KENTVILLE, N.S. -- For Kentville Police Service Const. Kara Mason, wearing a body camera is part of her routine, and she’s well versed on turning it on and off.

“You hit the button twice, and it’s recording now,” Mason says, demonstrating how quickly it's activated.

It’s a tool all officers with the force use, with each camera signed out and assigned to a specific officer.

The force has six cameras and they are used every shift.

Each officer is responsible for following the rules of when to turn them on.

"If you’re attending any calls that you could be arresting someone or there’s a potential for something, they’re to be turned on," said Deputy Chief Martin Smith.

If an officer forgets to turn it on right away, there is a 30-second grace period.

"What the camera does is it automatically backs up 30 seconds, so you actually will capture the 30 seconds prior to turning it on," said Chief Julia Ceccetto.

Officers can turn them off in certain situations, often for privacy reasons, like in a hospital, or if someone asks not to be recorded.

Recordings are uploaded at the end of an officer's shift, to be stored in a server as long as needed.

Kentville police started using body cameras for all its full-time officers in 2018, after a pilot project in 2015.

The evidence the body cams provide isn’t only used for investigations and court matters, but for public complaints too.

"I’ve had a couple calls to me complaining of my officer’s conduct, and I’m able to say, ‘Give me an hour, I’m going to download their video. I’m going to watch that, and then I’ll get back to you,'" Ceccetto said.

Law professor Wayne MacKay cautioned that it will take more than body cameras to hold police accountable if they don't do their jobs properly or violate the constitutional rights of a citizen.

"I think the biggest danger in some ways is that they might be seen as the total solution to accountability," MacKay said.

MacKay says police forces must also be held accountable in other ways as well.

"The powers of the police commission and the accountability structures for police, in addition to that," he said.

Ceccetto agrees.

"You still have to monitor behaviour, not just video," she said.

Kentville's police chief says not every force may be able to afford body cameras, which includes not only the cost of the cameras themselves, but licence fees per officer.

But it’s a tool she’s glad to have.