Starting on Monday, frontline RCMP officers at select detachments, including in Prince George, will start to wear body-worn cameras.
The RCMP estimates that by this time next year, 90 per cent of frontline members will be using body-worn cameras, with full deployment expected to be complete in the next 12-18 months.
Mounties told My Prince George Now they could not provide specific details on the rollout of the cameras in BC, but they confirmed the Prince George detachment would be part of the initial wave.
“The rollout of body-worn cameras to Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers is another step towards building a more modern and accountable RCMP and enhancing trust between the RCMP and the communities it serves,” said Commissioner Mike Duheme.
Axon Public Safety Canada Inc. is the contractor supplying the RCMP’s body-worn cameras and digital evidence management system.
According to the RCMP, body-worn cameras will serve as an independent, unbiased, and objective way to capture interactions between the community and police officers.
They say it will also help resolve public complaints more quickly and improve evidence gathering.
These cameras will not be used for surveillance, 24-hour recordings, settings with a high expectation of privacy (washrooms, hospitals, etc.), or during strip searches or internal body cavity searches.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
