Royal Canadian Mounted Police use of Body Worn Video

Date: May 19, 2020

Classification: Unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP): Yes
Branch / Agency: RCMP

Issue: A Member of the Legislative Assembly in Nunavut has called for the RCMP to begin piloting the use of Body Worn Video in the Territory in an effort to restore trust and confidence in police in that jurisdiction.

Proposed Response:

Background:
 
On March 18, 2017 in Pond Inlet there was an RCMP member involved shooting that resulted in the death of Kunuk Qamaniq. Follow the incident, Ottawa Police completed an independent external investigation and determined police were justified in the shooting within the authorities of Section 25 of the Criminal Code.

The father of Kunuk Qamaniq was recently elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Nunavut where he has campaigned for requirements that the RCMP in Nunavut to wear body camera during the course of their duties.

To date in 2020 there have been 3 RCMP member involved shootings. One in Cape Dorset that resulted in the death of a suspect, one in Iqaluit resulting in non-life threatening injuries to a suspect and one in Clyde River resulting in the death of a suspect. Each of the three police involved shootings in 2020 are being investigated by Ottawa Police Service as part of an MOU between Ottawa Police Service, the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut RCMP.

Following the Police Involved Shooting in Clyde River on May 5, 2020 Senator Dennis Patterson, a Senator for Nunavut, indicated in a media piece his open support for requiring RCMP officers to wear body cameras in the Territory.

In 2010, the RCMP conducted a body worn video (BWV) pilot. Limited research data was obtained as a result of the implementation of a small number of devices. No technical evaluation of the camera equipment was conducted as they were acquired based on accessibility.

In October 2013, an additional BWV project was initiated. Cameras were deployed due to exigent circumstances. There was no camera technical evaluation conducted and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) was advised of this action before it took place.

The BWV feasibility study was undertaken to: confirm it is a sound investment; evaluate all issues to be addressed such as privacy, legal and storage; confirm best evidence capture to support criminal investigations and court proceedings; and determine the viability of this technology for frontline operations. This study has included technical evaluations, a literature review and several small pilots. Trials have assessed potential impact to member safety, tactical considerations and evidentiary value for court proceedings.

Several limited pilots collected data on specific variables including audio and video quality; video data file size; mounting compatibility in various positions and officer safety. Cameras researched and tested had issues with battery life and durability. Additionally, cameras do not always adequately capture the incident due to mounting difficulties. To date, no camera has been found that meets all of the RCMP requirements. As a result, a request for information (RFI) was prepared to determine industry feedback on BWV camera capability. The RCMP received 25 responses as a result of the RFI. Many of these cameras have already been reviewed as part of the feasibility study.

In 2015, a privacy impact assessment (PIA) was completed for BWV. It was received by the OPC who provided their comments and recommendations. The RCMP has worked closely with the OPC over the past 24 months on this study. Consultation is ongoing.

In 2016, following an extensive feasibility study on the potential implementation of Body Worn Cameras (BWC), the RCMP announced it will postpone a force-wide implementation until such time as available technology can meet its specific operational requirements.

The nature of policing performed by the RCMP along with the environments in which we police makes it challenging to identify a BWC model that meets all our needs. The current technology poses several challenges such as limited battery life and lack of camera durability. The RCMP needs to have confidence in the product and ensure that the choice of technology justifies the investment of tax payer's money.

The methods, technology and financial implications involved in storing, managing and retaining massive quantities of video that must meet RCMP information management practices, court disclosure requirements as well as adhering to the Privacy Act and Library and Archives Canada Act also need to be taken into consideration before deploying technology such as BWC.

At National Headquarters the RCMP maintains a small quantity of BWC to support limited and small-scale rapid deployment as requested by divisional operations. The RCMP continues to monitor the advancements and evolution of BWC technology as well as its application within the Canadian policing context with the goal of eventually identifying a camera that meets our specific needs.

Storage and retention of BWV evidence will involve high maintenance costs and require massive capacity solutions. The RCMP Chief Information Office (CIO) is researching the option of cloud storage. This will include evidence management and storage which will be hosted by external vendors. Server infrastructure must be physically located in Canada for RCMP video recordings.

Contacts:
Approved by: Brian Brennan, Deputy Commissioner, Contract and Indigenous Policing

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