REGINA — The safety and well-being of detainees have been enhanced by the Regina Police Service (RPS) over the last year with the introduction of biometric cells.
Biometric cells allow for the monitoring of vital health metrics of a detainee through a radar technology that sends out thousands of radar signals, which can detect small changes in a person's respiratory rate.
RPS staff sergeant Dave Kliman said countless lives have been saved thanks to the cells.
He gave an example of a woman who was intoxicated on drugs and alcohol, but showed no health concerns from a detention paramedic.
“Only 10 minutes into her custody time, we were alerted to a health emergency occurring in that particular cell. And we responded to find that female in cardiac arrest.”
Despite having to be revived twice, the female managed to live.
“[This is one of] several examples of lives that this technology has saved over the past year,” said Kliman.
Between March 19, 2024 and March 19, 2025, over 7,500 detainees were placed in the RPS’ detention unit,
The RPS does constant 15-minute checks for every cell, ensuring detainees are okay.
Because of constant check-ups and biometrics, no deaths have been reported in an RPS cell since 2023, when a man who was in police custody, was found non-responsive in his cell and later died in hospital.
That death was , as the person was likely attempting to smuggle drugs into a correctional facility and died as a result.
Kliman said the death wasn’t a trigger for the RPS to introduce biometric cells, as the police service was already looking into initiatives beforehand.
As it stands, 10 of the 34 cells in the RPS detention unit currently have biometrics.
The RPS paid roughly $35,000 to implement the biometrics, and there is a $100 monthly monitoring charge per cell.
“This technology is well worth the money, although you can't put a price on human health,“ he said.
Kliman said the RPS plans to add more cells with biometrics.
“We do recognize the need to increase the number of cells [with biometrics] over time.“
