Starting this week, a new initiative by the Surrey Police Service will see some officers equipped with body cameras in a six-month trial period.
The Surrey Police Service (SPS) has announced that 20 Road Safety officers will be wearing Axon Body 4 body-worn cameras (BWC) as part of the pilot project. This move comes after the development of a BWC program that began in 2021, with the approval of the purchase of the cameras by the Surrey Police Board last year.
Chief Constable Norm Lipinski expressed, “Through our previous community consultations, it was clear that there is very strong public support for the use of body-worn cameras in Surrey.”
This initiative aligns with other Canadian police jurisdictions, such as Vancouver, Delta, and the BC RCMP, who have already integrated BWCs into their operations. The BC RCMP, in particular, announced earlier this year that it would be deploying over 3,000 cameras throughout the year.
The SPS highlights that the body cameras will serve to enhance transparency, build trust, improve evidence collection, support prosecutions, assist in resolving public complaints, de-escalate situations by recording interactions, and provide valuable insights into police engagements.
Officers wearing the cameras will be required to record all investigative and enforcement activities comprehensively, including during calls for service, evidence collection, execution of search warrants, and public interactions while carrying out their duties lawfully. A visible red light will indicate when the camera is recording, and officers are expected to balance the camera’s objectives with privacy considerations.
For more details on the use of these body cameras and how to access the recorded video footage, individuals can visit the SPS website.
Keyphrase: Surrey Police body cameras