December 14, 2011 | British Columbia

The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) plans to launch a major Information Technology upgrade that will improve its communications network and enable officers to operate more efficiently, according to the Winnipeg Sun.

The $8.25 million project will rely extensively on qualified civilian IT workers to implement the upgrades. This announcement is good news for those enrolled in networking training courses offered by CDI College.

"We know what to do, but the fact of the matter is we don’t have the bodies and we don’t have the resources to do them," Juanita Desouza-Huletey, the manager of WPS' Information Technology and Solutions Division, told the Sun.

Desouza-Huletey estimates the new project could double the size of the WPS' IT department to cope with the amount of work to build and maintain the new networks.

Information Technology has been extremely successful in the fight against crime across Canada. According to the Vancouver Sun, police in Edmonton have utilized analytics data to predict known hotspots for criminal activity, resulting in a 20 percent decrease in crime throughout the city. As police forces around the country build similar network systems, there will be a demand for qualified professionals to maintain them.

If you’re ready to begin your networking training at CDI College, fill in the form to your right.