RNC taking wait and see approach to body cameras for officers
Mount Pearl company contracted for RCMP pilot project
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it is taking the wait and see approach before moving forward with any plans of their own that would see officers mounted with body cameras.
Carroll's comments come on the heels of the RCMP contracting a Newfoundland company for eight body cameras, as part of an RCMP national pilot project.
Carroll said the RNC will monitor how the RCMP deals with its pilot project before making a decision.
"It would result in a minimum of 300,000 to 500,000 hours of data a year collected," Carroll said, referring to what giving each RNC officer in the province a body camera would create.
"Then if [footage] is required for court, it would have to be transcribed, one hour of data recorded takes eight hours to transcribe it," said Carroll.
Can see how cameras would help
He added there is a long list of other technologies the RNC is interested in before they would consider body cameras.
Despite the cameras being down on the list for the RNC, Carroll said there have been times when he has wished he had one.
"In my career, absolutely, I have been very very fortunate in my career but there were incidents where if we would have had the [bodycam] technology at the time, it would have been able to diffuse some situations and enhance the court processes," he said.
Carroll said the presence of a camera on an officer is less likely to provoke potentially criminal situations, while also prompting officers to act more professional.
Compusult contracted for cams
A Mount Pearl company has been awarded a national contract as part of a RCMP study that will put mounted body cameras on police cadets who are training in Saskatchewan.
It's not known yet whether the technology — which has become a matter of debate because of high-profile cases involving alleged police misconduct — will be used in other jurisdictions.
As part of the body worn video [BWV] project, the RCMP purchased eight cameras from Compusult Ltd. in Mount Pearl, at a total cost of $3,751.60.
Compusult is not saying much when it comes to its involvement in the contract.
"At this time we will not be able to provide an interview or make any comments regarding this project, as the project is just getting started," said Robert Thomas, Compusult's marketing manager.
Body worn video involves complex privacy, legal and policy issues that must be carefully considered before moving forward.- Cpl. David Falls
"In this case, and it usually is for [defence and police] contracts of this type, it is up to our customer what they want to say about the contract," Thomas said.
But the customer is talking about the contract.
Four companies involved
Cpl. David Falls, who works with the RCMP National Communication Services in Ottawa, said as part of the study 32 cameras were purchased from four companies at a total cost of $12,600.96.
The participating companies are:
- Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Contract awarded: $3,751.60
- Eight cameras were delivered
Y&S Engineering Consulting
- Gatineau, Quebec
- Contract awarded: $2,314.24
- Eight cameras were delivered
- Redcliff, Alberta
- Contract awarded: $3,191.12
- Eight cameras were delivered
- Byron Center, Michigan
- Contract awarded: $3,344.00
- Eight cameras were delivered
In an email Falls told CBC News that "the use of any technology for the purposes of the RCMP’s BWV feasibility study does not necessarily mean that any of the devices from the [four companies involved] will be used should the technology be adopted for wider use."
Falls added that the RCMP picked the four companies through a "competitive process" set by Public Works and Government Services Canada.
32 cameras pinned on 28 cadets
"The trials being conducted … will assist in evaluating potential officer safety issues related to the feasibility of law enforcement use of this technology," he said.
Falls said the BWV feasibility study is part of a RCMP review of current policies, procedures and equipment "to ensure it is using the most effective practices in law enforcement."
"Our objective is to provide our front line officers with tools that are consistent with global changes in technology and social media to enhance their ability to respond to this new reality while ensuring both officer and public safety," Falls said.
Too early for use across Canada
Falls noted that it was too early to speculate whether officers in other jurisdictions across Canada would be wearing body cameras in the future.
"Initiatives such as adopting new technology like body worn video involves complex privacy, legal and policy issues that must be carefully considered before moving forward," he said.
Should the RCMP's BWV feasibility study be expanded, it would be a move that would create potentially thousands of hours of video recordings of people across the country.
Falls said that too would create a complex set of circumstances that would need to be considered, adding that the RCMP would need to make sure that the recording and storage of video footage would be in line with the Canada's Privacy as well as its Library and Archives Acts, while also having to meet court disclosures and fitting with police record-keeping systems.
Recording their results
The appetite for the use of body mounted cameras on police officers across Canada has been growing for a few years now, mostly among metropolitan police officers in places like Vancouver and Toronto.
- Vancouver police mull use of body-mounted cameras
- Toronto police to test wearing cameras on their lapels
At the end of 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama announced $74 million that would be used to buy 50,000 small, lapel mounted cameras to record the interaction between police and people.
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