By Cecilia Nasmith
The Policetech Conference and Expo in Mississauga was the occasion where, on Feb. 28, Cobourg's V13 Policetech Accelerator announced the launch of its Policetech Tested badge.
This unique program aligns with the Accelerator's Pilot Stream activities, where testing and validation of new technologies happen in real-world scenarios.
The Pilot Stream programming run by the Accelerator (a joint initiative of the Cobourg Police Services and Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation at the Venture 13) was designed to address a major bottleneck facing two sectors – early-stage companies with innovative technologies unable to break into the policing market, and policing organizations looking to connect with the most up-to-date innovations in the field.
This approach allows academia, start-ups and small- to medium-sized enterprises to obtain real-world feedback from leading experts in their field. The result is products refined through end-user collaboration, as entrepreneurs work directly with front-line uniformed and civilian staff to integrate their knowledge and feedback.
The badge's theme is Tested By Police – For Police, highlighting the mandate of putting new, innovative technologies and solutions into the hands of police, leveraging a highly controlled and documented process to test and validate early-stage technologies for future policing applications. The goal is to provide assurance that the products and solutions awarded the Policetech Tested badge have achieved a high level of quality, durability, functionality and applicability during testing.
“The Policetech Tested badge is the conceptual outcome of our work with the Cobourg Police Service over the last few years at Venture 13, bringing together entrepreneurs and police professionals to inform the product design and development process,” NCFDC Executive Director Wendy Curtis said in the announcement.
“With this badge, we are now able to formally validate the results of actual field testing with a highly visible and definitive mark, and encourage more open collaboration and engagement through our Policetech Accelerator.”
“As policing continues to evolve, it is crucial that police services can access reliable products, technologies and innovations tested and evaluated against the rigours of day-to-day police operations,” Cobourg Police Chief Paul VandeGraaf added.
“The Policetech Tested badge represents a specific standard met by new technologies based on real-world testing, piloting or demonstrations, providing a level of assurance in the technology.”
