Nearly all Peel Police in Mississauga and Brampton now trained to use body cams

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Published September 13, 2021 at 9:40 am

Peel Regional Police say public feedback on the new body cameras worn by frontline officers has been positive so far.  

At the latest meeting of the Peel Police Services Board, the civilian body that governs Peel Regional Police, Deputy Police Chief Anthony Odoardi said the vast majority of front-line officers have received the necessary training and that community reaction, to date, has been mostly positive. 

“We know there will be bumps in the road both with our officers and the community in terms of the initial stages and initial growing pains,” Odoardi told PPSB members, noting the bulk of public feedback has been received via social media. “But an overall statement is that it’s a positive movement so far.”  

As of the end of August, 850 frontline officers had been trained and 505 body cameras were being used by police, with the remaining 80 front-line cops to be trained in September.  

The cameras were rolled out in late July after months of planning and training and follow the lead of many police departments across North America. The devices record interactions police have with people during traffic stops or other investigations. Officers are required to activate their cameras as soon as possible when interacting with the public, and they also must tell the person or people that the camera has been turned on. 

Police say the goal is to have all frontline officers, including patrol sergeants, equipped with the cameras by early fall. Peel police, who count more than 2,000 officers among their ranks, say the program will cost $9 million over the next five years. 

There will be rules in place concerning privacy issues and when police interact with youth and children. Anyone who has been filmed will have the right to review the footage, but to do so a Freedom of Information request must be made.  

Peel officers at Pearson International Airport in Mississauga have been using the cameras since May.  

 

 

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