(ORILLIA, ON) – Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is about to begin a yearlong evaluative study of body worn cameras (BWCs).
Beginning on May 25, 2021, the OPP will equip uniform members of the Haldimand Detachment, members of the OPP West Region Emergency Response Team (ERT) and members of the West Region Traffic Incident Management Enforcement (TIME) team with body-worn cameras. This study will help inform broader OPP implementation of new technologies in the future.
OPP officers participating in the evaluative study will have the body-worn camera in plain view, and the camera has lights and indicators showing it has been activated. Officers are trained to give notice as soon as reasonably possible that a body-worn camera is in operation.
OPP officers participating in the study will turn on the body-worn camera prior to arriving at a call for service; at the earliest opportunity, prior to any contact with a member of the public, and where that contact is for an investigative or enforcement purpose. The body-worn camera will be turned off when the call for service or investigation is complete.
The OPP has conducted a comprehensive review of policies and procedures developed by our partner police agencies as it relates to the use and privacy impacts of BWCs. Procedures have been created to address potential privacy concerns and to ensure the security of the video once it has been recorded during the course of this study.
The OPP supports the implementation and use of tools or technologies that enable collecting better evidence, demonstrate greater accountability and transparency, and enhance public and officer safety in the communities we serve.