Back to SearchThe Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) is pleased to announce that Joe Myderwyk, the Director of Information Technology with the Belleville Police Service, is the recipient of the 2022 OACP Award of Excellence Information Technology Services.
This award is presented in recognition of the accomplishments of police agencies who have used/leveraged technology in the development and introduction of a significant change that proved to be "a game-changer" for the organization and/or the policing community.
In 2018, the Belleville Police Service began looking at police vehicle technology. Myderwyk sought to bypass laptop technology and leverage the equipment that the officers already possessed – cellphones. His concept was to use the individually issued cell phones to work with a two-factor authentication system that would permit officers to access CPIC/RMS and other applications from their police vehicle to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of officers in their daily duties. Essentially, the cellphone would interface with the desktop applications to allow officers on the road to access the same programs as if they were using a laptop.
Joe's idea evolved into an initiative involving docking the officer's phone into a cradle in the police vehicle attached to a keyboard and monitor. When the phone is removed, there is nothing left in the vehicle, nor is there a modem or equipment that may present a security risk. Myderwyk was instrumental in the design of a custom-built cradle for the phone that was developed with his technology partners to ensure the cellphone would remain safely in place in the event of an emergency maneuver. Over the course of a number of years, working alongside a number of IT vendors and overcoming significant technology challenges, Myderwyk successfully developed what has become known as the Mobile Connected Officer Program.
Joe Myderwyk has been a pioneer in developing and implementing the Mobile Connected Officer Program for the Belleville Police Service. This technology initiative has garnered attention from Los Angeles Police Department, Chicago Police, Toronto Police Service, Calgary Police Service, Ottawa Police Service, and some small- and mid-size police service agencies as well. The success of this initiative has the potential to revolutionize the way that police service utilize cellphone technology in police vehicles, become a new policing standard, and play a significant role in the effective and efficient delivery of service on patrol.
This annual award is made possible by the generous support from Magnet Forensics.
Subscribe