Dozens of London police officers will now wear body cams

Dozens of London police officers out on patrol will now have their calls for service recorded on video as the service steps up a multi-million-dollar rollout of body-worn cameras.

London Police Service began issuing the cameras on Monday to some patrol officers and members of its canine and emergency response units.

The exact number of cameras in use so far was not released, but London Police deputy chief Treena MacSween said by this time next year, all London officers will be using them while on duty. 

"This is like a test phase for us, and troubleshooting with regards to making sure our officers understand the equipment, making sure we're addressing any questions or concerns," she said.

Police say the cameras will be activated during calls for service, investigations and "law enforcement activities." Casual conversations won't be recorded, and the public can see if a camera is recording.

Officers can only turn off cameras in specific scenarios that must be justified and documented, according to the LPS website, such as "non-enforcement activities" or sensitive situations, including in hospitals or schools with exceptions.

It comes as part of a larger modernization drive by the force. Funding for the cameras was approved in last year's multi-year budget at more than $2.5 million, with an additional $1.42 million for in-car cameras, also from Axon, which will be deployed later.

When body cameras picked up prevalence among law enforcement a decade ago, it was primarily seen through the lens of police accountability, MacSween said. "That is a little piece of it, but more so it's for efficiency."

An officer, for example, can now record a witness statement instead of having to write it down on paper, she said. "We're very confident we'll be able to see efficiencies in the next few months, as we start to roll out cameras to all uniform members."

The cameras are being supplied by Axon, the Arizona-based company which also owns the TASER brand of conducted energy weapons. 

Calgary police have been using body cameras since 2019, while police in Toronto began rolling them out in 2020. More than three dozen Canadian police agencies now use body cameras, including Cornwall, Edmonton, Fredericton, Sudbury and Thunder Bay.

St. Thomas police started using the cameras in 2021, and other departments are considering them, including Hamilton and Vancouver. Windsor police plan to equip cruisers with dash cameras and officers with body-worn microphones.

Catching up with police trends

"I think it's overdue," said Paulo Domingues, executive director of the London Police Association, which represents London officers.

"We're catching up to the trend with the rest of the country and the province. I think it'll be a good tool for us to build more on our community connections and transparency."

Officers believe the cameras will be a positive, he said, adding one benefit of "catching up" is using the experiences of other departments to inform local procedure and policy.

Domingues said he didn't think the cameras would provide any more exposure to officers than a member of the public recording an interaction. However, he expressed concern about footage being taken out of context should any be released by police or through a public records request.

LISTEN: Debate around police body cams

Debate around police body cameras continues, efficacy questioned

1 year ago

Duration 2:30

As the debate around police worn body cameras continues in Winnipeg... other jurisdictions across the country have already been using them for years. And while some city police forces say they are seeing benefits.. one professor says the research just doesn't support it.

The promise of body-worn cameras has been increasing accountability and transparency with an objective record of an interaction. Policing experts, however, say research has been mixed on their effectiveness in use of force incidents and complaints.

Laura Huey, a criminologist and professor of sociology at Western University, said some studies have shown a drop in complaints toward officers with body-worn cameras. 

In reducing abuse and corruption, there has not been a major impact, mainly because "it doesn't happen to the extent we think it does," she said.

She stressed, however, that "we don't know what the baseline is, so how could we possibly evaluate whether cameras would actually drive that down?"

Where body cameras could be effective is countering misinformation that could impact public safety, and aiding Coroner's inquests, internal reviews and Special Investigations Unit investigations, Huey said.

In 2023, two Toronto cops were found to have muted their camera microphones while arresting an impaired driving suspect. The accused was later acquitted as a result.

London Police say officers cannot edit or delete footage, and procedure violations, including failing to activate cameras, will be investigated by the department's professional standards branch.