Genetec Inc. has launched its new public safety decision support system, Citigraf, for citywide law enforcement and public safety agencies.

MantisX is a patent-pending firearm attachment that helps firearms enthusiasts and professionals train more efficiently. While attached to a pistol or rifle, it analyzes every shot and generates actionable data you can use to improve your shooting mechanics.  

AmpliVox Sound Systems has introduced a re-designed version of its Mity-Lite Portable PA System. The compact 40-watt SW320 Mity-Lite Plus now supports two digital wireless microphones, allowing multiple presenters to be heard by audiences in rooms up to 1500 square feet.

BlueLine Grid, a developer of critical communications technology, has announced the “Grid bot” for Cisco’s Spark platform. The new technology is a connector which links all other communication channels – such as SMS, email, Skype, Slack, and mass conference calling – all from within Cisco’s Spark collaboration platform, according to the company.

First Tactical’s Defender Series maintains the professional look needed when on normal patrol but also boasts specialized pockets for oversized gear, a specialized yoke to eliminate unwanted bulk, and oversized sleeve pockets that can accept patches or embroidery.  

Netherlands-based X-Systems says it has developed a body camera product based on an already familiar device, the PTT device. Training is not needed to operate and they are compatible with all major PTT manufacturers, the company announced.

CrimeCenter Software recently revealed a new case management system developed specifically for law enforcement officers to “simplify and streamline” information collected from investigations into “easily accessible chunks of data”. The software was designed by several former law enforcement officers, according to the company, and contains over 200 standard reports that are customizable to fit the specific needs of any agency or police department.

Total Recall Corp., a Convergint Technologies company, has released its “most technologically advanced” CrimeEye unit yet, the CrimeEye-RD-2 with a 180-degree camera option. This new unit provides for expansive panoramic views and even more robust lighting features, according to the company.

BRS Innovations and Mistral Security are introducing what they call “the first field drug test kit designed to detect fentanyl,” which is now available for pre-order. The test kit comes in the form of a Presumptive Drug Test (PDT), an ampoule based colourimetric reagent, designed for use by law enforcement, agencies and professionals. It contains multiple ampoules, spatula, and instructions.

Antonio Sergi, who was shot dead in his Toronto driveway last week, was deeply involved in the medical marijuana industry, including a province-wide bid to unionize growers and the shady operation of an urban pot farm, the National Post has learned.

2FA allows officers to use their mobile devices to authenticate with the police department’s database, while UEM gives IT total control over the department’s mobile fleet, all from a single screen.

There has been much debate in the news, social media and social service reports on segregation/solitary confinement and interest groups, such as the Ontario Ombudsman’s office, have been calling to abolish or strictly limit the use of segregation in Ontario and Canada’s correctional institutions. This stance fails to take into consideration the reality faced by correctional officers daily.

An Ounce of Prevention: Navigating Your Way Through Damage Control and Crisis Response by Allan Bonner; 2010, 322 pagesISBN: 978-1926755021

Change is a natural part of the human experience and the extent to which organizations embrace fluidity in their operating environment is an excellent indicator of their strategic health. Police services are not immune to disruptive change. Technological, demographic and sociological shifts are creating megatrends that will reshape the communities that police agencies serve. This disruption is having a significant impact upon the nature of policing. New operating models are being leveraged to deliver essential police services more effectively and digital tools are delivering significant new capabilities to officers on the front line.

A safety search of an assault arrestee’s bag was justified even though there was no information he possessed a weapon and was handcuffed at the time the search took place. In R. v. Aviles, 2017 ONCA 629, the police responded to a report of an assault occurring at a Mac’s Milk convenience store. The victim told police he knew one of the attackers by name. The other two attackers were a dark skin man wearing baggy hip-hop style clothing and a woman. The victim said he had lost a shoe during the assault and police found it in a nearby alley. Then, while talking with the police, the victim pointed through the convenience store window to three people approaching, a woman and two men, and identified them as his attackers. One of the men was the individual the victim had identified by name. The other man was Walter Aviles. He was wearing a black pea coat, black jogging pants, brown boots and a black baseball cap.

Every detail of an informer’s tip does not need to be verified by independent investigation before it rises to the level of reasonable grounds for arrest. In R. v. Dunkley, 2017 ONCA 600, the police were surveilling a suspected cocaine dealer’s residence when they saw Orlando Dunkley, a slim black male about six feet tall with a dark jacket, park a silver Honda Accord on the street near the house at about 9:05 p.m.

Train harder. Be more active. Focus more. Set clear goals. Work harder. These are amongst the adages we have come to equate with personal, social and work performance. Indeed, no one will argue the wisdom behind such motivational and inspirational words. There are countless books and articles providing advice on how to “do more.” Our society continually comes up with innovative ways for us to be more productive.

Although I believe we have improved significantly when we look at how we address time off at work, I feel we still have a long way to go in how we ascribe value to it and manage it as individuals. Time off is integral in the world of policing but there is an unspoken word amongst us officers that we must be justifiably ill in order to take a sick day.

Two of the local hospitals recently amalgamated here in my hometown. It is an interesting pairing between your basic government-type psychiatric hospital and a long-term care/geriatric hospital, operated by a Catholic organization. Some years ago, the government decided to get rid of its psychiatric hospitals, so the psych hospital was handed over to the Catholic organization. Ergo these two organizations came under the same governance structure but were maintained as two different physical facilities. Although there was a degree of shared higher management, generally the two institutions retained some level of separation. But only until April 2017.

Every October issue of Blue Line includes an Education & Training Directory, so naturally I found my ears perking to any news smacking of the hallowed halls of knowledge. With school back in session, I noticed one particular story was receiving a lot of attention: officers in schools.

Although a co-resident cannot waive the constitutional rights of another, living with someone else can impact the expectations of privacy and may allow for valid consent to enter by one of the occupants.

In R. v. Pearson, 2017 ONCA 389, a man was killed after being shot in the back with a shotgun. The following day a police officer stopped Damian Pearson driving his car, concerned about impaired driving, given the manner in which the car was being operated. When he approached the driver’s side of the car, the officer noticed unusual redness in Pearson’s eyes. His pupils were dilated and the officer smelled burnt marijuana. Pearson was slow in retrieving his papers and failed field sobriety tests. The officer arrested Pearson for impaired driving and he searched the vehicle, seizing two shotgun shells in a knapsack in the trunk.

Canadian first responder Natalie Harris has penned a raw and honest memoir of her mental health journey. And unlike the Netflix sensation “13 Reasons Why,” Save-My-Life School is anything but the romanticized fictional series.