Durham Police investing $4.4 million on body cameras – Ajax and Pickering first on the list
Published July 8, 2021 at 7:43 pm
Durham Police are spending $4.4 million over the next five years for the “next phase” of body-worn cameras for their officers.
The deal, with international policing equipment supplier Axon Public Safety, calls for 600 body-worn cameras (BWC) and related software, at a cost of $882,000 per year.
The Police Services Board recommended the adoption of BWCs as a part of their draft Action Plan for Enhancing Trust and Confidence in Policing in Durham Region, with the findings of a BWC pilot project presented to the Board in September 2020.
Funding was approved by Regional Council in February.
The five-year contract begins began June 29, and Durham Police will now conduct a phased deployment across the Region. The 2021 budget includes $2.03 million in funding, which includes costs for technology, services, training and staffing to support the program.
In this current phase, the BWC team has begun structuring the training, and the cameras will be deployed to uniformed front-line officers in the community police offices in Pickering, Ajax and in north Durham beginning this September.
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Police will be consulting with community partners and stakeholders throughout the phase-in and is inviting anyone with concerns or questions to contact the BWC office at [email protected].
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