Some Toronto police officers to start using body-worn cameras this week
Posted November 30, 2020 8:55 am.
Last Updated November 30, 2020 9:25 am.
Some frontline Toronto police officers will start using body-worn cameras this week, police said Monday.
In a news release, police said officers from the service’s 31-Division in North York will use the cameras when interacting with the public. This could involve situations like calls for service, investigations or “when asking a person questions for the purposes of collecting information.”
Police Chief James Ramer said the cameras are one of the ways the service is modernizing policing in the city.
“Body-worn cameras are one tool we can use to create trust and legitimacy between officers and the public as we look for ways to modernize policing services,” said Chief James Ramer. “This technology provides an independent, bias-free account of our interactions and reinforces our commitment to show communities they can feel safe and secure to enjoy their daily lives with the police.”
Police said officers will be trained on how the cameras work, as well as “minimum penalties for non-compliance.”
In August, the Toronto Police Services Board approved a plan from camera-supplier Axon Canada to distribute the camera technology across the police service.
Toronto police will have 2,350 body-worn cameras when the program is completely rolled out.
