Fredericton police to add body-worn cameras to traffic unit

The Fredericton Police Force will be soon be implementing body cameras in an attempt to keep officers accountable and make the city’s streets safer.

Const. Patrick Small, a traffic officer with the Fredericton Police Force, recently took part in a 90-day body camera pilot program. He is now one of six officers who will be equipped permanently with a body-worm camera in the coming weeks.

“It was really nice to have that camera there,” says Const. Small. “Sometimes it helped capture evidence that could be used in court, other times it captured utterances that people made at the roadside.”

READ MORE: Fredericton police say body camera test program successful

Council voted in favour of a $115,000 contract over five years that will add the additional tool to a traffic officer’s duty bag.

“In terms of public transparency and accountability, I think that’s also very important. It helps to keep everyone honest in their interactions,” explains police chief Leanne Fitch.

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The force has developed a privacy policy that will go along with the use of the recording devices. Halifax privacy lawyer David Fraser says that’s an important step in the process.

“I’m not sure you can categorically say, ‘Oh well, it’s too privacy invasive, therefore we can’t do it.’ Because often you can have practices that attenuate privacy risks … and you have to wonder whose privacy we are concerned about.”

The video footage gleaned from investigations and traffic stops could be used as evidence in court.

WATCH: Fredericton police start body camera pilot project

2:02 Fredericton police start body camera pilot project

Body cameras are just one element of a new digital management system purchased by the city. Additional upgrades are being made to interview rooms, and digital audio-visual recording equipment will be introduced.

“There will be restricted access on how that information is retrieved, how our officers can download it, provide it to the Crown (and) provide it to defence for disclosure purposes,” says Fitch.

The force is starting with six cameras and hopes to add more in the next fiscal budget.