Wellesley eyes Line 86, Manser Road for first police CCTV cameras

By Galen Simmons

Wellesley Township could soon become the latest municipality in Waterloo Region to join the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s (WRPS) closed-circuit television and automated licence plate recognition program.

At Wellesley’s Sept. 8 committee of the whole meeting, WRPS Insp. Jarrett Brown presented a proposed location at Line 86 and Manser Road for the first phase of the program in the township. The intersection would have two bullet-style cameras capable of capturing high-quality video and reading licence plates of vehicles travelling through the area.

Brown said WRPS selected the location using an evidence-based approach that included a three-year review of crime data, calls for service, areas experiencing increased crime and disorder, and community concerns.

“When we examined crime trends in the area surrounding the intersection, we identified incidents involving break and enters, commercial thefts, property damage, fraud, thefts and stolen vehicles,” Brown said.

While the intersection does not have the township’s highest concentration of police calls, Brown said its location on a major transportation corridor connecting Wellesley with Woolwich Township and North Perth gives it investigative value.

The intersection also has the electrical infrastructure needed to operate the cameras, something Brown said can be difficult to find in rural areas.

The cameras would not be used for speed enforcement, continuously monitored or used for routine surveillance. If police are investigating a crime, the system can be used to search for licence plates or vehicles and determine where and when they passed cameras throughout the region.

Brown said information not required for an investigation would automatically be deleted after 30 days. Access is restricted to authorized personnel through the WRPS real-time operations centre and all access is logged and auditable.

The program was launched in June and, at the end of its first reporting period, had 12 operational locations in Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and North Dumfries. During its first 44 days, investigators made 19 requests for CCTV and automated licence plate recognition evidence.

Coun. Derek Brick asked how quickly cameras could be installed in Wellesley.

“They could be up in a matter of weeks once we have a legal agreement in place,” Brown said, noting permits and road-safety plans would first need to be completed.

Coun. Claude Hergott also questioned how police would narrow down potential suspect vehicles following a crime. Brown said investigators can search using information such as a vehicle’s make, model, colour, full or partial licence plate and the time it travelled through an area.

Following the presentation, CAO Rik Louwagie said township staff had no objections to the CCTV or automated licence plate recognition program and sought council direction to continue working with WRPS on an agreement.

With council’s support, staff will now work with police to prepare a memorandum of understanding for the first phase of the program, which will return to council for approval.