RCMPs officer wearing body worn cameras. (Image Credit: BC RCMP)

By Victor Kaisar

RCMP Body Cameras

RCMP detachments in B.C. begin rollout of body-worn cameras next week

Nov 21, 2024 | 1:34 PM

SURREY — RCMP officers in Mission will be the first to wear body cameras in British Columbia as part of a provincewide rollout of the technology, though their counterparts in Kamloops won’t be far behind.

Insp. Ted Lewko says 44 cameras will be used by officers in Mission starting next week, and he’s “very hopeful” that it will improve officer safety, strengthen trust with the public and help resolve complaints more quickly.

Speaking at E Division headquarters in Surrey Thursday (Nov. 21). BC RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said more than 3,000 cameras will be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months, making this the “largest and most ambitious rollout of body cameras across the province.”

McDonald said while the cameras will always be on while an officer is on shift, it will be in a “buffering mode” and will need to be activated before any audio or video is recorded.

“Once the cameras are in use across the province, the video will provide us with an unbiased first-person account of incidents,” McDonald said. “Having a tool that makes our actions visible provides clear evidence and it may also result in a reduction of public complaints. This is an initiative that BC RCMP wholeheartedly supports.”

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McDonald said calls for body-worn cameras came from “local, regional, Indigenous and provincial leaders to address the overall need to enhance public trust” in policing, and the cameras are part of a national standard for members of the RCMP.

“Body-worn cameras and the digital evidence management system are more than just a new tool for the RCMP in British Columbia and for our modernization efforts,” he said. “It’s hopeful that this will also be viewed as a critical step towards addressing concerns over transparency, accountability, and the equitable treatment of all individuals.”

About 300 cameras will be issued to officers in Mission first, with Tofino and Ucluelet, Cranbrook, and Prince George also part of the initial rollout in British Columbia. Officers in Fort St. John and the surrounding Peace Region will follow suit in January 2025.

Kamloops RCMP Supt. Superintendent Jeff Pelley will detail plans about the rollout of the body-worn cameras to his officers on Wednesday next week, Nov. 27.

– With files from The Canadian Press