New Brunswick RCMP rolls out body cams
Initial part of program will see recording devices used in four detachments in province
The RCMP in New Brunswick is catching up with a practice that’s becoming standard in the policing sector, announcing that some officers will have body-worn cameras beginning Monday.
“As part of the New Brunswick RCMP's commitment to transparency and accountability with the communities we serve, frontline officers in the province will soon start wearing body-worn cameras,” the force said in a news release Thursday afternoon.
Effective Monday, Nov. 18, frontline Mounties with the Elsipogtog First Nation, Richibucto, Saint-Quentin and Tobique First Nation detachments will be outfitted with body-worn cameras, the release said.
Audio and video captured on the cameras will be managed by a digital evidence management system that will store and manage all data recorded, it said.
Other detachments in New Brunswick and elsewhere in Canada will see body-worn cameras deployed, and the management system will be extended to those other jurisdictions in a phased approach over the next 12-18 months, the release
New Brunswick RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Hans Ouellette said the force welcomes the technology.
“We live and work in a fast-paced, modernized environment, and the addition of this investigative tool is another positive step forward in showing our commitment to accountability and transparency to the communities we serve,” he said in the release.
Mounties will typically wore body-worn cameras on their chests, the release said, and the public will be able to tell when it's recording because a red light will be visible and flashing below the lens.
“Body-worn cameras will not be used for surveillance, during recorded interviews, or settings with a high expectation of privacy,” it said.
“Body-worn cameras serve as an independent, unbiased and objective way to capture interactions between the community and police officers, with the goal of increasing trust between police and the communities we serve.”
The force also acknowledged the camera footage will help to resolve public complaints and improve evidence gathering during investigations.
The Fredericton Police Force first started using a handful of body-worn cameras in July 2018, and has gradually added more units for use among frontline officers.
The Fredericton Independent can be reached at ftonindependent@gmail.com.
Way past time they started using body cams.
That is wonderful news !!!