Mon, 20 Jan 2025

Transforming Law Enforcement: How Advanced Mapping and Analytics Empowers Vancouver Police 

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By modernizing patrol operations and changing how they keep the city safe, officers now have access to real-time intelligence exactly when they need it.   

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has been serving the community since 1886, earning recognition for its diversity and dedication to safety. Supporting 706,000 residents, along with visitors and businesses, the VPD operates in a city that grows to 1.5 million people daily.

With a service area of 114 square kilometers and one of North America’s busiest ports, the VPD manages over 1 million public interactions each year, including 270,000 service calls—more than 700 per day. Known for its innovation in community policing and technology, the VPD continues to lead the way in modern policing practices.

The Challenge: 

GIS technology is revolutionizing law enforcement by combining geographic data with enterprise systems to enhance resource allocation, incident response, and investigations. Recognizing this potential, the VPD aimed to modernize patrol operations by prioritizing frontline officers as the key focus.

Unlike traditional modernization efforts centered on management or Operations Command Centers, VPD sought practical tools to bridge real-time information gaps and equip officers with streamlined, location-specific intelligence for efficient field decision-making. Their solution emphasized simplicity, reduced bureaucratic hurdles, and avoided adding unnecessary cognitive strain, while also balancing the use of current tools like smart radios and dispatch systems to optimize workflows and operational efficiency.

The Solution:

Fortunately, the VPD was well positioned to address these challenges by upgrading and expanding the capabilities of their existing GeoDASH system. Powered by Esri and VertiGIS technology, GeoDASH was already assisting OCC personnel coordinate operations and analysts identify crime patterns, while delivering critical information to front-line officers, when and where it’s needed. Because the existing system had been designed to be easy to use and impactful in real-world situations, enhancing the platform would enable officers to continue to use advanced crime-mapping tools while minimizing training time and increasing adoption.

Layer control allows users to select specific map details according to their requirements.

The Result: 

The GeoDASH enhancement project was intended to empower patrol officers by helping to close the gap between the tools administrators were using for accountability and performance oversight, versus the type of technology officers in the field needed to access useful, timely intelligence. The enriched GeoDASH platform delivers for both user groups. Key advantages of the upgraded system include:

  • Built for ease of use – GeoDASH offers a straightforward interface that lets officers instantly see crime reports, forecasts, and essential dispatch data—all in one place.
  • Enhanced safety and situational awareness – Using GPS, the system highlights incidents within a 300-meter radius of an officer’s location, enabling them to focus on what matters most—ensuring their safety and the community’s.
  • Instant access to critical info – A single tap reveals incident summaries, nearby calls, and the location of other patrol units. Officers can stay informed without having to switch between different tools or systems.
  • Comprehensive spatial data integration – The system offers comprehensive spatial data integration, providing patrol units with instant access to building floor plans and critical information for high-risk locations like transit stations, schools, and arenas. It incorporates real-time data on gang activity, the VPD’s Bar and Restaurant Watch program, as well as detailed insights on 28 other inputs, including stolen and recovered vehicles, enforcement actions, and patrol officer activity across city zones.

Priority Patrol Zones are flagged with real-time alerts, ensuring timely attention to critical locations.

In addition to features specifically designed for the front line, the enhanced GeoDASH project also provided opportunities to improve system capability for OCC personnel. Highlights include:

  • OpsDash – The GeoDASH system now integrates with OpsDASH, a tool that provides real-time data on call volume, response times, and resource availability. It enables staff to view resource demands by district and priority, forecast call volumes, and compare response times to benchmarks. The information integrates with GeoDASH’s geographic data, making it an essential tool for critical incident management.
  • Priority patrol zones – Priority Patrol Zones help district commanders address high-risk areas like distraction theft hotspots. These zones are flagged for regular patrols, turning yellow if additional patrols are required and flashing red when units have not frequented the location after a pre-determined interval. This real-time tool ensures a targeted deployment of police resources where and when it is needed most.

GPS highlights incidents within a 300-meter map radius, enhancing officer and community safety.

The Vancouver Police Department’s implementation of GeoDASH, built using Esri and VertiGIS technology, has revolutionized urban policing by facilitating real-time data sharing between command staff and field officers, contributing to a safer community.

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