BC RCMP officers to deploy body cameras

The officer leading the RCMP detachment in Mission, B.C., says he’s grateful linemen in his community will be among the first to wear body cameras to record police interactions with the public.

Insp. Ted Levko says his officers will be using 44 cameras starting next week, and he’s “very hopeful” they will improve officer safety, build public trust and help resolve complaints faster.

Police announced the rollout of cameras in Surrey on Thursday, detailing how thousands of linemen across the province will soon be equipped with the devices.

Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commander of the RCMP’s E Division in British Columbia, says the initiative is the “largest and most ambitious rollout of body cameras across the province.”

McDonald says calls for body cameras have come from “local, regional, Indigenous and provincial leaders to address the overall need to increase public trust” in police, and the cameras are part of the national standard for RCMP members.

About 300 cameras will be issued first to Mission officers and then to other communities, including Tofino and Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, as well as Cranbrook, Kamloops and Prince George, linemen said.

Police say the nationwide rollout of body cameras is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.