Are body cameras legal in Canada

A Camera for Every Occasion – The options for using bodycams are so wide-ranging so that no matter what you need, there is always a solution we can provide. It’s no wonder it’s one of the fastest-growing tech sectors in the world. It’s also one we’re seeing more industries looking to integrate using the latest generation of modern UK available bodycams to protect their workers.

We can advise you on how to implement a body worn camera system and what it can do for you as one of the leading bodycam companies in the UK.

By combining the new Hytera VM780 Bodycam with the PDC760 multimode advanced radio would allow you to stream the footage from the discrete bodycam directly to a separate radio worn by a controller or co-worker. This connection can allow you to get the support you need when you need it most.

Body Worn Video cameras are expected to be deployed to the rest of the service in Spring 2025. The order in which other areas will receive body worn video cameras is yet to be determined. Remaining public-facing areas will receive cameras based on resources and implementation timeline.

Yes, a policy and procedures provide officers with operational direction that includes but is not limited to recording in private and public places; retention and security of videos; and responsibilities for officers and supervisors.

Commitment to Professionalism - Reduced Crime & Victimization - Investigative Excellence - Increased Efficiency & Effectiveness

Do police body cameras record all the time

Mission Critical Features – A typical body worn camera, such as the Hytera VM580D (bodycam & remote speaker microphone) is stacked with mission-critical security features. With one-hand operation for simplicity and fast access to critical information, the Hytera user interface has been designed with your safety in mind.

The body worn camera (bodycam) is like a tireless witness that’s with you throughout your shift. It doesn’t take tea breaks and doesn’t even blink. Every incident and potential flashpoint can be recorded or streamed live to a control room or other radio device protecting the company, organisation, and the worker from false complaints regarding their conduct.

Every organisation and business has a duty of care to their employees. Lone workers’ safety requires special attention and management, and you will have a lone working policy in place. This will mean the lone worker will require a level of training and will also need to be supplied with adequate personal safety equipment, alarms, and visual & audio recorders, such as body worn cameras (bodycams). They will also need active monitoring to make sure that they are kept safe. Whether you require civilian bodycams or sector-specific job role options, such as police bodycams in the UK, we can help.

Optimal Recording Performance – The 16-megapixel image sensor & six infrared LEDs provide an optimal recording performance from the 180° rotatable, 140° wide-angle lens, that is initiated with a single touch. Even when recording 4K footage the battery life for constant video will last longer than 8 hours. Using the HD recording function, the battery will last much longer.

Bodycam's game

Police officers will start to actively record their interactions with members of the public once they realize the nature of the interaction is investigative or enforcement related.

There is no facial recognition technology built into the cameras, but footage may be used in conjunction with other facial recognition technology that EPS currently uses here.

Officers who have been issued body-worn video cameras will have the device in plain view.  The camera also has a light which indicates recording has been activated. Although not legally required, officers are trained to give verbal notice as soon as reasonably possible that a body-worn video camera is in operation. The timing of this notice may vary depending on the context of the encounter.

Cameras were deployed as part of a proof of concept to officers within Healthy Streets Operations Centre, Transit and Community Safety and the High-Risk Encampment Team in July 2023.

Edmonton Police Service > Newsroom > Body Worn Video: What you need to know > Body Worn Cameras - Frequently Asked Questions

Simple Menu Options – Simple menu options can be customised to work for individual employees and allows them the shortcuts they need. The slimline device weighs less than 170 grams and is dustproof and waterproof (IP67), meaning that despite its size, it is more than rugged enough to handle even the most brutal & challenging environments.

A Huge Leap Forwards – The new generation of bodycams are much more advanced than their predecessors. Lighter devices that are now stacked with additional features and with longer-lasting batteries that can handle an entire shift. HD, infrared cameras with night vision and full integration with other wearable devices are starting to redefine what is possible with a simple to use, mini bodycam unit.

For those aggressive individuals that won’t back down, the accumulation of evidence from a bodycam device can make the difference between a successful and unsuccessful court prosecution of that individual.

In 2022, the Edmonton Police Service piloted in car video to evaluate and decide on the best platform and technology for EPS. This was put on hold as our resources pivoted to body worn cameras. Currently, the EPS is not pursuing the use of in-car video.

We know that only proper use of body-worn video cameras will enhance public trust and legitimacy while improper use will have the opposite, detrimental effect on police/community relations.

Notably, the devices tackled the issue of having very different accounts of the same event from officers and suspects by providing direct and irrefutable visual and audio evidence that can be used in court. Police bodycams in the UK can be the difference between the truth or manipulation of the facts by a defendant or victim, essential in modern policing.

Body cameras for civilians

Contact our radio experts today to find out how bodycams can help your business. If you are interested in other radio communication equipment, we specialise in many products and services including our two way radio solutions.

Management Software – The heart of running a successful bodycam system lays in the simple to use management software. This is where you can securely and easily manage the recorded footage downloaded from all bodycams. This puts you in the driving seat of the system and in control of all data accumulated with your video & audio recording systems.

