Tactical Gear In Canada: Adapting To The Needs Of Law Enforcement Agencies

By Author: Mayer betty
Total Articles: 47
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Technological advances, training innovations, and changing attitude of police are governing the types and usage of tactical gear in Canada.

During demonstrations, police cannot use brute force unless the situation goes completely out of control. The stress today, unlike in yesteryears, is to make use of communication and flexibility to preserve the non-violent reputation of the police force as much as possible.

However, the police has to, apart from confronting demonstrations, also deal with all kinds of criminal activity. This necessitates working with state-of-the-art, cutting-edge tactical gear.

Here, we shall focus on two innovations brought on by high technology.

Integrated Biometrics Identification System

Modern computer technology now allows police officers to transmit record of a person’s fingerprint impressions from the scene of crime and receive confirmation of the identity during the time of routine detention itself.

Devices that are making this possible are Integrated Biometrics Identification System (IBIS) also called Remote Data Terminal (RDT). Now, police officers ...
... can catch wanted people and try to identify them, regardless of the name and identification they provide.

After 9/11, governments across the world have been collecting and using biometrics as identifiers in national IDs. This is helping law enforcing agencies to secure borders, prosecute criminals, combat identity fraud, and verify employment and immigration, and most importantly combat terrorism.

The tactical gear in Canada will surely focus on next generation identification programs to reduce or preempt terrorist and criminal activities by improving and expanding on the scope of biometric identification.

License Plate Scanners

License plate scanners are upshots of the little noticed surveillance technology that has the capability to track the movements of every passing driver.

These scanners capture, apart from license plate number, the date, time, and location of every scan and can be pooled into police sharing systems.

For police, these license plate readers serve the legitimate law enforcement purpose of getting alerts to track the location of a car having possible association with criminal activity.

Mainly, license plate scanners help in collecting data of:

• Uninsured drivers
• Prohibited drivers
• Unlicensed drivers
• Stolen vehicles

However, the use of this tactical gear in Canada is not without public outcry. “The police has no right to scan license plates of law abiding citizens,” many individuals say.

Thankfully, the police in Victoria in November 2012 was told to stop sharing personal data collected by license plate scanners on the activities of law abiding citizens.

In any case, Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) devices have been part of police supply in Canada for quite some time.

The Canada Border Security Agency has been using this application to read license plates of vehicles approaching border guard booths.

As one police official put it, “Using ALPR systems has distinctive advantages in targeting suspected vehicles. This tactical gear in Canada helps us to avoid chases, eliminate damage, and injury or death as a result of crashes.”

With criminal themselves making use of high technology while committing offense, law enforcement agencies have no other option but to stay up to date with the latest devices.

Stokes International is a leading police supply company that offers a range of safety equipment and tactical gear in Canada, including police gear, 5.11 clothing, badges, belts, buckles, regalia, and many more.