Alberta will be the first province to make all police services wear body cams.
On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, the Government of Alberta made the announcement – a move made to increase trust between police and communities.
“Mandating police to wear body-worn cameras is a transformational decision that will ensure all interactions with officers are objective,” said Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis.
“Whether living in large cities or smaller rural communities, Albertans have the right to feel safe and have the trust that police will assist and be fair in doing so.”
The province is partnering with the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP) to develop the mandate and standards required to implement body cams provincewide, as well as working out the costs and logistics. This includes conversations with front-line police officers, municipal police services and three self-administered Indigenous police services.
“AACP looks forward to receiving the details of the body-worn camera mandate to support transparency and further build trust within our communities and welcomes the opportunity to work together to support this,” said Dean LaGrange, vice-president of AACP and chief of the Camrose Police Service.
The body-worn cameras are small cameras worn on a law enforcement’s chest or head without limiting mobility to record interactions with the public. The cameras have microphones and internal data storage to save video footage. This will make it easier to review interactions with police services, and promote accountability for all parties.
The aim is to position the province as a role model for safe and secure communities across North America.
View the full press release on the Government of Alberta website.
Red Deer-North constituents with questions, concerns or comments can reach out to the local constituency office via the form on the contact page or by phoning (403) 342–2263.