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
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.