RCMP ponder body cameras
Courtroom testimony suggests they are already being used in Yellowknife
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Friday, March 25, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It's unclear whether the RCMP has locally started experimenting with body cameras but a recent court case hints this may be the case.
An image from the RCMP website shows an example of a body camera worn by an officer. The force has held trial runs of the technology and last year sought a model with longer battery life that could function in a wide range of temperatures. - photo courtesy of RCMP |
At the start of a Supreme Court trial earlier this month, Crown prosecutor Alex Godfrey told the jury they'd see and hear a recording from a device activated by an officer responding to the alleged 2013 crime, as well as dashboard video footage from a police vehicle.
He didn't say whether the recording from the device was from what's called a body camera, a small device some police forces in Canada have equipped officers with when they respond to calls, capturing what they see and hear.
The technology has seen increased use by law enforcement in southern jurisdictions and has raised the eyebrows of the national privacy commissioner.
When Yellowknifer asked RCMP Const. Elenore Sturko about the possible use of body cameras, she said questions about equipment must be directed to the national office.
National RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Harold Pfleiderer said he wouldn't comment on evidence in a continuing court case - a mistrial was declared in the murder case so the evidence alluded to hasn't been presented in court - but confirmed RCMP is reviewing the feasibility of such devices.
According to a news release from July last year, there were 12 RCMP officers in Wood Buffalo, Alta., who would wear body cameras for four months as part of the study into the technology. Detachments in two Nova Scotia communities also took part.
That was followed by RCMP issuing a request for proposals seeking better body cameras in November.
"To date, no camera has been identified that meets all of the RCMP's needs," the request document states.
"The cameras that have been researched and tested have issues with battery life and durability. Additionally, the cameras do not always adequately capture the incident due to mounting difficulties. Significant limitations were identified in the areas of camera mounting, video quality and user interface."
The force sought a 12-hour battery life, weatherproofing and ability to operate in weather conditions that range from extreme cold to summer heat.
Pfleiderer wrote it's "too early to speculate on future procurement or deployment of this technology as initiatives such as adopting new technology like body-worn video involve complex privacy, legal and policy issues that must be carefully considered before moving forward."
Yellowknifer asked lawyer Caroline Wawzonek how such technology can impact court cases. She wrote in an e-mail that more and better evidence gathered fairly and legally isn't a bad thing.
"If it proves a crime, great. If it protects the innocent, great. If it discourages abuses of power/authority, fantastic," wrote Wawzonek, who works at Dragon Toner Law Office.
A Privacy Commissioner of Canada report last year states the use of body cameras by law enforcement agencies "raises a significant risk to individual privacy." The commissioner's report includes recommendations for police forces using the technology, including creating ways to deal with access to information requests from the public.
