Saint John police latest force in Atlantic Canada to equip frontline officers with body cameras

The Saint John Police Force is joining a growing number of law enforcement agencies in North America by adopting the use of body-worn cameras.

In a news release Tuesday, the Saint John Police Force said frontline officers will start wearing them this week — with the full rollout to be completed by July.

The department says the program aims to provide additional evidence in court, increase transparency with the public, and improve officer safety.

Saint John becomes the second municipal police force in New Brunswick to equip its officers with body-worn cameras, after Fredericton police started wearing them in 2018.

On Thursday, Annie Dancause, a communication specialist with the City of Edmundston, confirmed to CTV News that the Edmunston Police Force will start wearing body cameras as part of a pilot project. She did not provide a timeline.

However, in January, the town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., ended its body-worn camera program.

The province’s privacy commissioner, Michael Harvey, said the program lacked safeguards — noting it was “pretty privacy-invasive.”

In Nova Scotia, Kentville police were the first in the province to use body-worn cameras in 2018. Last year, Truro became the second jurisdiction in the province to equip its officers with the technology.

Halifax Regional Police had brought forward evidence supporting the adoption of body cameras as part of the 2020-21 budget cycle. However, the $3.9 million needed for the program was not approved.

In an email Wednesday, Const. Nicolas Gagnon said Halifax Regional Police believes body-worn cameras can serve as an effective policing tool.

“And we will continue any required groundwork and have related discussions as required of us,” said Gagnon, adding that Halifax Regional Police has been asked to bring forward further details, as well as additional research and information related to the technology.

In 2005, the United Kingdom became one of the first countries to experiment with the use of body-worn cameras.

In North America, the technology became more common following the 2014 police killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

The next year, the U.S. Federal Government under Barack Obama gave more than $23 million to 73 police agencies around the country to broaden the use of body cameras.