KAWARTHA LAKES-The Kawartha Lakes Police Services Board passed a motion today paving the way for all front-line officers to soon wear body-worn cameras.
“One of the selling features is reducing the number of officer complaints but our number of complaints is already exceptionally low.” Chief Mark Mitchell told the Police Services Board. Â “But we are only one major incident away from being questioned in regards to you had this technology available and chose not to deploy it.”
Mitchell says it’s not a question of “if” but rather when.
“This is an action item in our current strategic plan, you’re aware of the recommendation from the Human Rights Commission that all front-line officers should have body-worn cameras. This essentially boils down to a question of timing. We have a capital budget project in place for this year to replace our Conducted Energy Weapons or tasers, we have an opportunity to shift a little bit. Rather than doing a capital purchase, we could enter into a multi-year leasing arrangement that would provide not only tasers but body-worn cameras as well.”
Mitchell explained the lease would also incorporate their digital evidence management platform which is the conduit between police services and the crown attorneys’ offices for the transmission of electronic information and evidence.
“It’s evidence and it will be very central evidence in most cases, it will be the best evidence in every case in which it is available, it’s an objective report.”
One of the downfalls according to Mitchell is there will be increased financial costs. More staff will be required to manage and fulfil redactions on the digital evidence before it goes to the Crown Attorney. Mitchell estimates one staff per 30 cameras.
Councillor Eric Smeaton is a Municipal Appointee member of the board. He recently attended an information session on the use of body-worn cameras.
“It became very clear to me that we would be the ones not using, whereas the fear might be oh my goodness body-worn cameras and all the things that go with that but it became increasingly obvious to me that the question might be why aren’t we using it.”
A motion to move ahead with the deployment passed. A Task Force will see set up to work out the details such as when officers will start wearing them and the details of the leasing agreement etc.
Peterborough Police recently started utilizing body-worn cameras for most front-line officers.
Police are also working with the Lindsay Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) on a grant for Closed Circuit TV (CCTV)cameras in the downtown core.
Mitchell said the service submitted the grant proposal quickly because it was time sensitive.
“There is a lot that has to happen before it will be approved. It has to be brought to council and funding approved, community consultation etc. The first step was to get the application in.”
According to regulations the cameras cannot use facial recognition or AI.
Mitchell says further details will be released soon.
