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The Windsor Police Service is planning a massive expansion of the city’s traffic camera system for use in operational strategies, investigations and traffic management.
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Police are applying for a $200,000 provincial grant to increase the number of cameras around the city and on EC Row Expressway from a current total of 82 to about 130 by the end of the year.
“With the new grant application, we’re looking to serve some of the underserviced areas on the east side of the city,” said Matt Caplin, director of information technology services with Windsor police. “That’s both delivering fiber to those areas down Wyandotte and Riverside Drive East, and adding some cameras at some of the major intersections.”
This will be the third update of Windsor’s camera system, which is managed by the city’s public works department, since 2020. Windsor’s first traffic cameras were installed around 2001.
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“It was started because of the international border and increased traffic at the border,” said Caplin.
That system had 50 cameras. The city started updating the system in 2020 to replace failing equipment and the antiquated analog technology that limited the number of cameras.
“It was coming to the end of life,” said Caplin. “We applied for the first grant in 2020. We were successful.”
He said the first provincial grant was $143,000. They applied again in 2021 and received $200,000. Police are applying for an additional $200,000 this year.
“It comes to the police, but we work in conjunction with the city on this upgrade and getting the grant funding,” said Caplin. “We made it clear with the ministry that this is a traffic camera system and explained we’re a border city. A lot of international traffic.”
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In 2020, the work focussed on replacing the core of the system including servers and storage. Camera replacement and expanding the system began the following year. That expansion will continue if the 2022 grant request is successful.
Unlike the previous system installed in 2001, the new hi-def cameras at intersections provide 360-degree views to cover all four directions.
“So a lot better coverage at the intersections, which provides for a lot of capabilities for public works and operational awareness,” said Caplin.
The public works department uses the system for real-time traffic management, and studies for counting vehicles at intersections and optimizing traffic flow.
“That speaks to so many different benefits aside from commute time,” said Caplin. “Obviously, environmental benefits and just minimizing the amount of idling traffic in the city.”
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Police don’t keep recordings of the video, but they can acquire them if necessary for investigations and evidence.
“If there was a major crime in an area, the police can through a formal process request video from the city,” said Caplin.
But the 911 and police patrol operation centers do have real-time views of what is happening.
“If somebody was to call in and say there’s an MVA on the expressway, they have cameras on on-ramps to see how that can be managed and you start deploying resources accordingly, if you need public works to shut down a road or the police to provide traffic management,” said Caplin.
