Lethbridge police equip officers with body cams as program to roll out in phases - BERITAJA

Lethbridge constabulary officers will soon person body-worn cameras connected their chests, pursuing different departments crossed the country.

Starting June 15, front-line officers will statesman wearing the cameras arsenic the work rolls retired the programme successful phases.

While constabulary are wearing them and recording, they opportunity they will strive to pass members of the nationalist that they are being recorded, but it is not a requirement.

“There’s also, erstwhile the camera is on, location are indicators for illustration a reddish light,” said Shahin Mehdizadeh, main of constabulary successful Lethbridge.

Police are presently being trained to, erstwhile dealing pinch the public, person their camera connected astatine almost each times.

“What we’re trying to thatch them is, they get astatine a call, seatbelt off, camera on,” said Staff Sgt. Kyle Meyers.

According to Meyers, signaling will beryllium maintained successful constabulary databases for astatine slightest a twelvemonth aliases so, up to indefinitely, depending connected the contented of each individual recording.

“That (camera) will enactment connected during the mostly of (an officer’s) relationship pinch the public, successful compliance pinch our privateness laws and policies we’ve implemented,” said Meyers.

Mehdizadeh says LPS members are eager to person this caller technology.

“Officers are perfectly excited about this. In fact, they wanted it yesterday.”

Despite the excitement, the rollout took clip because, according to LPS, the costs is rather significant.

The work expects to walk about $950,000 per twelvemonth to support the cameras, salary specialized unit wages and more.

In total, Axon Public Safety Canada has procured 165 cameras, on pinch a integer grounds guidance system, for LPS.

By the extremity of 2026, officers opportunity each uniformed members, including bid officers, will beryllium equipped pinch body-worn cameras. Plainclothes officers will besides person entree erstwhile required.