Cops in Mississauga and Brampton will strap on body cameras this summer
Published July 27, 2021 at 7:37 pm
Peel Regional Police will start rolling out body-worn cameras for Mississauga and Brampton officers in the weeks ahead.
After months of planning and training, frontline Peel officers will be equipped with the cameras as they follow in the footsteps of police departments across North America who have already introduced the program.
The goal is to have all frontline officers including patrol sergeants equipped with the cameras by the end of summer or early fall. As the project unfolds the department also plans to have the cameras worn by non-frontline officers and those in investigative bureaus.
There are over 2,000 police officers who work for Peel.
“It’s about accountability and transparency,” explained Peel Deputy Police Chief Anthony Odoardi during a recent podcast about the need for the cameras, “and the best way to do that…is to demonstrate on professionalism.’
“Our officers interact with people on a daily basis and in a number of situations ranging from low-key to critical incidents. This is a tool to help us demonstrate our professionalism, demonstrate accountability and to be transparent.”
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The purpose of the camera is to record an officer’s interaction with the public during the course of duties. There will be rules in place concerning privacy issues and when police interact with youth and children.
Officers will be required to activate their cameras as soon as possible when interacting with a member of the. The officer also must advise an individual that the camera has been turned on.
A person 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 working out of Pearson Airport have been using the cameras for the past three months.
The cost of the program for the next five years is $9 million.
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