BC RCMP officers to roll out body cameras

The officer in charge of the RCMP detachment in Mission, B.C., says he is grateful that Mounties in his community were among the first to wear body cameras to record police interactions with the public.

Inspector Ted Lewko said 44 cameras will be used by his officers starting next week and he is “very hopeful” they will improve officer safety, strengthen public confidence and help resolve complaints more quickly.

Police announced the rollout of the cameras in Surrey on Thursday, detailing how thousands of Mounties across the province will soon be fitted with the devices.

Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, commander of the RCMP’s E Division in B.C., says the initiative is “the largest and most ambitious rollout of body cameras across the province.”

McDonald said calls for body-worn cameras have come “from local, territorial, Indigenous and provincial leaders to meet the general need to increase public confidence in policing” and that the cameras are part of the national standard for RCMP members.

Mounties said about 300 cameras will be given first to officers in Mission, then to other communities on Vancouver Island, including Tofino and Ucluelet, as well as Cranbrook, Kamloops and Prince George.

The national deployment of body cameras is expected to be completed by the end of next year, the police force said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2024.