Almost all Manitoba RCMP officers now have body cameras: Mounties
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WINNIPEG – Almost all front-line RCMP officers in Manitoba — about 98 per cent — are now equipped with body cameras as part of a program launched over a year ago, the police force said Thursday.
Some 175,000 videos, audio statements, documents and other pieces of evidence have been captured by the cameras, and footage related to two police shootings has also been sent to the Independent Investigation Unit, which investigates police forces across Manitoba, Assistant Commissioner Scott McMurchy said.
“Ultimately, body-worn cameras have been essential to many investigations and have contributed directly to enhancing the trust and accountability with the communities that we serve,” McMurchy told reporters.
Camera footage can help speed up investigations, and footage is also provided to Crown attorneys, who share it with defence lawyers when charges are laid, he added.
The RCMP has been rolling out body-worn cameras across the country, and some other forces use them already.
Chris Schneider, a sociology professor at Brandon University who studies technology and policing, said last year the evidence around whether body cameras reduce instances of use of force and police complaints is “inconsistent,” but research suggests “people feel safer with cameras.”
Schneider also said the $238 million supplied by the federal government for the program, along with $50 million in ongoing annual funding, includes money that could otherwise go to affordable housing, addiction rehabilitation and other items that can reduce crime.
Winnipeg has been looking at adopting body cameras for its municipal police force, but city council has cited concerns over the cost.
RCMP Sgt. Mark Hume, with the force’s traffic services, said body cameras have helped him.
“A month ago, I had an impaired driver who refused to co-operate (and) provide a breath sample,” Hume said.
“I was wearing a body camera, So he’s literally three feet in front of me, we’re having a discussion, all that evidence is on there. He can’t later go and say, ‘Well, I didn’t really refuse, you didn’t give me a chance.'”
McMurchy said there are ongoing discussions about publicly releasing raw footage more often, but there are privacy concerns for people in the video and releases are vetted by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.