Back to SearchThe Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police (OACP) is pleased to announce that the Toronto Police Service’s (TPS) Full Body Scanner Project Team is the recipient of the 2021 OACP Innovation Information Technology Award.
This award is presented in recognition of the accomplishments of police agencies who have 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 November 2017, the Toronto Police Service created the Full Body Scanner (FBS) Pilot Project. Led by Superintended Kim O’Toole and supported by Staff Sergeant Stefan Prentice and Superintendent Lisa Crooker, the project's goal was to increase the dignity of persons in custody by reducing the number of strip searches while at the same time increase the safety of police facilities by detecting contraband items.
Full Body Scanner technology uses low-dose x-rays to scan a person and can detect metallic, non-metallic, and organic material that may be secreted on or inside a person. At the outset of this project, the team learned that no other jurisdiction globally had even tested a FBS in the context of policing, where persons in custody are only temporary detainees.
To build a successful pilot that would withstand the extensive scrutiny that would follow from its use, the project team collaborated extensively with policing partners, which included: the Ministry of the Solicitor General, Ministry of the Attorney General, the TPS’s Legal Service, Information Technology Service, and Strategy management Units, along with the Information Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, the Special Investigation Unit, the Human Right Tribunal of Ontario, and the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.
The Full Body Scanner Pilot Project was a success. Members reported less stress (90%), increased wellness (85%), and increased confidence in the detection of drugs (56%) and weapons (77%). During the pilot project, there were 594 searches authorized, of which 52% were diverted to FBS in lieu of a strip search.
Since the completion of the pilot project, numerous agencies in Ontario, Canada, and the UK have made inquiries on this project's results.
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Group Photo - Full Body Scanner Project Team, Toronto Police Service
- Front Left: Deputy Chief Peter Yuen
- Front Right: Superintended Kim O’Toole
- Back Left: Superintendent Lisa Crooker
- Back Right: Staff Sergeant Stefan Prentice
Twitter - 2021 Innovation Information and Technology Award Recipient Announcement
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This annual award is made possible by the generous support from Magnet Forensics.
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