When you’re put in a difficult situation to deal with, the bodycam can be your best friend who’s there to help you through. Not only will your co-workers get alerted to your position, but when evidence is collected and used in conjunction with the other security systems and on-site cameras, a body worn camera can allow a court to see the complete and indisputable picture of what happened, instead of being faced with contradictory witness statements.

As the cameras are deployed to areas of the Service, the officers will undergo pre-course online and in-person training covering organizational policy and procedures, technical training about how to operate the cameras and how to manage the BWV recordings in the digital evidence management software.

When werebodycamsinvented

The current generation of bodycams in the UK have taken a huge leap forward over their predecessors. The devices are now much lighter with longer battery lives that will last an entire shift. Options such as our Hytera bodycam range are fully stacked out with modern features:

Rules surrounding the access of body-worn camera footage have been defined, all of which is auditable. Access will be based on the applicable legislative rules.

Body-worn video cameras were mandated by the Government of Alberta in March 2023. As a result, Edmonton Police officers will be displaying a body-worn video camera through their interactions with the public.

The purpose of a body-worn video camera is to capture some interactions taking place between police officers and members of the public. They are not intended to be used to capture every single aspect of an officer’s activities during their day.

Commitment to Professionalism - Reduced Crime & Victimization - Investigative Excellence - Increased Efficiency & Effectiveness Copyright © 2024, Edmonton Police Service. All rights reserved.

The latest generation of body worn cameras are one of the most requested add-on devices to make your radio system work harder for you.

At that time, the pilot project indicated there were several concerns with the technology and data management. Since then, the technology has improved, and it is now better suited to operational and investigative needs.

Along with the risk of facing down an aggressive individual who is threatening violence or being abusive, a bodycam can be an ideal tool for dealing with thefts and intruders, driving-related incidents and even sudden illness or accidents. There’s a multitude of ways that a bodycam can help you to fulfil your duty of care to protect your most vulnerable workers.

At the end of every shift, the members dock their cameras and footage will be automatically uploaded.  A retention schedule that applies to police records will be applied to the storage of this data, depending on the nature of the interactions (ex. if footage is captured during a criminal investigation versus a bylaw investigation).

Body cameras police

Following the announcement from the provincial government in March 2023, EPS initiated a proof-of-concept with body-worn video cameras for a second time with a select group of officers working within Healthy Streets Operations Centre, Transit and Community Safety and the High-Risk Encampment Team in July 2023 to assess the operational impacts of the cameras before rolling out service-wide.

Police body cameras articles

We are seeing many new innovative uses for bodycams as the flexibility of linking modern communications makes it possible to really tailor a system to precisely cater for any specific business requirements. Bodycam companies are developing newer technological advances consistently to ensure that sectors have the latest equipment readily available.

Best body cameras for civilians

Lone workers fill many critical positions in society and play an important role in multiple organisations, businesses and sectors. Statistics from the British Crime Survey show that up to 150 lone workers are attacked (both verbally & physically) each and every day in the UK. These attacks affect many industries and job roles that utilise lone workers. Regardless of the sector they’re working within, or the comparative risks that they face, it is important that these workers are supported. Providing them with the best possible bodycam kits to enable them to complete their roles as safely and securely as possible is vital. Working alone makes an individual much more vulnerable than they would be in a team, especially when they must deal with aggressive individuals. A body worn or discrete bodycam is the perfect deterrent for these potential situations, whilst also ensuring any incident is filmed that the footage can be analysed and used later.

Tamper-Proof Data – With 16GB as standard, and with upgrade options for 32GB, 64GB & 128GB, you can tailor your bodycams to fit your intended usage. Secure & reliable data transfer is achieved simply by docking the device into the charger. This feature ensures your content remains tamper-proof and secure for when you need it.

Like any other allegation of misconduct, complaints can be made to the Professional Standards Branch. Depending on the outcome of the investigation, officers could face any number of disciplinary actions dependent on the nature of the allegations and the reasons why the breach of policy occurred.

When using a body-worn video camera, officers will weigh the law enforcement objective against privacy concerns and take reasonable steps to mitigate the impact on the individual’s privacy.

Wearing a body cam has been proven to lessen the aggression faced by the wearer. The ability to instantly record court-ready evidence will often de-escalate hostility and deter people from being aggressive in the first place. Many people do not like the idea of their aggressive behaviour being filmed and used as evidence against them, thus a mini bodycam provides an additional layer of protection for the worker, e.g. security personnel.

Want to purchase a bodycam or just have a question? Enter your details below and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.

The Edmonton Police Service ran a body worn video pilot project from October 2011 through December 2014 to assess its value and capabilities.

In a 2016 study carried out by Cambridge University, police wearing bodycams received 93% fewer complaints from members of the public than those without the devices. The twelve-month study was conducted over 1.5 million police hours using 2,000 officers around the country and was one of the largest controlled experiments in criminal justice research. Police bodycams in the UK have proved to be effective at calming down and avoiding potential flashpoints between officers and their suspects.

Protected Footage – Bodycams cleverly lock the recorded footage with encryption so that it cannot fall into the wrong hands if it is stolen or lost. Only the people authorised to see it will be able to access it.