Police body cams may help with accountability but not prevent violence, B.C. critics caution
Some legal advocates are questioning the effectiveness of police-worn body cameras as the RCMP plans to roll out the technology across the country.
Local police departments, like the one in Saanich, B.C., are also considering using body cameras.
"It can obviously, perhaps, curtail certain behaviours that would not be accepted by the public," said Saanich police Sgt. Steve Eassie.
"It could also help us in resolving public complaint issues that come forward that are not completely forthcoming," he said.
Advocacy group Pivot Legal Society says that while body cams could help improve accountability, it's not clear if they will help prevent police violence.
"It's not this overarching solution to the issues of brutality and harm, which are systematic," said Meenkashi Mannoe, a policing campaigner with Pivot Legal Society.
In the recent killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, body-worn cameras recorded police beating him, but did nothing to stop it from happening.
"We're not getting at the root causes of those issues," said Mannoe.
INITIAL FRAMEWORK
The B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police says body cams could be a tool to help rebuild waning trust in the system.
"Hopefully it creates a safer environment for everyone that's involved," said Delta police deputy Chief Harj Sidhu.
To mitigate privacy concerns, Sidhu says the cameras won't roll constantly. He says officers will be trained to hit record at traffic stops and at mental health calls, for example.
"Will there be the odd occasion where we miss something? Yes, that's true," he said. "But we'll try to mitigate that as best we can."
Pivot hopes it's clear that the videos will remain impartial.
"The police cannot and should not have control over the footage," said Mannoe.
Police will be able to access the videos, as they could be used in their investigations, but provincial rules say that videos cannot be altered in any way and that there must be an automatic record of who has accessed them.
"That really provides a framework as to how we deploy body-worn cameras in the province," said Sidhu.
While work is underway to bring the cameras to B.C., there's no firm timeline yet for when the system will launch.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.