ABC Vancouver party promises body-worn cameras for VPD officers on duty

Example of a body-worn camera on the uniform of a Toronto Police Service officer. (Axon)

If elected with a majority, Ken Sim’s ABC Vancouver party is promising to work with the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) to implement the use of body-worn cameras for all of its police officers on patrol 24/7.

This would put the VPD in line with Toronto Police Services and the RCMP, which has a strategy to equip all RCMP officers across the country with body-worn cameras.

“As technology and best practices evolve, so must the City of Vancouver,” said incumbent ABC councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung in a statement. “Body-worn cameras will help improve transparency and accountability while protecting the safety of front-line police officers.”

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The rollout of body-worn cameras for VPD would start no later than Summer 2025. As of 2021, the VPD had a force of over 1,300 sworn officers.

Body-worn cameras provide greater accountability and help eliminate ambiguity in documenting police interactions with the public, especially during arrests.

“Body-worn cameras in other jurisdictions have greatly reduced legal costs for police departments, decreased investigation times, and have created certainty in those investigations,” said Brian Montague, an ABC candidate for Vancouver City Council, and a 28-year VPD veteran who previously served as the force’s spokesperson.

“Body-worn cameras are broadly supported by rank-and-file members and many community groups. Their usefulness in training cannot also be understated.”

About six years ago, the VPD estimated there would be a one-time cost of $17 million to fully equip its officers with body-worn cameras.

This includes not only the cost of acquiring the cameras but the cost of software and data storage, which account for the vast majority of the cost estimate. But it does not cover maintenance costs and other costs related to retrieving footage for court use.

In the past, the VPD has, on occasion, used body-worn cameras for its management of protests and homeless encampments.

Implementing body-worn cameras would likely require Vancouver City Council to set aside new funding for the VPD, which is currently struggling to retain and hire trained recruits to offset retirements and departures to other forces.

Toronto Police Service rolled out over 2,300 body-worn cameras to its officers in 2021, under a five-year, $34 million deal with a company that includes the cost of both the cameras and data storage.

The RCMP estimate their body-worn camera program for up to 15,000 officers across 700 detachments will cost about $130 million over five years.

ABC also previously announced the campaign promise of spending $20 million annually to expand the existing Car 87/88 program of pairing law enforcement with a healthcare worker to respond to mental health calls. The program would hire 100 additional VPD officers and 100 additional mental health nurses.

ABC’s mayoral candidate is Ken Sim, who came short of beating Forward Together mayor Kennedy Stewart by about 900 votes in the 2018 civic election. ABC is also running seven candidates for City Council, five candidates for Vancouver Park Board, and five candidates for Vancouver School Board.

The civic election is scheduled for October 15, 2022.

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