Cornwall police begins equipping officers with body cams

The Cornwall Police Service has started the first phase of a body-camera project, which will equip officers with cameras to record their interactions with the public.

Only a select number of officers will use them during the first phase of the project, which started last week, but will eventually be worn by all front-line officers.

"The use of body-worn cameras will provide greater transparency between police officers and the community," said Sgt. George Knezevic in a press release last week.

 "Body-worn cameras will significantly enhance public trust and accountability by offering transparent and objective records of police interactions."

Cornwall police say court proceedings may be streamlined as a result, with quicker access to evidence. The city's police board originally approved the purchase of body-worn cameras on Jan. 19, 2023.

The body-worn cameras will also be used to provide a visual account of police interactions and "promote accountability and professionalism" within the police service, Cornwall police say.

"All frontline officers, tactical team members. And our mobile crisis response team officers will be deployed with these devices," said Insp. Chad Maxwell. "There's a benefit to all of these things, having this record of events."

Yashar Tahmassebipour, a lawyer with Chugh Law, says footage from body-worn cameras is also useful for defense lawyers.

"It gives some objectivity in terms of the version of events that are being presented," Tahmassebipour said. "it allows us to identify the issues directly so there's less beating around the bush if you want through cross-examination or on trial processes "

Maxwell says residents in Cornwall should expect to be on camera from now on.

"I think the public is going to expect that when they're interacting with a police officer, out there in the community, in public, that there also would be a record of that taking place," Maxwell said.

The Ottawa Police Service does not currently equip its officers with body cameras, but has a pilot project launching later this year or in early 2025.

Officers with the Toronto Police Service have been wearing body cameras since 2020 and officers with the Brockville Police Service started wearing them two years ago.