Happy Valley-Goose Bay's policy for body cameras being reviewed by privacy commissioner
Mayor says town has addressed privacy concerns
The Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay has outfitted its municipal enforcement and animal control officers with body cameras, while the province's privacy commissioner is reviewing the town's policies to ensure they are in line with privacy laws.
Council first made the move toward body cams for its officers back in February, with first use set for March 4, but backed off from that plan.
At the time, Privacy Commissioner Michael Harvey said his office hadn't been notified and his office was concerned about the amount of information that would be collected on the cameras, and how that information would be stored.
Harvey noted body cameras collect information about the person being recorded as well as the person wearing the device and anyone else around.
Mayor Wally Andersen said Monday the town addressed the concerns raised by the office before implementing the plan.
"At the end of the day everything was put into place and it's something I think that is gonna be the norm. You're gonna see body cams used by different enforcement departments right across Canada," said Andersen.
"The stuff here will be cataloged at the town office. No one person at any time will be able to view it — there will have to be two people, at least two people. And by using body cams not only do we protect our town workers, but it would also protect the public."
Andersen said there have been confrontations between town officers and residents, and body cameras are a way to ensure any incidents are recorded as they happen.
"By doing this, it protects our workers and it protects the people," he told CBC's Labrador Morning.
"At the end of the day many times it comes down to, I said, he said, she said. But in this case here things will be — it'll be recorded and stored at the town office, and certainly then if an issue does arise of any threat or insults on either side then all we have to do is go back to the body cam and review exactly what was said."
However, the privacy commissioner's office said it found out through the media that the town had proceeded with its body cam plan.
The office said in a statement Monday it has followed up with the town to review what procedures and policies are in place to ensure they are consistent with privacy laws. The commissioner is reviewing the town's response.
Only a handful of police agencies in Canada use body cameras. In 2015 the federal privacy commissioner's office said body cameras pose serious implications for individuals' rights to privacy.