RCMP prepares to deploy body cameras to thousands of officers nationwide

The RCMP will provide an update today on its initiative to begin equipping frontline officers with body cameras later this month.

Officials are set to discuss the national rollout plan and outline how the system for storing data from the cameras will operate. According to information on the RCMP’s website, the deployment will begin gradually in mid-to-late November, with the aim of having 90 percent of frontline officers using the cameras within the next 18 months.

While other police forces in Canada have adopted body cameras, the RCMP’s unique role as a provider of federal, provincial, regional, and local policing makes this rollout the largest of its kind in the country. This wide scope is expected to draw additional scrutiny on how and when the cameras are used, as well as who will have access to the footage.

RCMP policy mandates that officers activate the cameras during calls for service, including investigations of crimes, mental health responses, and protests. The cameras, however, will not be used during what the RCMP classifies as "intimate searches."

The RCMP has indicated that it may proactively release body camera footage in cases where public interest is significant. Individuals can also request footage involving themselves under the Privacy Act.

The national police force initially announced the plan in 2020, amid global protests against police brutality following George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis. The initial goal was to start rolling out the cameras in 2021, but delays arose due to contracting and pilot testing. Last year, the RCMP announced a shift to a new vendor, which further extended the timeline.

Field testing of the cameras is already underway in RCMP detachments in Nova Scotia, Nunavut, and Alberta. The federal government has committed almost $240 million over six years to support the program, along with $50 million annually for ongoing operations.