Waterloo Regional Police Service

What Waterloo Regional Police Service does

Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is a municipal police service established in 1973 and headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, that serves as the designated law enforcement provider for the Waterloo Region under Ontario's Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA). WRPS operates 24/7 through three division stations (North in Waterloo, Central in Kitchener, South in Cambridge) plus headquarters, two Collision Reporting Centres, and dedicated channels for 9-1-1 emergencies, non-emergency calls, online reporting via Coplogic, anonymous tips through Waterloo Crime Stoppers, and police record checks via Equifax Kount identity verification. The service is governed by a Police Services Board accountable to the Region of Waterloo and is funded primarily through municipal and regional taxation, with revenue from ancillary services such as record checks, collision reporting, and record suspensions.

The technology stack deployed by WRPS is materially more advanced than typical municipal police services and represents a core operational differentiator. It includes Axon Public Safety Canada's cloud-based Digital Evidence Management System (DEMs) for cross-agency evidence sharing; BriefCam video analytics (used since 2022, explicitly without facial recognition) for searching lawfully obtained footage; Magnet GrayKey and Cellebrite device extraction tools (528 and 346 extractions in 2025 respectively); body-worn and in-car cameras with encrypted, 30-month-retention evidence; Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) integrated with Ontario Ministry of Transportation and CPIC hot lists; CCTV with ALPR in public spaces (Waterloo live, Kitchener/Cambridge/North Dumfries planned for 2026); and a Remotely Piloted Vehicle (drone) program for collision reconstruction, search, and crowd monitoring, all governed by MFIPPA privacy frameworks with IPC oversight.

WRPS serves general residents, local businesses, and youth/families across the region with programs including Victim Services of Waterloo Region (over 70 volunteers, 24/7), a Citizens Police Academy (40 participants twice yearly), Youth in Policing since 2019, the Police Chorus (over $1.6M CAD raised over 50 years), the Ceremonial Band, and an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Unit established in 2017. Strategic academic partnerships with York University (Dr. Lorne Foster) and Ontario Tech University (Dr. Les Jacobs) underpin a Race and Identity-Based Data (RIBD) collection program running since 2020 across Use of Force, Searches of Persons in Custody, Intelligence Notes, and Regulated Interactions. Technology vendor relationships include Axon, BriefCam, Magnet GrayKey, Cellebrite, Navigate360 (Crime Stoppers), and Equifax Kount; community/strategic partners include #NotInMyCity, Ontario Police College, and the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

Name

Waterloo Regional Police Service

Legal name

Waterloo Regional Police Service

Website

https://wrps.ca

Company type

Public

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Waterloo Regional Police Service is a municipal police service established in 1973 and headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, providing mandated 24/7 law enforcement, emergency response, and community safety programs across the Waterloo Region (Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and surrounding townships) under Ontario's Community Safety and Policing Act.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Policing Services

NAICS

Police Protection (92212)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Safety Administration (Fire/EMS, Emergency Management) (BPAIACAL)

Keywords

• Municipal policing services
• Law enforcement services
• Public safety services
• Crime prevention programs
• Emergency response services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Waterloo Regional Police Service is the designated municipal police service for the Region of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. The service delivers 24/7 law enforcement and public safety services including emergency 9-1-1 response, crime prevention, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, victim services, and community policing across Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and surrounding townships. Key paid and distinct public services include police record checks, online crime reporting (Coplogic), collision reporting, crime mapping, police auctions, and surrender of firearms, supported by advanced technology deployments such as body-worn cameras, ALPR systems, drones, and digital evidence management.

