Alberta to mandate body-worn cameras for police officers

The Alberta government announced Tuesday it is mandating all police officers to wear body-worn cameras.

Alberta Public Safety minister Mike Ellis says the province is the first in Canada to make such a move.

The government says it is partnering with the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP) to develop the mandate and the standards around the cameras, along with the costs.

The work includes conversations with front-line police officers in Alberta, all municipal police services, and the three self-administered Indigenous police services.

Ellis says the decision will be a transformational one that will ensure officers are being transparent.

“Whether living in large cities or smaller rural communities, Albertans have the right to feel safe and have trust that police will assist and be fair in doing so,” Ellis said in a statement.

Dean LaGrange, chief of the Camrose Police Service and vice-president of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, in a statement, says it is still in the process of receiving further details on the mandate.

The province wants its police officers to “be a leader and role model for policing in North America and across the world.”

Cameras have a microphone and internal data storage to save video footage.

Related Stories:

• Man taken to hospital in Calgary NW police shooting

• Calgary mom calls for more mental health support after police fatally shoot son

• Latjor Tuel family demands answers on anniversary of death by Calgary police

According to data from Tracking (In) Justice, a data set tracking Canadian police-involved deaths since 2000, the province has seen around 121 police-involved deaths, with 93 of those being shootings.

Calgary has seen 29 deaths, with 25 being shootings since that time. There have been ten shootings since 2018.

Meanwhile, Edmonton has seen 39 police-involved deaths, 26 being shootings.

In addition, the government announced the Alberta Sheriffs would support officers in Calgary and Edmonton.

NDP supports transparency, more information needed

Alberta NDP justice critic Irfan Sabir said in a statement that he is all for increased transparency for police, but details in the plan are limited.

“There are no timelines, no funding and a lack of clarity regarding how the vast amount of data generated by body-worn cameras will be managed,” Sabir’s statement reads.

“Meanwhile, there is a massive backlog of cases at ASIRT. If the UCP was serious about transparency, they would be focused on clearing this backlog so law enforcement is held accountable and Albertans have access to justice.”

Dunia Nur, president of the African Canadian Civic Engagement Council, said she will be watching closely “to ensure that the implementation of police body cameras includes anti-racist policies and practices, and that gaps identified in other jurisdictions have been addressed to create a more just and equitable society.”

Ellis said the mandate does not apply to the RCMP, but the federal government has said it will be moving toward more body cameras for Mounties sometime in the future.

Currently, there is no exact date when all officers will be equipped with body cameras.

-With files from The Canadian Press