New cameras expected to help Windsor police reduce guns, gangs and violence

The Ontario government is providing funding to help fight gun and gang violence across the province, including in Windsor.

Out of $1,000,000 going to nine police forces across Ontario, the Windsor Police Service has been allocated $200,000, the province's Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said during Tuesday's announcement.

The money is being provided through the Ontario Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Grant program, helping to replace outdated equipment, enhance current technology, and expand CCTV camera coverage in areas where gun and gang violence and correlated crimes such as drug and human trafficking are most prevalent.

"Advanced closed circuit TV is not old-time camera technology. CCTV systems have evolved to include features such as advanced night vision capabilities, and 360 degree fields of view," Jones said.

It's features like these that Windsor police are hoping to introduce to its city-wide CCTV system.

"Key intersections and camera locations have been identified that will provide both traffic management benefits and the criminal deterrence and investigative goals of the project," said Windsor police Chief Pam Mizuno, who did not disclose the locations of those exact intersections.

She said the city's traffic management department will administer the installation of the cameras. According to the province, funding will be used to add 30 to 40 digital cameras to the city's CCTV network and replace 15 to 20 failing analog cameras and replace them with digital one.

“The technology of the new cameras will provide high quality video captures which, in turn, will result in access to an increased amount of valuable video evidence for our [criminal] investigations," said Mizuno.

The grant program, launched in August 2020, represents an investment of $6 million over three fiscal years (2020-21 to 2022-23).

This year, the City of Windsor has spent $400,000 on improvements to municipal traffic cameras. The grant is meant to cover 50 per cent of costs. Upgrades are targeted for completion in April. 

Despite the CCTV grant program being geared toward areas where gang and gun crime are most prevalent, Windsor's police chief said the need to enhance the city's traffic cameras is not tied to any one specific criminal event.