Starting this month, as part of the RCMP's national deployment, the Nova Scotia RCMP will begin issuing body-worn cameras (BWCs) to officers across the province.
The cameras will be issued to 600 Nova Scotia RCMP officers in a phased approach over the next six to eight months.
"Body-worn cameras can help build trust between the police and the community because the video evidence collected provides an independent, unbiased, and objective way to capture interactions," says Chief Superintendent Dan Morrow, Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations for the Nova Scotia RCMP. "The use of BWCs will also improve evidence collection and help resolve public complaints more quickly."
BWCs will be complemented by a digital evidence management system that will be used to store and manage video captured by the cameras.
RCMP officers will typically wear their BWCs on their chests; members of the public will know they're recording when a red light is visible and flashing below the lens of the camera.