A Look Back: Big technology gains made by Chatham-Kent police in 2025

The Chatham-Kent Police Service upped its technology game in 2025 with the introduction of body-worn cameras, the rollout of Next Generation 911 and an increase in closed-circuit television cameras.

Article content

In April, some officers began using body-worn cameras making it the 35th Ontario police service to adopt the technology.

Article content

Recommended Videos

Article content

The service believes the public and officers will be safer with cameras in use, Deputy Chief Jason Chickowski told The Chatham Daily News earlier this year.

“I think it’s going to bring the best out of all of us when it comes to having the cameras there,” he said.

When it comes to public complaints, other police services have seen reduced complaints and issues resolved quicker with cameras in use because “the best evidence is a video,” the deputy chief said.

Cameras are also an effective evidence collection tool for officers, particularly when cases go to court, Chickowski said.

The deputy chief said CCTV footage is accepted as evidence in court, because the systems are located in the public and police are not surveilling private properties.

Article content

The service has used front-facing dash cameras in vehicles and rear-facing cameras for people being transported since 2023, Chickowski said.

There has been “very good response” to this technology, with the dash cam providing evidence in impaired driving cases, he said. And the rear-facing camera is a good risk management tool when transporting prisoners.

While donning a camera can come with some reservations, Chickowski said the service has many younger officers “willing to embrace technology.”

Keeping with video technology, local police received a $50,000 donation from 100 King St. CK Holdings, owner and operator of the One Hundred KING mall in downtown Chatham, to increase closed-circuit television (CCTV) capabilities.

Article content

The funding to come over three years will purchase 16 new cameras to be placed in four locations in downtown Chatham.

“I can’t say enough about the positive impact that the CCTV has had in our community, not only in the downtown core of Chatham, but also in the outlying areas” such as Wheatley, Tilbury and Wallaceburg, Chickowski said in a previous interview.

“We’ve had instances where CCTV has helped us apprehend individuals where it may have taken days and extra time for the officers to investigate that matter.”

The police service also received a $30,000 donation earlier in 2025 from the Historic Downtown Chatham business improvement association to help support crime prevention and safety initiatives, including adding 12 cameras to three locations.

Article content

With CCTV technology having advanced rapidly, Chickowski said the police service’s current CCTV system is “top-notch and high-quality.”

The Next Generation 911 digital system, which improves connection with emergency services, was launched in early December.

Chatham-Kent has been a leader in preparing for the new technology that has the capability to receive texts and videos.

NG911 can pinpoint pinpoint where a cellphone call originates to within three metres, down from the previous 30 metres.

There is a quicker transfer of information with the new system, which is important, said Chatham-Kent police Chief Kirk Earley, because “seconds are going to save lives.”

Getting location information can be difficult when a caller is in a stressful situation, Earley said, noting 911 callers could have someone dying in front of them or a child not breathing, “so we have to get EMS moving and fire moving; that’s a tiered response, a priority zero.”

eshreve@postmedia.com

Article content