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Cranbrook, BC (November 27, 2024) – Cranbrook RCMP, along with five other communities in British Columbia will be among the first in the province to receive and begin using body-worn cameras beginning in early December 2024.  Approximately 26 cameras will be in place at the Cranbrook detachment at a cost of $3,000 per camera, with local members beginning to wear them on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.

The RCMP is introducing Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) and a Digital Evidence Management Service (DEMS) as a national standard for all frontline general duty police officers across the country. The RCMP will equip frontline officers who have operational interactions with the public, with more than 10,000 cameras to be rolled-out across the country.

Body-worn video (BWV) will provide increased transparency, while also providing a first-person view of what a police officer encounters, oftentimes in highly dynamic and tense situations. Objectives of the body-worn camera project include: 

• Strengthening transparency, accountability and public trust
• Resolving public complaints more quickly
• Improving interactions between the public and police
• Improving evidence gathering

“I anticipate body-worn cameras will not only strengthen public trust, but also reduce the number of public complaints we receive and resolve them more quickly,” says S/Sgt. Barry Graham, Cranbrook RCMP Detachment Commander.

Under the BWC policy, police officers can only use the cameras during the lawful execution of their duties. For example, the officer must operate the camera when initiating contact with the public in a law enforcement capacity. While the camera will clearly show a red light when recording, an officer will also tell the individual they are being audio and video recorded.

The public has the right to seek access to a recording of them by filing a formal request under the federal Privacy Act or Access to Information Act. Communities and members of the public can have their say via a national public opinion survey available online @ https://rcmp.ca/en/body-worn-cameras/survey-rcmps-use-body-worn-cameras-my-community.