Starting today (Sunday), Prince George Mounties will be required to wear Body Worn Cameras.
It’s part of the RCMP’s modernization efforts and is now the National standard for all officers in Canada.
“We are excited to be in the first phase of the body-worn camera program in B.C.,” said Superintendent Darin Rappel, Officer in Charge of the Prince George RCMP.
“I fully expect Body Worn Cameras to enhance transparency with the public, improve evidence-gathering techniques and aid in the timely resolution of public complaints.”
Officers will be required to turn on their body cam as they exit the police cruiser and shut it off once they had back to their vehicle.
The Prince George detachment will be issuing over 100 cameras to its Frontline Police Officers, as well as support sections such as the Downtown Safety Unit, Problem Oriented Policing team and, Youth Support Team.
Rapple acknowledged the new piece of equipment will add to the work load of officers but should in some more favourable outcomes with offenders.
“Members will be required when they return to the office to use that video, attach it to a specific file so that it can be later recalled – it doesn’t have to be used in that instance but it will have to be attached to an interaction that will be recalled for use at some other point.”
“If you were to go to court there would be a number of members involved in that interaction with a client of ours. That video would then have to be transcribed and vetted that is an additional workload. A part of our program has staff that will do that work for us so we will send it off and have that all done – the mechanics of that have not yet been sorted out for us.”
When asked why it took so long for the RCMP to implement body-worn cameras, Rappel stated the sheer size and volume of the BC umbrella made for a few extra hurdles.
“They didn’t want to have a peace meal approach, they wanted to have everybody ready for training and a lot of the effort has been spent in that area of it.”
“As we move through the next 12-18 months, we will be ready in each and every detachment,” added Rappel.
During the first week of the deployment, the B.C. Project Team will be in the detachment delivering training and assisting police officers with the new technology.
“We are happy to be leading the North as the first detachment in Northern B.C. to be issued the body worn cameras. We value the body worn cameras as another tool that will support our continued commitment to public safety,” stated Corporal Jennifer Cooper.
The BC RCMP began its roll-out of body-worn cameras in Mission, Tofino, Ucluelet, Cranbrook and the Cranbrook British Columbia Highway Patrol (BCHP), Kamloops.
Fort St. John and the surrounding Peace Region will roll-out the cameras in January.
Video will be stored for a minimum of 30 days up to two years or longer depending on the retention requirements.
Each camera unit costs about $3,000 with the city footing the bill.
–With files from Brendan Pawliw, My Prince George Now
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