobile command units.
 

Motorcycles are another type of vehicle that's commonly used by Police Services across Canada.  Officers require an additional licence, training, and safety equipment to drive these powerful machines that are formidable in pursuits and versatile in policing.

Although they are used seasonally, motorcycle units are highly maneuverable vehicles that are useful in patrolling districts of the Niagara Region, and navigating areas that larger vehicles would be unable to access.  In addition to regular patrol duties, they are also often used for traffic control and police escorts.
 

Prisoner Transport Vehicles are used to temporarily detain prisoners during their transport from one location to another (such as a police facility or detention center to a court building).  They may also be utilized in situations where numerous people are being detained and/or arrested.  These vehicles are configured to hold groups and individuals, and designed to help ensure the safety of prisoners and officers during the transfer between facilities.
 

All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are used in situations where other vehicles would have difficulty accessing or navigating terrain.  The highly maneuverable ATVs easily allow officers access to areas that were formerly only available by foot patrol.  In doing so they provide the ability for officers to cover a much larger area in much less time. Examples of their usefulness include search and rescue/search and recovery operations, accessing marijuana grow operations in remote or rural areas, and other operations that require officers to navigate through rough terrain. For officer safety reasons there is a need to have the vehicles patrol in pairs.
 

Bicycles are another seasonal method of patrolling areas of the Region.  Police have been using bicycles for patrols in the Niagara Region since 1912, and they continue to provide an inexpensive and environmentally friendly method of policing locales.  They are used for patrolling parks, jogging trails, bike paths, and other areas that wouldn't be accessible to other vehicles.  Being a non-motorized method of transportation, they also allow these locations to be policed without causing a noisy disturbance.  

Members of the Bicycle Unit are issued additional equipment for these duties, and given rigorous training to perform maneuvers on bicycles.  A portion of this training involves learning on and off road skills that may be required during a pursuit or when assisting with a missing person search.  Before beginning a patrol, constables have an understanding of the difficult challenges that the terrain throws at them and know how to navigate these landscapes.
 

Watercraft are used to patrol parts of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the Niagara River, and to provide policing to the waterways of the Niagara Region.  Beyond regular patrol duties, such craft is also required when the Marine Unit assists in search and rescue/search and recovery operations.  Members of the Marine Unit fulfill these duties using larger police ships and personal watercraft that can transport individual constables to where they're needed.