Body-worn cameras will be on all front-line Calgary police within a year

Calgary police announced Thursday that all front-line officers will wear body-worn video cameras as part of their uniforms in early 2017.

“He can tell a story that no words can tell,” said Deputy Chief Paul Cook.

“I have no doubt that body-worn cameras are the right move for the service and equally important for our community.”

Officials announced the new time frame Thursday after completing a test of the body-worn cameras on a small group of officers working in the 1st District and on traffic duty.

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The service plans to evaluate videos and policies related to the cameras over the next two months before starting to add cameras to more uniforms.

Under current policy, officers must activate the cameras when they respond to a call or encounter an incident that requires investigation.

Officers are allowed to turn off the cameras at will, but are expected to justify their decision to record or not record a particular situation.

Cook said the public should expect that interactions with the officer may be recorded, “but they can rest assured that they will be treated like any other piece of evidence and will be securely stored.”

“Balancing privacy with the benefits of using technology for public safety has been a priority since the program's inception,” Cook said.