Starting this month as part of the RCMP's national deployment, officers in Whitehorse will start using body-worn cameras (BWC) to capture video and audio.
BWCs will be complemented by a digital evidence management system that will be used to store and manage video captured by the cameras.
Starting on November 20 to the 29, cameras will start being worn by uniformed RCMP officers assigned to Whitehorse Detachment, including the Kwanlin Dün Policing Unit and the Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT), also known as "Car 867", and the District Relief Unit. The Relief Unit officers provide policing coverage for community detachments as required.
All other Yukon RCMP detachments will have body-worn cameras and the digital evidence management system rolled out to them in a phased approach over the next 4-18 months.
"The Yukon RCMP are looking forward to adding body-worn cameras to our policing toolkit as we continue to build trust, and provide accountability with transparency for our membership and to the diverse communities we serve across the Yukon. It is a core part of the organization's modernization efforts." - Superintendent Lindsay Ellis, Acting Commanding Officer, Yukon RCMP
RCMP officers will usually be wearing their body-worn cameras on their chest and the public will know it's recording when a trio of red light are visible and flashing below the lens of the camera. Body-worn cameras will not be used for surveillance, during recorded interviews, or settings with a high expectation of privacy.
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