Nova Scotia RCMP to field test body-worn cameras

CITYnews halifax \ By Maryanne McLarty

Some RCMP officers throughout Nova Scotia will be field testing body-worn cameras and a new digital evidence management system over the next two months.

Starting May 15, 60 RCMP officers from seven detachments across the province will be wearing the cameras.

“Body-worn cameras are being adopted by police agencies across Canada to support public calls for greater police transparency and accountability,” says Chief Superintendent Sue Black, Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations for the Nova Scotia RCMP. “We hope their use will improve public insights into police conduct and performance, and in turn build trust between us and the communities we serve.”

Black says the use of body-worn cameras and a digital evidence management system will soon become the standard for frontline RCMP officers across Canada.

Field tests are also happening in Alberta and Nunavut during the same eight-to-ten-week period.

The RCMP says if the field-tests meet operational requirements, the cameras will be distributed to detachments across the country.