Product overview

Waterloo Regional Police Service operates as a regional police service providing comprehensive public safety services to the Waterloo Region in Ontario. The service offers a unified platform of core policing services including online crime reporting, police record checks, and crime mapping, supplemented by specialized technology modules including body-worn cameras, in-car cameras, ALPR systems, CCTV with ALPR, Remotely Piloted Vehicles (drones), and Digital Evidence Management Systems. The service also provides community programs such as Victim Services, Citizens Police Academy, Youth in Policing, and auxiliary/volunteer programs. Key technology partnerships include Axon for digital evidence management, BriefCam for video analytics, and device extraction tools (Magnet GrayKey and Cellebrite).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Police Record Checks Criminal record check, vulnerable sector check, and local police information check services available to individuals for employment, volunteering, and immigration purposes, with online and in-person application options.
• Collision Reporting Centre Services Designated centres in Cambridge (150 Maple Grove Road) and Waterloo (45 Columbia Street East) for reporting vehicle collisions, with different hours and vehicle eligibility by location.
• Online Crime Reporting (Coplogic) Secure 24/7 online platform for submitting non-emergency incident reports including theft under $5,000, traffic collisions, lost property, shoplifting, fraud under $25,000, and other minor incidents.
• Crime Mapping Public-facing interactive map displaying crime data and statistics across Waterloo Region for community awareness and transparency.
• Police Auctions Sale of recovered, found, and unclaimed items including bicycles, tools, jewelry, and collectibles through the third-party Police Auctions Canada platform.
• Buy and Sell Exchange Zone Designated safe exchange zones at WRPS locations for community members to conduct online buy-and-sell transactions safely.
• Victim Services 24/7 volunteer-based emotional and practical support services for victims of crime and tragic circumstances, provided by Victim Services of Waterloo Region with over 70 dedicated volunteers, including community referrals.
• Police Officer Recruitment Program Comprehensive hiring program for police constables including online application, virtual shuttle run testing, competency-based interviews, background investigations, and Ontario Police College training.
• Citizens Police Academy 12-week educational program offered twice yearly (spring and fall) for community members to learn about local policing, the legal system, crime trends, traffic enforcement, and criminal investigations; limited to 40 participants per session.
• CAMSafe Camera Registry Registry program for community members to register the location of their security cameras to assist police investigations.
• Firearms and Weapons Surrender Service Service allowing community members to surrender firearms and weapons to WRPS in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Victim Services has over 70 volunteers serving 24/7, 365 days a year
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability5 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• #NotInMyCitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRPS has partnered with #NotInMyCity, an organization founded and championed by Canadian artist Paul Brandt, dedicated to raising awareness and driving collective action to prevent and end human trafficking and sexual exploitation. WRPS encourages community residents to take part in the 30-minute online course developed by #NotInMyCity to empower individuals to recognize, prevent, and help stop human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The partnership brings together airports, businesses, community organizations, and police services across Canada.
• Dr. Les Jacobs (York University / Ontario Tech University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Les Jacobs, Vice-President Research & Innovation at Ontario Tech University and Professor Emeritus at York University, serves as academic partner supporting WRPS's Race and Identity-Based Data Collection Strategy. He holds the York Research Chair in Human Rights and Access to Justice, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and is a leading expert on large-scale empirical research on human rights and access to justice involving data science.
• Dr. Lorne Foster (York University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Lorne Foster, Professor at York University's School of Public Policy & Administration and Director of the Institute for Social Research, holds the York Research Chair in Black Canadian Studies & Human Rights (Tier 1). He has collaborated with communities and organizations on various equity initiatives and has consulted extensively on anti-racism, human rights and equity issues at local, national, and international levels.
• Ontario Police CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ontario Police College provides basic constable training for new WRPS recruits. The college reviews requests for exemption from basic training for experienced officers from other Canadian jurisdictions (Ontario Police College, RCMP Cadet Training Program, BC Justice Institute, Northwest Law Enforcement Academy, Saskatchewan Police College, École Nationale de Police du Québec, Atlantic Police Academy).
• Victim Services of Waterloo RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVictim Services of Waterloo Region is a non-profit organization available 24/7, 365 days a year, providing short-term emotional and practical support plus community referrals to victims of crime and tragic circumstances. WRPS works closely with this organization which has over 70 dedicated volunteers. WRPS actively recruits and trains qualified volunteers annually.
• Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (Ontario)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Youth in Policing (YIP) Initiative has been running since 2019 in partnership with Ontario's Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services. The program runs during July and August for Waterloo Region youth aged 15-18.
• Waterloo Regional District School Board and Waterloo Regional Catholic District School BoardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRPS offers a cooperative education program for local high school students in partnership with both school boards. Students are placed in various areas including Records and Access to Information, Human Resources, and Evidence Management each semester.
• Axon Public Safety CanadacoreTechnology or IntegrationAxon Public Safety Canada operates the Digital Evidence Management System (DEMs), a Canadian cloud-based platform used by WRPS to store, manage, transfer and share digital evidence. This platform was procured by the Province of Ontario, providing police services access to cloud-based technology for evidence sharing with justice sector partners.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WRPSToday
• Instagraminstagram.com/officialwrps
• Facebookfacebook.com/waterlooregionalpolice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterloo-regional-police-service

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waterloo Regional Police Service