EDMONTON—The Alberta government will become the first province in Canada to mandate body-worn cameras for all police officers.
Mike Ellis, minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, made the announcement at a news conference on March 14, stating the intention is to “build trust between police and communities” and increase accountability and transparency.
“Mandating police to wear body-worn cameras is a transformational decision that will ensure all interactions with officers are objective. Whether living in large cities or smaller rural communities, Albertans have the right to feel safe and have trust that police will assist and be fair in doing so. Alberta will be the first province to mandate body-worn cameras,” said Ellis.
In a statement, the government said police are responding to more complex calls, and “split second decisions” can raise questions with the public about appropriate force used in some circumstances. According to the government, “these doubts erode public safety and can create further delays in Alberta’s justice system, causing violent criminals to stay on the streets longer.”
The government said the move to mandate body cams comes as the province shifts its approach to policing, to have “police transition from the strong arm of the state to an extension of the community they serve.”
According to Ellis, body-worn cameras create accountability, document the behaviour of police in public, and provide better evidence when complaints are made about police.
“They represent an objective measure to show what occurs in the moment by holding all parties accountable for their actions,” said Ellis. “Police are responding to complex calls that may involve vulnerable Albertans, that are experiencing mental health crisis, suffering from addiction or having difficult moments in their life that is clouding their decision-making skills.”
Camrose Police Chief Dean LaGrange, vice president of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, spoke at the news conference and said front-line police officers welcome the move.
“The cameras are a good source of protection, not only for the public but for the police officers wearing them,” he said.
The province said it will partner with the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP) to develop the mandate and standards, as well as establish program costs and logistics. There was no set timeline provided for when officers would be equipped with body cams, but Ellis said his expectation is that he would receive a draft plan in the next three to four months from a working committee.
The AACP subcommittee would be made up of experts, police officers, vendors, the public, and indigenous community members to obtain input from front-line police officers in Alberta, including municipal police services and the three self-administered indigenous police forces, said the minister.
