The Saskatoon Police Service’s goal for officers wearing Body Worn Cameras is to provide additional evidence for investigations, help with resolving legal matters and public complaints, provide a record of encounters with the public, and increase public trust and confidence.
A report to the Board of Police Commissioners about the pilot project says $491,000 has been allocated in this year’s budget for internal staffing requirements and the initial start-up costs, including the hardware and software.
Executive Director of Corporate and Strategic Performance, Clae Hack, says while this may seem like a simple program, it requires an extensive amount of planning and development, and a lot of hours of video to store and comb through.
He explains that because officers would be in private spaces, staff would have to redact anyone on the video not involved in the investigation.
Chief Troy Cooper says recent technologies have been successful in highlighting the transparency of the Police Service, not just because they show officer interactions, but also because they show officer professionalism.