BPS to use body cams for daily policing

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Taking a cue from the RCMP’s efforts to transition into a more technologically savvy police force, the Brandon Police Service (BPS) also plans to make a sizable investment to introduce the use of body cameras in routine policing throughout the Wheat City.

In an interview with the Sun on Monday, police Chief Tyler Bates said BPS intends to implement the technological upgrades by the fall of next year.

Starting with an initial allocation of $400,000 for the project, BPS is also hoping to get additional funding from the province to help expedite the transition.

“We’re hopeful that the work that we’re doing in Digital Evidence Management and that transition away from paper to a digital process is going to be instructive and help us with respect to the body count initiative and a rollout of that particular piece of technology,” Bates stated during the interview.

As part of a national rollout announced in November, the RCMP said it plans to equip every front-line Mountie with body-worn cameras within 18 months. As part of the initiative, more than 490 Manitoba RCMP officers working in 44 detachments will be equipped with the cameras by April. All other detachments throughout the province will receive cameras over the next 18 months.

“We’re in the process of transitioning from paper to digital, as far as our disclosure processes (are concerned), and the body cam pilot and the work that’s going to follow with respect to the implementation of body cams here for Brandon police service is contingent on DEMs and that particular project,” added Bates. He said he will also be watching the RCMP’s rollout of body cams closely to help prepare for a similar introduction of the technology in Brandon.

“The RCMP is in the pilot phases of this, and have just begun implementing it, right? So in terms of their assessment and the lessons they learn from that implementation process, that’s going to be instructive for us as well,” explained Bates, adding that the change would also help create new jobs in Brandon.

He explained that in addition to policing with body cams, civilians could be hired to fill jobs requiring the body cam footage to be transcribed and secured.

Referring to the profusion of onlooker video evidence available online, Bates said such evidence is not always comprehensive.

“To have a comprehensive recording from start to finish of (an) interaction just provides that increased level of transparency and accountability,” Bates pointed out, adding that his officers and the public at large would be safer once the cameras start being used on a regular basis.

“They’re used to protect police officers. They are also used to protect the public in terms of accountability. So they provide an unbiased record of interactions with the public. This will help protect the public in terms of accountability and providing that record, but also to protect officers potentially from false allegations of misconduct,” he added.

But the heightened levels of transparency in daily policing would also pose some risks, Bates said.

“That would be a significant risk and something that we need to manage, because we’re dealing with sensitive situations that involve people that are engaged with law enforcement, sometimes in traumatic situations, sometimes in emotionally charged situations, and we need to be sure that that we’re not in any way violating the Privacy Act and utilizing that footage in a way that disparages the reputation of the Brandon Police Service.”

Even as the increased use of body cams would help safeguard the police and the public, Brandon Police Board chair Deb Arpin said she is comfortable with the transparency and added scrutiny resulting from the use of body cams. Even though they will be under surveillance at all times, this doesn’t mean officers would need to change their approach to law enforcement, Arpin pointed out.

“I feel that we’ve got a top-notch service, and I don’t see them like trying to hide anything. I’m saying they’re a good service, and I don’t see that there’d be anything detrimental in them wearing their body cams. They already have cams in the car.”

She added that BPS is really waiting for the province to step up by way of mandating the use of body cams and providing additional funding for what is bound to be an expensive law enforcement initiative.

» dstein@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press

» X: @davidpstein_