From Other Sources

Based on reports – mostly from media or police communications – we also know that Hamilton Police have:

  1. At least one mobile tower surveillance camera, which can be dispatched to events or actions and live monitored.
    • via news article
  2. A “Remote Piloted Aircraft System” – also known as a manually operated surveillance drone
    • via HPS twitter, used regularly during large events and protests
  3. The ability to triangulate cell phones quickly or retroactively
    • via Bosma Murder news articles
    • used without a warrant to find someone who was deemed a risk to themselves
  4. Covert surveillance cameras they can place outside of residences
    • via Paul Manning’s twitter
  5. Had a keycode for and used – at least temporarily – Clearview AI
    • via CBC news article. Obtained by police in the fall of 2019 at a conference. As of February 2020, Bergen states the service does not use facial recognition technology
  6. Automated License Plate Readers
    • In the fall of 2023, 78 HPS vehicles were outfitted with ALPR technology. Surrounding cities including Niagara, Burlington, Brampton, Toronto, London, Waterloo, Halton & the OPP are all documented users as well. ALPR automatically takes photos of vehicles to read their license plate, and is able to check them against a “hot list” while also registering the date, time, and location of the photo. Hot lists can be regional, provincial or national, and are compiled and include vehicle plates that are unregistered or uninsured, reported as stolen, owned by individuals with suspended licenses, or are a person of interest to police and made up using data from the Ministry of Transportation, CPIC, and potentially others. Police are able to manually add people/license plates of interest to be detected as “hot” so that their geophysical location is tracked.

Hamilton City CCTV Program

  • There are five initial cameras in the downtown core
    • These cameras are hardwired to send signals to a viewing centre that can be monitored 24/7
    • Were installed in June 2004
  • 10 new cameras were added to James North, Ottawa Street, Concession Street and in Hess Village in 2008
    • Wireless over a secure Internet Protocol technology
    • All capable of streaming live video to any police station where recorded material is kept for 72 hours.
  • In 2014 it was reported that Hamilton Police were attempting to build a city-wide registry of private surveillance cameras they can use in their investigations, by approaching BIA’s.
    • Their hope was to integrate the feature with their crime map, from Bair Analytics
  • In 2018, Police Chief Eric Girt supported a proposed bylaw from Sam Merulla which would allow private residents’ cameras to be used to capture activities on public streets and adjacent property to deter crime.
    • The program had support from city council and the GIC, but was not yet endorsed as of March 2020.
  • In 2023, HPS attended an information session on FUSUS
    • FUSUS provides real-time access to private CCTV’s of individuals who opt in to the program
    • FUSUS is now owned by AXON, who HPS just entered in to contract with to acquire bodycams