Regina Police Board Examines Use of ‘Body Cameras’ – Regina | The Canadian News

The Regina Board of Police Commissioners is reviewing the use of body cameras by police officers. Regina Police Service Chief Evan Bray presented a report recommending that the board provide guidance regarding future investigations, policies and consultations at the BWC.

This momentum stems from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attending a Black Lives Matter protest on Parliament Hill in June 2020, when he spoke about Canadian police services using BWC. RPS stated that the action should not be taken without full board consideration.

There are pros and cons related to BWC. Some of the benefits are police transparency, accountability, and public trust. Challenges include privacy considerations and a lack of reliable evaluations. The main concern is cost, the RPS report states.

“The money spent on the BWCs means less money for programs that could address police transparency in a similar way. On average, a camera costs roughly $ 2,700 and $ 1,600 to operate annually. On top of that, resources would be needed to coordinate and operate the program. “

The BWC program, on average, would cost $ 1,290,341 per year to operate, along with the initial equipment purchase of nearly $ 1 million, the RPS said.

The RPS stated that it anticipates operational challenges in presenting an investigative tool to front-line members responsible for operation and care. They may need more time to review the video for research purposes. Additionally, RPS predicts slower processes for the court system as a result of video review alongside digital and paper reports.

The RPS report concludes that BWCs are an investigative tool for the police, but are not used to benefit the police organization, defense, and watchdog groups.

“A BWC program involves discussions and decisions made with police service boards, police executive management, police unions and associations, and the community,” the report states.

The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) began investigating the BWCs in 2015. Five years later, SPS went ahead with the BWCs, using a limited deployment model, as stated in the report.

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