Ottawa, November 14, 2013 – Today the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced it has deployed and will begin pilot testing a small number of body worn video (BWV) devices in New Brunswick starting November 14, 2013.
The RCMP has been researching this technology for a number of years and has previously conducted pilot tests of BWV in urban centres. As part of the research, and to further examine the feasibility of the technology, the RCMP has deployed a small number of cameras to New Brunswick to assess their performance in different environments.
The use of body worn video enhances transparency as well as police and public safety. However, initiatives such as adopting new technology like BWV involve complex privacy, legal and policy issues that must be carefully considered before moving forward. Other considerations that must be taken into account are the storage and retention of recordings that must be kept in line with court disclosure and police records management systems requirements.
The RCMP continually reviews its policies, procedures and equipment to ensure it is using the most effective practices in law enforcement. This includes researching and on occasion, pilot testing, new technology, if it is deemed to enhance public safety and be a potential benefit to RCMP members.
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