A Privacy Impact Assessment was completed in January 2019 to assess and mitigate any risks posed to privacy using body-worn cameras. Any recording made by CPS cameras are subject to the Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

If a recording becomes part of a case file, it will be retained according to the CPS Records Retention Schedule, depending on the type of case and the retention category.

The camera is attached to the front of an officer’s uniform near the chest area. It is black and about the size of a deck of playing cards. A red light indicates when it is turned on and recording. An officer will turn on the camera when attending a call for service or an investigation and will turn it off when the call for service or investigation is complete, when in a hospital setting, or when the officer determines that continuous recording is no longer serving its intended purpose.

These cameras constantly store 30 seconds of footage, so every recording includes the 30 seconds before the cameras were activated and ends only when an officer manually shuts them off.

The use of body-worn cameras requires many staff and resources that are dedicated to implementing and operating the CPS program. The program costs about $5 million annually to operate, including hardware, software licensing and staffing.

Officers are expected to use these cameras whenever they have an investigative contact with the public, are transporting an arrestee, are in a pursuit, or if it would benefit an investigation.

If you believe an officer is using a body-worn camera inappropriately, you may file a complaint with CPS Professional Standards Section (PSS).

A privacy impact assessment was completed in January 2019 to assess and mitigate any risks posed to privacy through the use of body-worn cameras. Any recording made by either of our cameras are subject to Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and Health Information Act when officers are in healthcare facilities.

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If you attend the CPS headquarters to view the recording, you will view the video with a Disclosure Analyst from the CPS Access and Privacy Section, who may be accompanied by a police officer.

Frontline police vehicles are equipped with both dash cameras and back seat cameras that record audio and video. They are automatically activated when the emergency lights are turned on or when the vehicle is involved in a collision.

Once your request is approved, you can choose to either attend police headquarters (5111 47 St. N.E.) to view it or request a copy for a fee.

Officers use body-worn cameras to record law enforcement interactions with the public in the course of their duties, including, but not limited to:

The CPS Professional Standards Section opens a file when it receives information from a citizen, or when asked by the Chief Constable or his designate to investigate any perceived misconduct, including Police Service Regulation breaches and criminal acts.

Patrol officers, traffic officers and some specialty officers carry a camera approximately the size of a pack of cards on the front of their uniform. The officers turn the camera on and off to record audio and video for law enforcement purposes. Every recording includes the 30 seconds before the camera was activated.

The recordings are disclosed to the courts when required, but private information of third parties captured in any recording is first redacted.

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If you would like to view or request a copy of a body-worn camera incident that you are involved in, you can make a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act request through the CPS Access and Privacy Section.

If you believe an officer is not using a body-worn camera appropriately, you may file a complaint with the CPS Professional Standards Section.

If you choose to obtain a copy, a Disclosure Analyst will prepare a fee estimate for you. Once we have received payment, we will provide you with a copy. Please note that third-party information will be removed or blurred from the video. You may also view the video as part of a Professional Standards complaint. The Professional Standards Section will allow you to view the video in the presence of an investigator.

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Officers are required by policy to have their body-worn camera activated during a law enforcement interaction with a member of the public, however, the officer will continually assess privacy considerations and prohibitions outlined in the CPS Body Worn Camera Policy if recording should continue or stop.

Body-worn camera recordings will be automatically deleted after 13 months if officers have not identified their association to a case file.

Reviews of both camera systems were conducted in late 2020 to evaluate the impact of these tools, provide improvement recommendations and help guide future strategic decisions.

The recordings are disclosed to the courts and the Crown discloses to legal counsel when required, but private third-party information captured in any recording is redacted or edited for legal, police tactical or security purposes.

Police officers are entrusted with extraordinary powers and often work in dynamic and high-conflict situations. Cameras that record police interactions with the public can play a crucial role in protecting both the public and our officers, as well as supporting a fair justice system.

Cameras that record police interactions with the public can play a crucial role in protecting both the public and our officers, as well as supporting a fair justice system.

A file will be opened and a PSS investigator will ask you questions as to what happened and why you believe the officer acted inappropriately. The investigator will also ask you how to resolve this issue, which may take the form of explaining a police procedure, or an informal conversation between you and the officer or the officer’s supervisor, or by having the officer reviewing training materials and policy expectations.

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There are about 1,350 CPS officers currently using body-worn cameras. All patrol and traffic officers use them, along with uniformed officers in some specialty units, such as the Child at Risk Response Team (CARRT), the Police and Crisis Team (PACT) and the Tactical Support Unit (comprised of the Tactical and Canine teams).

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In-car cameras have been used by our Service since 2012 and body-worn cameras were deployed to all patrol members, the Traffic Section and some other frontline officers in April 2019.

An evaluation of the body-worn camera project was conducted from June to November 2020 to assess the first year of body-worn camera operations, impact on key groups and baseline measures, such as complaints against officers and use-of-force incidents.

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Police officer performance and accountability are government by the Police Act and Police Service Regulation. The Act sets out the requirements of a valid complaint and outlines the process for filing a complaint.

Officers issued a body-worn camera receive training about how and when to use the cameras properly. The CPS’ Body Worn Camera Policy governs their use. Any breach of the policy may be regarded as misconduct and may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Police Act. Unauthorized use of body-worn camera video or images may also constitute an offence under the Criminal Code or the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Evaluations of our officers’ use of both body-worn and in-car cameras have found evidence that the technologies help create a more efficient accountability process and reduce incidents where force is used.

These cameras have a light that visibly indicates it is recording. However, officers can disable this when required for officer safety (for example, if the light would give away their location at a nighttime incident involving a person with a firearm).