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Rolling! South Simcoe police to begin body-camera pilot project in April

South Simcoe Police Service hopes to introduce body-worn cameras as part of 4-month pilot
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There has been “a lot of work behind the scenes” on the proposed body-camera pilot project for South Simcoe police officers, Bradford West Gwillimbury-Innisfil Police Services Board members heard at this week's meeting.

South Simcoe Deputy Police Chief John Van Dyke said a three-person committee has been established to look into the parameters, restrictions and concerns of both staff and the public. There has also been an announcement by the province that will help support digital evidence collection.

While the Ministry of the Attorney-General insists body-worn cameras will not be mandated by the provincial government, a new provincial digital evidence platform has been created in collaboration with AXON, the provider of the body-cams and support hardware and software. The province has promised a 45 per cent savings in the first year for municipal police services that sign on to the new system, which will allow electronic sharing of evidence among police services and court systems.

Van Dyke said South Simcoe police currently pay $32,000 per year for its contract with AXON, which expires March 1. If the police services board adopts the new system, there will be savings of nearly $15,000 and costs would be expected to come down as more and more police departments sign on, he said.

The province has also negotiated lower rates for digital data storage “far exceeding what we could ever negotiate,” he added.

Working with AXON, South Simcoe police has been able to negotiate a longer pilot-project period than originally proposed, extending the pilot from three to four months, from April 1 to July 31. There will be no cost to the service for the cameras, software and accessory “toys” used during that period, and Van Dyke said there is no obligation to proceed with the use of officer body-cams at the end of the pilot.

That will be a decision of the board, based on the results of both the pilot and consultation.

South Simcoe police will be gauging staff support and concerns before the pilot project gets underway and after its conclusion.

“We will also be conducting a community survey during the four-month project,” said Van Dyke, adding the “quite comprehensive” survey will ask residents if they would be willing to support the introduction of body-cams financially through their taxes.

Pricing will be investigated before any decision is made, board members were told. At the moment, AXON is offering to freeze the current 2022 prices if the local department signs on, although there is a clause that would allow South Simcoe police to cancel, if board members turn down the extended use of body-worn cameras after review.

Once the pilot project is complete, “we will crunch all the numbers, look at all the data, look at the survey replies,” and present a report and recommendation to the board, Van Dyke said. If approved, body-cams could be implemented as early as 2023. 

“There’s lots of police services around the province that have already gone to full body-worn cameras,” said South Simcoe Police Chief Andrew Fletcher, which means South Simcoe officers won’t have to “reinvent the wheel” when looking at issues like privacy and appropriate use of the technology. 

Other surveys and studies can be used to shape the pilot project, Fletcher said. For example, this could include ensuring that the public is notified before a body-cam is turned on, banning the use of the cameras in medical facilities and religious centres, or automatically turning on the cameras when lights, tasers or other weapons are deployed.

Fletcher said the cameras have led to a decrease in police complaints and faster complaint resolution in areas where they are regularly deployed. “People can actually see what’s occurring,” he said.

Preliminary consultation with police staff has identified some concerns.

“I think what the officers are worried about is that it will make more work for them,” said Van Dyke.

While officers are in favour of new technology, “they don’t like to embrace new technology that makes another 20 minutes of work at the end of the day,” he added.

It will ultimately be up to the police services board to determine if the benefits outweigh the costs and concerns.


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Miriam King

About the Author: Miriam King

Miriam King is a journalist and photographer with Bradford Today, covering news and events in Bradford West Gwillimbury and Innisfil.
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