Agenda
Day 1 — Main Conference
October 19, 2026
Registration and Exhibit Hall Opens
S/Sgt. Joshua AtkinsonK Division Interagency LiaisonRCMP
Julie CorkIntelligence Analyst, K DivisionRCMP
This session will compare and contrast the different models of crime centres, whether they have a mandate for operations or investigations or a hybrid model.
- Analyzing the objectives of the centre, what it is meant to achieve and how it should go about doing so
- Determining if a centre is necessary, what type of city or what crime profile warrants a crime centre
- Examining staffing models and resources, who is operating the centre and who is frontline in the community, or amalgamating with other departments
- Delineating where the centre has jurisdiction
- Calculating how money is allocated to the centre, where is the budget drawn from, and what does not get funding
- Integrating with your city’s emergency services and emergency management plan
Networking Break
Warren DriechelChief of PoliceEdmonton Police Service
Shahin MehdizadehChief of PoliceLethbridge Police Service
Vice President
Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police
- Determining how to articulate the benefits of your RTCC, and prove the value
- Planning practical conversations for planning your operations centre
- Getting your wish list to match your budget – will you get the funding for the tech and getting the tech you can afford
- Getting your timelines to match your budget – how to anticipate delays due to legal or privacy concerns
- Budgeting for a scaled implementation
- Finding money and who takes the costs – government level and partners
Insp. Chris SmileyReal Time Operations CentreRCMP K Division
This session will explore the regional real-time operations centre model as it applies to outside detachments and regional partners. Discover how calls for service are triaged to decide what level of service is needed for rural areas and late shift. The Regional Model Pilot Project used in the Northwest Territories is estimated to have saved thousands of dollars in productivity.
S/Sgt. Curtis AugerOperations and Intelligence Command Centre (OICC)Edmonton Police Service
Sgt Billy CountrymanDisaster Emergency Operations & Planning Section, Public Safety Unit – Operational Planning & Logistical SupportEdmonton Police Service
Rick TusonTeam Lead, Video and Digital Evidence Systems UnitEdmonton Police Service
Amid the Body Worn Camera national implementation, and a myriad of other technology from in-car cameras, Automated Licence Plate Readers, drones, software, this session will look at where police departments are finding efficiencies.
- Integrating unique platforms that don’t typically talk to each other
- One sustainable platform versus using multiple platforms – how to shave seconds off your response times
- Top challenges for integrating technology, why it’s challenging and how to address the challenges early
- Identifying the different software platforms being used in this sector
- Combating change management, and getting employees trained, and actively using the new tech
- Trends in technology for operations and investigation – and identifying efficiencies
- Managing data, storing, sharing, accessing
- De-integrating from shared services with municipal partners
- Ensuring safeguards around trusting new technology
Networking Luncheon for Speakers and Delegates
Harnessing Data and Technology to Enhance Operational Decision-Making and Critical Incident Management Capabilities
Sandra BibbyCrime and Intelligence Analyst, Community Policing Analytical Unit, Community Engagement Response Team (CERT), High System User Coordinators (HSU), Encampment TeamCalgary Police Service
A sneak peek on Operation Order and Operation Restore
- Addressing the challenge of integrating data from various sources
- Developing action-based intelligence through data analysis
- Examining the tools used by RTCCs and OCCs
- Enhancing front-line situational awareness
- Coordinating resources for supporting community safety
Chantale VaheyCriminal Intelligence AnalystFort Saskatchewan (Alberta) RCMP-GRC
- Discover how the browser inspector tool is leveraged by bad actors to change content that appears authoritative.
- Speaker will demonstrate how the browser inspector tool is mis-used for client-side manipulations that mislead victims, the general public and investigators. Bad actors rely on the visual trust of webpages.
- Surface hidden data such as passwords and full-size images.
- From missing person cases to large scale events, it is vital for investigators and analysts to be aware of these web capabilities.
Networking Refreshment Break
Privacy, Legal, and Charter Framework for Accessing CCTV – and Impacts on Establishing Camera Access Agreements with Partners
Gregory PangLegal CounselEdmonton Police Service
Sharon PolskyPresidentPrivacy and Access Council of Canada
- Examining the guidelines from the Information and Privacy Commission
- Negotiating when police can and cannot access camera footage
- Incident-based access and mitigating the liability involved with having camera access to crime location
- Establishing camera access agreements with partners
- Gaining community trust to access camera footage, and maintaining transparency
- EPS Experience establishing agreements and working with municipal and business partners
- The enabling technology – networking, cameras, video management service
- Issuing production orders for transit and taxi companies and other third-party organizations
Inspector Corey BlizeOfficer in Charge, K Air ServicesAlberta RCMP
Raj SainiDeputy Chief of PoliceMedicine Hat Police Service
- Examining types of Remote Piloted Aerial System Programs
- Analyzing the K Division Drone as a First Responder Trials
- Use of Patrol Led and DFR deployments and Real Time Operations
- Considerations when building a RPAS Program
Closing Remarks from the Co-Chairs
Networking Drinks Reception
Day 2 — Main Conference
October 20, 2026
Refreshments and Exhibit Hall Open
Genevieve AnnandDivisional Criminal Analysis Section, K-DivRCMP
Sandra BibbyCrime and Intelligence Analyst, Community Policing Analytical Unit, Community Engagement Response Team (CERT), High System User Coordinators (HSU), Encampment TeamCalgary Police Service
Sharon PolskyPresidentPrivacy and Access Council of Canada
Your opportunity to drive the conversation!
