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Police board commends two members for making Belleville community safer

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Two people who work for Belleville Police were lauded by the city police services board Tuesday for going the extra mile to make the community a safer place in which to live.

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Joe Myderwyk, a civilian services’ IT director at the city police station, was praised by Deputy Chief Chris Barry for creating new technology that is revolutionizing communications for officers on patrol.

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Myderwyk, who was awarded the OCAP Award of Excellence in June for his device, came up with a way to bypass the need for a laptop in police cruisers to access critical law-enforcement networks by creating a mobile phone docking system with a two-factor authentication system.

The device allows Belleville Police officers to use their phones instead of a laptop, he said.

“Joe’s idea evolved into an initiative involving docking the officer’s phone into a cradle in the police vehicle attached to a keyboard and monitor. When the phone is removed, there is nothing left in the vehicle, nor is there a modem or equipment that may present a security risk,” Barry said.

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Called the Mobile Connected Officer Program, the technology has garnered attention from police departments from Los Angeles and Chicago to Toronto and Calgary, he said.

The new device “has the potential to revolutionize the way that police services utilize cellphone technology in police vehicles,” Barry said.

Detective praised

Police services board commended Belleville Det.-Const. Stephanie Bested for her years-long investigation into an historical sexual assault leading to the conviction of a father.

He was convicted of abusing his now ex-wife and sexually abusing one of his daughters.

Bested’s detective work led to a Superior Court sentencing in March of the man for nine years for sexually assaulting one of the daughters when she was five to seven years old.

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“Detective Bested worked diligently throughout this case, thoroughly investigating the allegations and assisting the victims and family members through the emotional trauma when having to re-tell and re-live these forever life-altering traumatic events,” Barry said.

He said the stress on investigating officers faced with the reality of heinous crimes cannot be overlooked and said city police ensure its officers are supported.

Barry said, “we can never underestimate the importance of our officers’ mental health and well-being for those investigating sexual assaults and child sexual assaults.”

He thanked Bested for her “dedication, hard work, and perseverance in apprehending and holding the accused in this case accountable while also tirelessly working to support the victims and the entire family.”

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