WOODLANDS COUNTY- Local RCMP officers will soon be wearing body cameras as the program starts to roll out across Alberta.
Staff Sergeant Matthew Clark spoke at the Wednesday, Dec. 18 meeting council, providing information on the body camera initiative for RCMP starting Jan. 1 for Whitecourt.
“This is great for the unit and the members of the public and will help us doing investigations,” said Clark.
“Everybody is looking forward to it.”
Barrhead Staff Sargeant Colin Hack advised the Woodlands County Council that their members will begin using the body cameras in March 2025.
Clark explained that they are in the midst of doing public information sessions.
RCMP members coming out with body cameras will have a business card to share with the public.
The card has a QR Code that will take them to a website with all the information outlined on the body cam program.
Information sessions at schools will be planned in the new year.
Video from the body cameras is accessible to the RCMP through an off-site subscription service.
Cameras were purchased at a discounted rate of $1,640 per camera where the estimated costs were budgeted at $3,000 a camera.
According to Clark, RCMP members will use cameras daily.
Training on use of the cameras will happen over two days in four-hour sessions.
On June 17 the RCMP announced the body worn camera program and a Digital Evidence Management System.
“We are committed to ensuring that Canadians feel protected by, and have trust in the RCMP,” states the RCMP website.
“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 community and police officers.”
In November the RCMP website announced the launch of the body camera deployment program.
Within nine months, the projection is that 1000 RCMP members will start using the body-worn cameras.
On the RCMP website they estimate that 50 per cent of the body cameras will be in use by the March to April 2025 time frame.
