Saskatoon police hope to have cameras strapped to roughly 40 officers’ chests by early 2022.
One of the project goals is to build public trust in city police, after tensions over police brutality came to a boiling point across the globe this summer.
A local surveillance expert said body-worn cameras could increase officer accountability, but effectively executing the project will be challenging.
“Whether or not it’s a good idea becomes a very difficult question,” said Scott Thompson, assistant sociology professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
“There becomes a very serious privacy balance that we need to decide between — between shaping behaviour of officers and respecting the privacy of everyday citizens.”
Questions remain about public access to recordings and when the cameras will be rolling, according to a report prepared by Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) corporate and strategic performance executive director Clae Hack.
Recording 24/7 could pose privacy risks for victims of crime, confidential informants and the general public, Thompson said. Meanwhile, relying on officers to turn their cameras on and upload their own recordings could reduce transparency, he added.
“Will they choose to not upload or will they be blamed if there’s a mistake or problem with the uploading technology?” Thompson said.
Hack’s report says the SPS is exploring when to hit the record button, along with privacy implications, video retention periods and public access to recordings.
Public access
In addition to improving trust and accountability, the SPS said it hopes the cameras provide evidence for investigations and assist with public complaints.
Officer-worn cameras are more effective when citizens have good access to the recordings, Thompson said.
An independent oversight body should decide which information is released, he added, but the report says that’ll be up to SPS’s video disclosure unit. It will review and redact private information from recordings, the report says.
“The SPS will be capturing, managing and disclosing significantly more video footage than ever before,” Hack wrote.
Calgary police have 1,150 body-worn cameras, with 11 staff dedicated to the camera and redaction review team, the report says.
Saskatoon’s Board of Police Commissioners reviewed the report Thursday, questioning if future staffing costs for the project could be high.
The SPS has dedicated $491,000 to staff and startup costs for the project, which will have a phased rollout. An additional $470,000 is earmarked for future costs, but it’s too early to determine exact budget requirements, Hack said.
Based on experiences of other police agencies, Hack said he expects to see an increase in requests to the access to information team. Access to information requests need to be processed quickly, Thompson said.
“If you’re a parent and it’s like two or three years before you get to see the video of your child being assaulted or harmed, that’s not going to solve community relationships,” he said.
Police Chief Troy Cooper said staffing needs will be assessed going forward, but current demands are being met.
‘Assumes that violence is going to happen’
A member of an Indigenous student group that promotes decolonization said it’s going to take a lot more than body cameras to mend relationships between police and Black, Indigenous and people of colour.
“It’s a Band-Aid solution for what we know is the case, which is that the police as they are, are a corrupt structure that needs to be fundamentally changed,” said Erica Violet Lee, Indigenous Joint Action Coalition spokesperson.
Lee said the project demonstrates an improved commitment to accountability, but is based on a troubling assumption.
“It assumes that violence is going to happen and it only does anything to document the violence. It doesn’t stop violence in progress,” she said.
“It’s not even a preventative measure.”
Cooper said some research indicates otherwise.
“One… fairly consistent message that we’ve heard is that there’s been a reduction in complaints against the police where those programs exist,” he said.
“That, I think, is something that speaks to what a body-worn camera program can bring to the community.”
The SPS will determine the success of the program by reviewing effects on officer safety, public complaints and how quickly they’re resolved, Hack wrote. Police will also conduct surveys and community consultation to measure public trust.
The service will consult with key stakeholders, including the privacy commissioner.
Lee said valuable insight can come from people who live on Saskatoon’s west side, where police often have a heavy presence.
“Our communities know best what we need and we know best how to move forward in situations where intervention is necessary,” she said.
“I would like to see the community at the forefront rather than as any token in a consultation role on the police’s agenda.”