Body cameras will now be worn by RCMP officers in three spots in Alberta

RCMP in Alberta says some members will be field testing body-worn cameras and a new digital evidence management system.

RCMP said in a news release that body-worn cameras can help increase trust between police and the communities they serve because the video evidence collected will provide an independent, unbiased and objective way to capture interactions between the public and police officers.

Frontline members in Grande Prairie, St. Paul and Parkland County will begin field testing body-worn cameras starting this month, with the field test set to run for eight to 10 weeks.

RCMP officers will usually wear their body-worn cameras in the middle of their chest, and people will know it’s recording when a red light is visible on the camera.

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If the field test goes well and all contractual requirements are met by the contractors, the RCMP says it will be confirmed as the provider of body-worn cameras and the digital evidence management system for the RCMP.

Following field tests, a national rollout will proceed in a phased approach and is expected to take 12 to 18 months.

Once complete, body-worn cameras and a digital evidence management system will become the national standard for general-duty frontline RCMP officers.

Alberta isn’t the only spot in Canada taking part in the field study on body cameras — RCMP detachments in Nova Scotia and Nunavut are doing it as well.

Do you agree with the use of bodycams by RCMP officers? Let us know in the comments below.