Frontline Mission RCMP officers will soon be operating body-worn cameras.
RCMP 'E' Division couldn’t provide a specific date for the rollout but said the cameras are expected to be deployed by winter 2024.
Mission will be among the six initial communities to use the technology with over 3,000 cameras expected to be used by frontline officers province-wide beginning this winter.
“Mission RCMP is looking forward to the upcoming rollout of the body-worn cameras. We will be among the first RCMP detachments in B.C. to use the cameras on the frontline and believe the implementation will improve transparency and accountability,” the detachment said in a statement.
The other detachments set to use the cameras initially are Ucluelet, Tofino (including Ahousaht), Prince George, Cranbrook and Kamloops.
Body-worn cameras and a digital evidence management service are being introduced by the RCMP as a national standard for all frontline general duty police officers.
According to a statement from E Division, the project aims to strengthen transparency, accountability and public trust; resolve public complaints more quickly; improve interactions with the public; and improve evidence gathering.
“The RCMP is committed to taking the necessary steps to enhance trust between the RCMP and the communities it serves, and we believe the use of body-worn cameras will assist us with this goal,” the RCMP said.
Officers will activate their body-worn cameras during calls for service including crimes in progress, mental health calls, interactions with people in crisis, protests and public disorder. Per the RCMP website, they will also be activated for investigations and “to record information to support the performance of their duties”.
The cameras are not intended to be used for 24-hour recording, surveillance or intimate searches, according to the website.
E Division says an official announcement for B.C. is coming soon that will provide more information.