During this interactive session, delegates are invited to join a small group discussion table of their choice to unpack real-world instances of staffing and training challenges from a variety of perspectives. Delegates are encouraged to bring their experiences to the table for facilitated constructive conversations. Delegates will have the option to rotate tables at intervals.
Discussion topics could include:
- Table One: Maintaining Data and Measuring Success
- Table Two: Gaining Department Buy-In and Building Trust
- Table Three: Getting Started on Your Real-Time Operations Centre—Models and Formats
Kris AndreychukProgram Manager, Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI)City of Edmonton
Phil HoetgerExecutive Director, Information TechnologyCalgary Police Service
This panel will address the current and future capabilities of AI, its limitations and how best to leverage it for effective policing:
- Examining what AI can do broadly
- Exploring the functionality of AI in a crime center
- Utilizing AI and Machine Learning for predictive and preventative crime fighting
- Analyzing the ramifications and legal impactions for citizen privacy, governance and equality
- Considerations for Machine Learning and how “teachable” software may learn embedded biases affecting marginalized people, groups and neighbourhoods
- Debating what is good data, and whether historical data is a benefit to current and future policing initiatives
Networking Break
CASE STUDY
Exercising a Coordinated Response to an Emerging Critical Incident – How All Teams Worked Together During an Active Shooter Call
A/Insp Michael AndersonRTOC Duty InspectorCalgary Police Service
Discover how Calgary Police Services executed a coordinated response to an active shooter situation. This session will look at the case study, which began with police attempting to arrest an individual on a Canada-wide warrant, and resulted in shots fired and a barricade individual, in Calgary, August 2025.
- Engaging surveillance teams and Real Time operations teams for a coordinated response
- Connecting officers with necessary resources to respond
- Communicating a Shelter-in-place order to the public
- Utilizing drone and helicopters
- Coordinating a tactical plan
Wendy BraunClinical Operations Manager
Car 87/Assertive Outreach Team Vancouver Coastal Health
S/Sgt. Cathy HillOperations Support Section, Operations Command CentreVancouver Police Department
A/Sgt. Jamie HilbornOCC Team 2Vancouver Police Department
The superstar of Vancouver Police Department’s Operational Command Centre (OCC) is its partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health where an imbedded nurse practitioner triages mental health calls to decipher whether a police officer needs to respond in person, or if the call can be diverted.
- Calculating number of calls diverted by the nurse practitioner compared to calls for an officer to attend
- Designing the partnership criteria, and why it works
- Addressing active calls with live nursing support
- Responding to high-risk incidents, including suicides and medical emergencies
- Examining what success looks like
CASE STUDY
Optimizing an RTCC for Responding to a Protracted Event: Lessons from Recent Protest Responses and More
Sergeant Jason BrendWatch Commander - "C" Watch, Real Time Intelligence Centre (RTIC-BC)RCMP E-Div
Superintendent Lance ParkerSouthEast Branch and SouthWest BranchEdmonton Police Service
During this session, speakers will discuss the strategies employed when responding to a protracted incident such as a protest, kidnapping or person in crisis.
- Examining the response and approach used during a protracted event
- Analyzing how the incident was resolved and what worked/fell short
- Pointers for planning to execution, including who gets involved and when
- Scaling up and scaling down from different units and command, transitions and when it happens
- Planning for a demonstration that could escalate, while maintaining service to the rest of the city/region
- Addressing public perception and pressures
Lunch
Julie CorkIntelligence Analyst, K DivisionRCMP
Sgt. Ben RuddickReal Time Operations Centre (RTOC)K-Div RCMP
S/Sgt. Attila ToldyReal Time Operations Centre - Risk ManagerK Division HQ, RCMP
Saving migrants from the English Channel, tracing bomb threats across borders, this session will delve into how Canadian police operations have worked with international law enforcement in unique situations.
- Examining communication and cooperation strategies, at the beginning, middle and end
- Determining who has jurisdiction, when, and when it changes
Networking Break
Jason RuleTechnical Team Lead, Flight Operations Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), Strategy and Emerging Technologies (SET) Branch, Civil AviationTransport Canada
- Incoming Transport Canada regulations will allow drone pilots to do more, as of November 4, 2025. This will include longer-distance flights for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). With the new licenses comes stricter pilot certifications and a change to weigh limits.
- With potentially more drones in the sky, Transport Canada is unveiling a new tool to allow law enforcement to a “roadside check” of pilots and their vehicles.
- Outlining the new regulations, what is allowed and what law enforcement can expect from an increase in drown activity
- New tools for field checking drone pilots
- Review of the updated drone licensing under Transport Canada
- Requirements for police to operate drones as first responders
- Impacts of certain drones being banned for use, such as foreign-made devices, and what does this mean for Canadian law enforcement
Janet JohnstonAnalyst Supervisor, Real Time Intelligence Centre - BC (RTIC-BC)RCMP E-Div
Superintendent Lance ParkerSouthEast Branch and SouthWest BranchEdmonton Police Service
This session will delve into the challenges and opportunities facing employees working a 24/7 unit.
- Strategies to managing mental health after a critical incident
- Getting through the shift, when it starts as stressful, being resilient to get through the shift
- Best practices for management to implement, to support employees working in that environment
- Overcoming scheduling challenges when staffing a 24/7 center with 12-hour shifts
- Operating on a skeleton staff and adding staff during an incident
- Hiring, training and retaining staff, including combinations of civilian and sworn members, and “walking warriors”
- Managing employees who are balancing instances of too much downtime between high-stress situations
- Mitigating challenges associated with a high-trauma work environment