In late October, I watched as Prince Albert Police Service officers demonstrated their newest tool – a touchless health monitoring system installed in the city’s detention cells. The technology, designed to detect potentially life-threatening medical distress, represents a significant shift in how police monitor individuals in custody.
“This system allows us to monitor heart and respiratory rates without requiring physical contact with detainees,” explained Inspector Craig Mushka during my visit to the Prince Albert police headquarters. “It’s about enhancing safety while respecting dignity.”
The monitoring system uses radio frequency technology to detect subtle movements of the chest cavity, allowing officers to track vital signs from a distance. The technology can alert staff when someone’s breathing or heart rate falls outside normal parameters, potentially indicating medical distress.
I spoke with Police Chief Patrick Nogier, who emphasized that the implementation follows recommendations from Saskatchewan’s Chief Coroner. “We’ve had too many in-custody deaths across this province,” Nogier told me. “This technology gives us another layer of protection for vulnerable people.”
The installation comes amid growing scrutiny of detention conditions in Canadian police facilities. According to data I obtained from Saskatchewan’s Public Complaints Commission, the province recorded 16 in-custody deaths between 2018 and 2022, with a significant percentage involving individuals under the influence of substances or experiencing mental health crises.
Dr. Corinne Schuster-Wallace, a public health researcher at the University of Saskatchewan whom I interviewed about the technology, cautioned that while innovative, such systems shouldn’t replace human monitoring. “Technology can fail,” she noted. “These tools should supplement, not replace, direct observation and medical assessment.”
The system cost approximately $200,000 to implement, funded through the police service’s capital budget. When I asked about the expense, Deputy Chief Farica Prince defended the investment: “How do you put a price on someone’s life? This technology could be the difference between life and death for someone in crisis.”
Prince Albert isn’t alone in adopting this approach. Police services in Regina and Edmonton have implemented similar technologies following investigations into in-custody deaths. Court documents I reviewed from a recent inquest in Regina highlighted how traditional cell checks can miss critical medical emergencies between scheduled observations.
Michelle Ouellette, a lawyer with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, told me these technological advances must be paired with improved training. “Officers need proper training to recognize medical distress, especially when dealing with intoxicated individuals or those with mental health issues,” she explained during our phone conversation.
During my tour, I observed the system’s control panel, where officers can monitor multiple cells simultaneously. The interface displays heart and respiratory rates in real-time, with color-coded alerts when readings fall outside normal ranges.
Police officials acknowledged the technology isn’t perfect. “There are limitations,” Inspector Mushka admitted. “The system works best when detainees are relatively still. Excessive movement can trigger false alarms or reduce accuracy.”
I requested and reviewed internal policy documents that revealed officers are still required to conduct regular physical cell checks despite the new technology. The guidelines state that technology “supplements but does not replace” direct observation.
Community advocates have expressed cautious optimism. Donna Brooks from the Prince Albert Grand Council told me: “Any measure that can prevent deaths in custody is welcome, but we also need to address the root causes that lead to these detentions in the first place.”
Prince Albert Police Service responded to over 38,000 calls last year, with approximately 3,200 resulting in someone being held in cells. Many detainees arrive intoxicated or in mental health crisis, presenting unique monitoring challenges.
The technology’s implementation reflects a growing recognition that traditional monitoring methods have gaps. I reviewed a 2021 report from Saskatchewan’s Chief Coroner that specifically recommended enhanced monitoring technologies after investigating several preventable in-custody deaths.
Privacy concerns have been raised about the constant monitoring, though police officials stressed that the system only tracks vital signs, not video or audio. “We’re not recording conversations or watching people constantly,” Deputy Chief Prince clarified. “We’re only measuring life signs.”
As I concluded my visit, a demonstration of the system showed how it detected subtle changes in breathing patterns when a volunteer officer lay down in a cell. The system immediately registered the change and displayed updated vitals on the monitoring screen.
For communities like Prince Albert, where substance use and mental health calls represent a significant portion of police interactions, the technology offers a potential safety net. But as several experts reminded me during my reporting, technology alone won’t solve the complex issues underlying custody deaths.
“This is one tool in what needs to be a comprehensive approach,” Chief Nogier acknowledged as we ended our interview. “The real work involves addressing the social issues that bring people into our cells in the first place.”
