RCMP officers in Alberta will be field testing body-worn cameras and a new digital evidence management system.
Body-worn cameras can help increase trust between police and the communities they serve because the video evidence collected will provide an independent, unbiased, and objective way to capture interactions between the public and police officers, according to a release.
Starting this month, frontline members in Grande Prairie, St. Paul, and Parkland County will begin field testing body-worn cameras.
This field test will continue for eight to 10 weeks.
The test is also taking place in RCMP detachments in Nova Scotia and Nunavut.
RCMP officers will usually be wearing their body-worn cameras in the middle of their chest, and the public will know it’s recording when a red light is visible on the camera.
This field test represents the final stage of the procurement process and will be used to inform roll-out to RCMP detachments across the country.
Should the contractor demonstrate the ability to meet all contractual requirements during tests, they will be confirmed as the provider of body-worn cameras and the digital evidence management system for the RCMP.
Following field tests, a national rollout will proceed in a phased approach and is expected to take 12 to 18 months.