Police with body cameras expected on the street in Saskatoon by end of March

Chief Troy Cooper says a pilot project at the Saskatoon Police Service is going to offer a perspective missing from policing — the officer's.

"It's a different perspective on what's occurred. What did the officer see and hear?" Cooper said Tuesday.

Training for the "body-worn camera project" began this week, with 40 cameras spread across four platoons. Some cameras are expected to be on the street by the end of March.

The two-year pilot follows ground broken by police services in Calgary and Toronto.

"This is about policy and not just technology," Cooper said.

Coming up with policies that address issues such as privacy concerns and when the cameras will be used challenged the service, but Cooper said police here learned from the experiences in other centres. Police are also already familiar with video thanks to cameras in their cars, the police plane and detention cells.

Sgt. Tom Gresty said Saskatoon police will use the same cameras that officers use in Calgary, and under many of the same circumstances. The cameras will record when an officer is engaged in an investigation or enforcement.

The cameras will be powered-up all the time, but it will be up to the officer to begin recording. Beeps and flashing lights will let the officer and the public know that the device is recording.

The officer will be able to review the recording after, but will not be able to edit any of the material.

Police said the body cameras will help by providing additional evidence for investigations and the potential for early resolutions in legal matters and public complaints, as well as increasing public trust and police transparency. 

The initial program of 40 cameras was included in the 2021 police budget for a cost of $491,000. 

The funding will help cover internal staffing requirements as well as start-up costs for the program — including the cameras themselves and the software needed to run them.