Kamloops RCMP officers among the first to get body cameras as national rollout begins Monday

KAMLOOPS — RCMP officers in Kamloops will be equipped with body cameras as soon as next Monday, Nov. 18, as part of the national police force’s roll out of the new technology.

While BC RCMP expect to say more about their plan to roll out the cameras in the province next Thursday, they have confirmed to CFJC Today that officers in Kamloops will be getting body cameras as part of the initial wave.

Mounties say over the next nine months, about 1,000 frontline officers across Canada will begin to use body-worn cameras each month. They expect to have all officers equipped in the next 18 months.

In a statement, the RCMP say the long-delayed rollout of body-worn cameras will help officers document their interactions with people in “an independent, unbiased, and objective way.” They also say it will “help resolve public complaints more quickly and improve evidence gathering.”

“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,” RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme said.

The RCMP will require almost all interactions with the public — including mental health calls, protests and crime investigations — be recorded, with the footage being stored on a secure digital evidence management system.

Mounties say they will not use cameras for surveillance, 24-hour recordings and in places where there is a high expectation of privacy like washrooms, hospitals and in treatment centres. They will also not be recording any strip searches or internal body cavity searches.

The cameras will be worn on an officer’s chest and a flashing red light will let people when it is recording. RCMP say all of its officers will be trained on policy and the use of these cameras.

“Canadians must have confidence in the agencies tasked with keeping them safe,” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said. “This initiative is another positive step toward strengthening public trust through enhanced transparency and accountability and demonstrates the RCMP’s ongoing commitment to building stronger relationships with our communities.”

While footage may be released if it is in the public interest, people will be able to make formal requests under either the federal Privacy Act or Access to Information Act.

You can find out more about the RCMP’s plan to rollout body cameras here.