Ottawa police will press ahead with a body camera trial this fall, though questions remain about the cost of a larger roll-out of the devices.
According to a report presented at the Ottawa Police Services Board meeting Sept. 29, the police will spend $592,896 for 30 cameras. The pricetag includes hardware and software licenses for 39 months.
According to police, the cameras will be worn by members of the crisis intervention team and select ‘change’ agents, starting in November.
Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry asked when the city would know how much a larger roll-out would cost.
“It’s a relatively small-scale pilot project right now, but we’re looking at expanding this pilot project in 2026, through funding from the city,” said Deputy Chief Steve Bell.
“We’re going to implement a staged rollout of body-worn cameras with an affordability plan associated with it.”
The city is expected to be under budgetary pressure next year, but Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has said the police can expect the largest increase in more than 15 years.
Officers will wear the cameras during regular duties, including responding to calls involving individuals in crisis, according to a police press release.
“This initial rollout supports the Alternative Mental Health Support Initiative and directly responds to jury recommendations from the coroner’s inquest into the death of Abdirahman Abdi, which are being implemented by the OPS’s Mental Health C.H.A.N.G.E. Initiative team,” the release added.
Abdi, 38, died in July 2016 after an encounter with two Ottawa police officers. An inquest jury ruled his death a homicide, citing signs of a mental-health crisis.
Police say the cameras can provide an unbiased visual and audio record of police interactions, allowing for review of officer conduct and reinforcing professional standards and collecting evidence.
All officers assigned a body-worn camera will undergo comprehensive training, including guidance on managing sensitive situations and protocols for data disclosure, an OPS report says.
International evidence about the effectiveness of body-worn cameras appears mixed, with some researchers saying much of it is based on small-scale studies and anecdotal data. But other researchers conclude “providing police officers with body cameras has a substantive effect on investigations of police accountability,” and that “cameras have also helped reduce racial bias against citizen complainants.”
The rollout of the cameras in Ottawa has been deferred several times.
They were first included in the 2023 police budget, which allocated $400,000 for the program. Bell told a police board meeting the following year it was postponed, citing inflation and financial pressures associated with adopting the technology.
Ottawa Police Association president Matthew Cox says the union has pushed for body-worn cameras since 2012 and supports their use.
“Our members are entirely in favour of body-worn cameras. We want to be aligned with the rest of the big cities across Canada and we want to see body-worn cameras for our officers,” Cox told CTV News.
