Const. Tania Visintin: “It is important to maintain the momentum within the VPD and in the public.”
The Vancouver Police Department has decided that police officers equipped with body cameras will be allowed to continue wearing the devices even after the originally planned six-month test phase has expired.
The process, which began in January and was scheduled to end on June 30, will now run until the end of 2024.
Const. Tania Visintin, a press officer, said in an email that the trial – which initially involved 85 officers when it launched in January – has been extended to further evaluate the use of the chest cameras.
“We continue to work with the prosecutor to streamline the processes and determine the impact (of the cameras) on complaints against the police,” Visintin said.
The budget for the trial was $307,000. A breakdown of the costs for the first six months and whether the $307,000 would be enough for the remainder of the trial was not yet available at the time of going to press.
“It is important to maintain momentum within the VPD and with the public, so we felt it was worth the cost and effort to continue the project beyond the pilot phase,” she said. “It runs on a voluntary basis, so members can decide whether or not they want to continue participating.”
“Safe and practical”
At the launch, the department said officers who volunteered to wear the chest-mounted cameras would work in the city center, east side of the city and in the traffic area.
Motorcycle police officers should also be equipped with cameras on their helmets.
The VPD said at the time that officers were expected to turn on their cameras as quickly as “safe and practicable” on calls when “there is reasonable suspicion that force will be used or violent or aggressive behavior is expected.”
Any officer who activated a camera was required to inform the person that they were being recorded “as soon as possible” unless doing so might endanger the safety of an officer or member of the public.
No cases in court yet
“Members have reported that they feel there has been an increase in positive interactions with members of the public,” Visintin said. “Some members have stated that they never want to return their camera.”
Visintin said the department has never had a case involving a body-worn camera being used as evidence in a court case.
The agency has long considered deploying the cameras, but cost has often been cited as a factor. Civil liberties and community groups have also raised questions about privacy.
Myths and misinformation
But in the last budget round with city council, funds were approved for a trial. Mayor Ken Sims’ ABC Vancouver party has been pushing for the cameras since his election in 2022, with city councillor Brian Montague a strong proponent.
Montague, a retired VPD officer, said at a December 2022 council meeting that myths and misinformation about the cameras were circulating in the community. He said they were “secure hardware” and officers did not have the ability to alter or destroy the footage.
“That’s part of the problem here – people just aren’t properly informed,” he said, adding that not every officer in the department needs to be equipped with cameras.
Montague argued that cameras would reduce violence and attacks on police officers and increase public trust. When he was VPD spokesman in 2016, he told Glacier Media that implementing a camera program would cost an estimated $17.2 million.
Costs vary across Canada’s different departments depending on the type and number of cameras, how footage is stored, and administrative costs.
Delta Police, for example, reported in 2022 that implementing a program costs $9,000 and purchasing 16 cameras and related equipment costs another $18,000.
Regarding privacy concerns, Montague said, “People really need to understand that they can’t expect privacy in public places. A police officer wearing a body-worn camera doesn’t change that.”
A Vancouver police report submitted to the Vancouver Police Board in 2013 pointed to several benefits of police wearing cameras, including increased transparency.
“When an incident occurs and the facts of the case are disputed by police officers and suspects, the camera provides additional facts that can help determine what actually happened,” the report said.
“It is important to note, however, that the usefulness of (body cameras) is limited in many situations where violence is used because in the event of an altercation, the video would likely be obscured.”
“A full introduction” by officials
The council cannot compel police officers to wear cameras. This is the responsibility of the Police Committee. At the deadline, it was unclear whether the committee had to agree to the extension of the trial.
A full evaluation report of the process will be presented to the Police Committee.
“As part of our evaluation report, we will calculate what a full rollout would cost to the emergency services,” added Visintin. “We do not yet have the cost estimate.”
There is a section on the VPD website with frequently asked questions about the cameras.
In 2016, the Independent Investigations Office stated in its annual report that it could have better solved a significant number of cases in BC if officers had been equipped with body cameras.
The report concluded that in 93 percent of the 71 investigations reviewed by the agency’s investigators, camera footage might have been helpful.
Of the 71 cases investigated, 49 involved general service officers, 17 involved dog handler teams and five involved emergency response teams and the Combined Forces Special Unit.
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