Thousand of body-worn cameras to be issued to RCMP officers

RCMP officers coast-to-coast will soon be given body-worn cameras, the same devices that Calgary police officers have been using for years.

Starting Nov. 18, police officers at select detachments will be given the cameras, officials said Thursday.

Then, over the next nine months, body-worn cameras will be phased in for 1,000 contract and federal police officers each month.

"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," said RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme in a statement.

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Over the last couple of years, RCMP have been developing policies, undergoing training, and doing operation field testing.

According to the RCMP's website, the national rollout of cameras will take place in stages this year.

All frontline officers will wear them, which is about 10,000 to 15,000 people.

In 2019, the Calgary Police Service issued the devices to all of its front-line officers following a successful pilot program.

The standard policy for body-worn cameras usually involves an officer activating them during calls for service including mental health and crisis calls, crimes in progress, investigations, public disorder and protest calls.

They're not intended for surveillance or 24-hour recording.

According to a report from May, the CPS said that 58 per cent complaints about police misconduct have been resolved through the footage gathered by body-worn cameras.

The service also said they've helped streamline the process for the formal complaints.

According to the data, 70 per cent of complaints against officers in 2023 were closed within 12 months, compared to 53 per cent in 2022 and 35 per cent in 2021.

The technology has also cut down the requirement to use force in arrests by 11 per cent, police said.

The cost to implement body-worn cameras for the RCMP will cost approximately $238.5 million.

(With files from CTVNews.ca's Rachel Aiello)