The Ottawa Police Service has finished converting more than 160 reels of historical microfilm into digital records through a partnership that also created jobs for neurodivergent people in the city, according to an Ottawa Police Service news release issued Thursday.
The project, carried out with Edmonton-based firm Technology North, processed hundreds of thousands of images stored on the police service's aging microfilm collection. Workers scanned, verified and quality-checked each image, then applied optical character recognition technology so the records can be searched and managed more easily.
The work supports long-term preservation of the records and marks another step in the police service's effort to modernize how it manages information, the release said.
Technology North delivers its digitization services through an autism employment program, which uses the company's proprietary RoboCoach assistive technology. The program is designed to give people on the autism spectrum the tools and support they need to work on specialized information management projects.
A first Ottawa project for an expanding firm
The collaboration coincided with Technology North opening operations in Ottawa, building on its experience providing technology and information management services in Edmonton. The company previously worked with the Edmonton Police Service, where neurodivergent employees redacted body-worn camera footage.
That Edmonton initiative grew into an ongoing program and received national recognition for its contribution to equity, diversity and inclusion in policing, the release said.
"This partnership has helped us successfully complete an important records modernization project while supporting an organization that is creating meaningful employment opportunities in our community," Ottawa Police Chief Eric Stubbs said in the release. "The quality of the work delivered demonstrates the value of looking beyond traditional approaches and recognizing the skills and contributions that different people bring to the workplace."
"Working with the Ottawa Police Service has been an important opportunity for us as we establish our presence in the nation's capital," said Ling Huang, CEO of Technology North, in the release. "Our mission is to demonstrate that neurodivergent individuals can make valuable contributions when given the right opportunities, tools and support. This partnership shows how organizations can address real operational needs while helping build a more inclusive workforce."
With the project complete, the police service said it has digitized a significant portion of its historical microfilm collection. It thanked Technology North for its work and said the partnership supported the growth of an inclusive workforce in the Ottawa community.
Members of the public can view and download data released by the Ottawa Police Service through its Community Safety Data portal at data.ottawapolice.ca. The police service also encourages residents to register their information and security camera locations at CAMSafe.ca to support investigations.
