Vancouver – The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is adding new cutting-edge technologies to help keep the city safe.

The new tools enhance frontline officer awareness, strengthen accountability, and build on the Department’s mission to protect public safety while balancing the privacy of both the community and VPD officers.

In the air, VPD is the first police agency in Canada to deploy Skydio X10 drones for a Drone as First Responder Program. After extensive testing, six of the remote-piloted drone systems will be deployed. The drones have already been in testing for several weeks and are fully approved by Transport Canada.

“The potential of the Skydio drone systems in our work is impressive for many reasons, not least of which is they will be able to link with our body-worn cameras,” said Inspector Wade Rodrigue, with the VPD’s Force Options Training Section.

“For example, if an officer is in trouble, perhaps being assaulted, they can tap their camera three times which will automatically deploy a Skydio drone to their exact location at the direction of the pilot in command. Pilots can also fly the drones to a crime in progress, arrive first, and send their video feeds to responding officers on the ground as well as the Operations Command Center (OCC). That gives us better intel on what’s happening and can help responding officers to pursue suspects who may try and evade them.”

The VPD will continue to adhere to its posted policy and procedures as well as those prescribed by Transport Canada and Nav Canada with respect to the operation of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) assets.

The weatherproof Skydio drone launch/landing pods are installed on rooftops at strategic locations throughout Vancouver, including the VPD’s Tactical Training Centre. The drones will only record video when that function is activated by a pilot, and only when appropriate as per policy.

Body-worn cameras are also expanding in function. The Axon body cameras used by VPD now have the ability to translate language in real time with Axon Assistant, allowing officers to understand at the push of a button whatever is being said to them in over 50 languages, and to have their reply translated into the language recognized as being spoken. Real-Time Translation adds to VPD’s current translation offerings and will be used when a quick translation is needed.

“When you consider how multicultural Vancouver is, this translation ability is a game-changer,” said Sergeant Dermot O’Boyle. “We want to be able to help everyone in our city, including those who may not be fluent in English. Being able to understand what they’re telling us is a critical first step to getting them the help they need.”

Body-worn camera footage can also now be live-streamed to the VPD’s Operations Command Centre so personnel there can see what the officer is seeing and dispatch additional resources as needed. This can be done at the officer’s request or based on the priority of the call when an urgent situation is developing.

In addition, Axon’s real-time operations platform, Fusus, improves visibility and coordination across responding units and partner agencies by enabling Operations Centre personnel to view RPAS and body-worn camera video according to pre-determined operating protocols.

Other new tools entering service include:

  • 73 Fleet 3 in-car video systems with automated license plate recognition cameras (ALPR) across the VPD fleet, helping officers spot vehicles of interest faster which are already proving effective, with one ALPR-equipped cruiser flagging 22 uninsured vehicles in just three hours
  • Holsters for conducted energy weapons and service weapons that automatically activate body-worn cameras when drawn, capturing critical moments right away

“Combined, these technologies create a system that helps improve decision-making, response times, and overall public safety in Vancouver,” said Kevin Bernardin, Superintendent of Innovation and Technology at the VPD.

All are designed with responsible AI and data use at their core, with safeguards for secure data handling, controlled access, and auditability. The AI does not make decisions about an individual, rather it gives the VPD the ability to respond more appropriately to emerging situations. Data is managed in alignment with local governance requirements, helping ensure it remains protected and under appropriate jurisdictional control, while giving VPD confidence that sensitive information is handled in accordance with British Columbia privacy standards.