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BWC and ICC systems will provide police accountability while balancing privacy rights with law enforcement needs. Internal procedures have been created with the assistance of the “Model Governance Framework for Police Body-Worn Cameras in Ontario” developed by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. These clear procedures will ensure proper, consistent and credible use of BWC and ICC technology.

This assessment focuses on the collection, use, retention, disclosure, security and disposal of personal information for both technology systems.  It also identifies the actual/potential effects BWC & ICC may have on an individual’s privacy and supports informed decision-making.

A Privacy Impact Assessment has been initiated by the Service to assess compliance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). Compliance is an essential foundation to protecting the right of privacy.

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The only time a request to turn off a Body-Worn Camera system will be actioned is when an officer has entered a private residence or place and the owner/occupant does not provide consent to record.

Strict controls have been developed to govern who has access to the video footage.  The recording officer will have access to their own video data, along with their supervisor (for auditing purposes) and some officers from specialized investigative units.   Anyone else who is required to view the video will submit a formal request for access.  This process comes with a robust auditing and tracking system.

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Officers will receive on use of the equipment as well as training on procedures related to privacy, security, retention, redaction, and storage of the footage gathered from the video systems from Service experts. A portion of this training was created based on the Governance Framework produced by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.

A member of the public and/or their representative(s) may be allowed to view BWC and ICC recordings that capture an incident in which they were involved for certain purposes, such as:

The provincial government provided extensive grant money to police services across Ontario to install Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology, allowing WRPS to outfit 100 front-line patrol vehicles. This technology uses cameras and software that automatically scans licence plates. It alerts officers to stolen plates, or plates registered to suspended drivers. The system can also notify officers of missing and wanted persons, as well as vehicles associated with AMBER alerts. This specific technology also provides the ability to use this ‘dash cam’ type camera as a comprehensive In-Car Camera system.

During the pilot, officers made information sheets available to anyone who has interacted with officers wearing a BWC device. The information sheets contained a QR code link to a voluntary survey to provide feedback on specific interactions. An online survey was also be made available to the entire community and an email address was created for the community to interact directly with a project team member to ask questions and provide further feedback.

The Service has taken significant steps to ensure the security of the video once it has been recorded.  These include, but are not limited to the following:

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Like any other allegation of misconduct for non-compliance with a procedure, complaint investigations can be initiated by the Chief of Police or made to the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency (LECA). Once substantiated, officers may face any number of disciplinary actions, up to and including dismissal.

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The WRPS Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Unit assisted in connecting the Modernization Project team with community groups with a vested interest in BWC technology for direct feedback.

The pilot determined BWC is a transparent policing tool capable of providing accurate records of our interactions with the public. Surveys of our membership involved in the pilot found high support for the technology as the pilot evolved, corroborated by the overwhelming support from our local community.

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Unlike other jurisdictions, there are significant privacy implications in Canada and Ontario that govern any Canadian police agency’s ability to release footage from the BWC and ICC systems. If it was determined that a video may protect the public and/or further an investigation, it may be vetted for release in the same way security videos are released.  In every case, the privacy of victims and uninvolved members of the public will always be considered.

Following a successful 16-month pilot program, the WRPS Police Services Board has approved the permanent deployment of both Body-Worn Camera (BWC) and In-Car Camera (ICC) systems region-wide.

Recorded data cannot be altered or deleted at any time by the recording officer.  Members of the Digital Disclosure Team, a centralized file preparation unit, will be permitted to redact the Body-Worn and In-Car Camera data, as per Service procedures covering video recordings for court disclosure purposes. The original, unedited version will always remain in the cloud-based storage system.

The pilot project included engagement and input from project stakeholders, such as community groups and outside agencies with whom the WRPS regularly interacts. Engagement with community stakeholders took place throughout the pilot program to gather feedback and input for the potential development of a permanent program.

An officer will turn off the Body-Worn Camera system when the call for service, investigation, or enforcement is complete.  An officer is also allowed to turn the video off for the following reasons:

On December 14, 2022, the WRPS Board accepted this grant money and provided approval for the Service to operate a formalized ICC program region-wide using ALPR technology. This system has been rolled out and is fully integrated with BWC and our Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS).

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An officer will turn on the Body-Worn Camera system prior to arriving at a call for service; when they start investigating an individual; or, whenever they are enforcing the law.  The video will be used to capture investigative and enforcement activities and is not to be used to carry out general surveillance surreptitiously.

Starting in 2023, BWC will be assigned to every frontline officer by division until full deployment is reached in 2025. The rollout will begin with patrol officers at North Division, Traffic Services, Community Engagement Unit, Emergency Response Team, Canine, then at South Division, ending with officers at Central Division.