Nearly all Manitoba Mounties now equipped with body cams

Every Manitoba RCMP detachment is now using body-worn cameras — with 98 per cent of all front-line officers equipped with them — a year after provincial Mounties launched the program.

“Without a doubt, they have quickly become an incredible and beneficial and important tool for all of our officers,” said Manitoba RCMP Asst. Commissioner Scott McMurchy on Thursday.

“It has provided front-line officers with many useful tools that make everyday policing easier, such as taking statements, obtaining photos of scenes, evidence and suspects.”

The cameras will also serve to make RCMP more accountable, he said.

Raw body camera footage will be sent to the province’s police oversight agency, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, in cases where a person is seriously hurt or killed either by or in the presence of officers.

Mounties have sent such footage to the IIU in two police shooting cases this year, McMurchy said.

Raw footage is also sent to investigators from the professional responsibilities unit when RCMP receive complaints from the public about the conduct of officers, he said.

“Having this camera system for them… there’s an accountability process for that.”

“My expectation as commanding officer of the RCMP is that our officers always act with integrity, professionalism, and do the best of the job to the best of their ability,” said McMurchy.

“Having this camera system for them… there’s an accountability process for that.”

For major crimes Cpl. Jenelle Hulan, who until recently was stationed in Shamattawa First Nation, the cameras have served as a de-escalation tool.

She said individuals have tended to calm down and not get physical with officers when they realize they’re being recorded.

McMurchy said RCMP have sent roughly 1,500 case files to Manitoba Crown prosecutors based on body-camera footage so far.

Sgt. Mark Hume, who works in traffic services, said the cameras have served well as evidence collection tools.

“A month ago, I had an impaired driver who refused to co-operate, provide a breath sample… I was wearing a body camera, so he’s literally three feet in front of me as we’re having a discussion — all that evidence is on there, he can’t later go and say, ‘I didn’t really refuse, you didn’t give me a chance,’” said Hume.

Ben Wickstrom, a prosecutor and official with the Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys, said the sheer volume of evidence produced by body cameras remains a concern.

“It really underlies the resourcing need that enhancements in technology can make the job work proceed more quickly, but in a case like this, it’s material that has to be reviewed and we have disclosure obligations that we have to meet,” Wickstrom said.

He added, depending on the circumstances, video recordings tend to be solid evidence.

“It’s material that has to be reviewed and we have disclosure obligations that we have to meet.”

“I think any video recording, obviously, generally shows a pretty accurate picture of what has occurred, although vantage point of the camera can have a bearing on what exactly it shows and the perception of what it shows. It can be high quality evidence, like any surveillance is.”

Wickstrom added the footage will be helpful in clarifying whether the Crown has a strong case to prosecute.

Mounties released a minute-long video made up of clips captured on Manitoba officers’ cameras over the past year on Thursday, showing officers chasing suspects, searching locations and making arrests.

One clip showed an officer telling an individual walking toward him with something in his hand to “drop that, my friend,” before hitting him with an electro-shock weapon as the man continued to advance.

McMurchy, who commands Manitoba RCMP, can decide to release body camera footage if it’s deemed in the public interest, though it must also be approved by officials at the RCMP’s Ottawa headquarters and by the federal privacy commissioner.

As an example of matters in the public interest, McMurchy said community leaders, advocacy organizations or families concerned about an incident involving RCMP can request to view footage.

Those recorded also have the right to request to view the tape.

Officers are expected to turn their cameras on when responding to all calls for service, McMurchy said.

As there are records when officers are dispatched to calls, supervisors would seek justification and explanations if no video was recorded on a call.

Only supervisors and officials involved in records management are able to destroy video from the system, which would be done in line with record-keeping policies.

There are about 650 front-line officers who will be equipped when the rollout is complete in Manitoba. Each camera costs about $3,000 per year.

The last officers to receive body cameras were in Berens River, where a new detachment with the proper infrastructure is to open next week.

Otherwise, McMurchy said, the only other officers who are still being equipped are those who were on sick leave or holidays when the training and equipment was originally rolled out.

The union that represents Mounties has applauded the move to equip officers across the country with body cameras.

“Body-worn cameras will support transparency, trust, evidence collection, and community relations between police officers and the public,” said National Police Federation president Brian Sauvé.

— with files from Dean Pritchard

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca