Select RCMP detachments in Alberta will conduct field tests on body-worn cameras before a potential nation-wide rollout. (Photo: Pattison Media)

By David Opinko

Alberta RCMP to test body cams before potential national rollout

Feb 2, 2024 | 10:08 AM

GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB – The RCMP said it is continuing its efforts to become more transparent and accountable.

Starting in February 2024, detachments in the Alberta communities of Grande Prairie, St. Paul, and Parkland County will begin field testing body-worn cameras.

Tests will also be conducted in select RCMP communities in Nova Scotia and Nunavut.

The tests are expected to last around eight-to-10 weeks.

Members will be equipped with cameras, typically located in the middle of their chest. The public will know when it is recording when a red light is visible on the device.

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The field test is the final stage of the procurement process and the RCMP said it will be used to inform the rollout to all detachments across the country.

Once the tests are complete, the national rollout is expected to take place in phases over the following 12-to-18 months.

In March 2023, the Government of Alberta announced that it would develop a mandate to require all police services to equip their officers with body cameras.

It would make Alberta the first province to have such a mandate.

At the time of the announcement, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said mandating police to wear body cameras was 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,” Ellis said in a 2023 press conference.

The province did not state when the Alberta-wide mandate would be in effect.

READ MORE: Alberta to mandate body cams for all police services

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