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Information Builders > Case Studies > York Regional Police Uses WebFOCUS to Improve Officer Intelligence, Health, and Efficiency

York Regional Police Uses WebFOCUS to Improve Officer Intelligence, Health, and Efficiency

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Big Data Analytics
Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration

Applicable Industries

Security & Public Safety

Applicable Functions

Human Resources
Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Fleet Management
Predictive Maintenance
Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Services

Data Science Services
System Integration

The Challenge

York Regional Police (YRP) had been amassing valuable data for years from various systems including a dispatch system, a records management system, a PeopleSoft ERP system, and various other sources, including Microsoft Excel. However, to support data-driven decision-making, data had to be manually aggregated and deconflicted to answer questions about how, when, where, and why police assets were deployed. YRP wanted an easy way to query this data to gain real-time insights into officer activity and performance; how an officer’s work time is compartmentalized across a variety of official daily duties; where they stand with sick time, personal leave, vacation, and overtime; and early flagging of traumatic incidents that can threaten an officer’s mental and physical well-being.

About The Customer

York Regional Police (YRP), headquartered in Ontario, Canada, is a law enforcement agency with more than 2,200 members who serve a region of 1,756 square kilometers bordering the city of Toronto. From high-risk tactical operations to victim support services, YRP oversees the security and safety of more than one million residents. Formed in 1971, through the consolidation of 14 separate municipal police forces, YRP had been amassing valuable data for years. Critical police information was stored in a variety of systems, including a dispatch system, a records management system, a PeopleSoft ERP system, and various other sources, including Microsoft Excel.

The Solution

YRP’s Business Intelligence Unit worked with Information Builders to apply law enforcement data to the agency’s Real-Time Operations Center (RTOC), investigations, analysis, intelligence, and front-line patrol. Information Builders collaborated with YRP’s BI team to develop the initial dashboards, and then trained that team to build additional dashboards themselves. A few quick wins stoked a fire in the organization for self-service analytics. Information Builders also helped York Regional Police create a data warehouse that joins structured and unstructured data entities that were previously difficult to associate. The warehouse powers analytics dashboards that help YRP manage officer performance, calculate the cost of responding to various types of calls, and address strategic operational decisions as commanders and supervisors deploy police resources.

Operational Impact

Dramatic reductions in time spent collating disparate information into actionable policing intelligence.
More efficient use of resources and assets across the service area.
Better tools for crime prevention, resource allocation, worker wellness, and organizational performance.

Quantitative Benefit

Staff spent hundreds of hours of manual analysis to assess workload, and appropriate staffing levels throughout the day. Now, however, in less than 15 seconds, they are able to verify and demonstrate when the greatest demands for service take place, and what priority level of calls take place throughout the day and where.