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Body-worn cameras are becoming commonplace for Canadian law enforcement agencies. Proponents claim the cameras improve officer and public safety, increase public trust and confidence, and enhance accountability and transparency in policing.

Select Loblaws-owned grocery stores in Calgary and Saskatoon have begun a three-month pilot project that will see security officials and management equipped with the cameras, intending to reduce incidents of violence in stores and curb retail theft.

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While police cameras are subsidized by taxpayers, costs incurred by retailers deploying the devices are likely to be passed on to the consumer, leading to higher priced retail items.

Some self-reported research in U.K. retail settings suggests the devices may reduce violent and aggressive incidents between staff and customers. In one health and beauty store, a survey of its staff suggested a 68 per cent reduction in violent encounters after the cameras were introduced. Similarly, a U.K. grocery store reported a 41 per cent decrease in violent crime. Of note, these findings are self-reported by retail employees and, importantly, not evidence drawn from independent studies.

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Most retail settings, including Loblaws-owned grocery stores, already have closed-circuit television cameras, yet there are reports that suggest retail theft and violent incidents have increased in Canada, becoming a $5-billion annual problem.

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People should feel and be safe at work and not be subjected to abuse from customers. However, from the limited available evidence, it is not clear body worn cameras are the solution.

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Axon Enterprise Corp. — the company that manufactures body cameras and controls most of the market for police — says “research and previous pilot projects (in retail settings) show the cameras act as a deterrent to reduce security incidents by at least 50 per cent.” Axon representatives also claim that people wearing the devices are seeing 50 per cent fewer confrontational incidents.

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There are no independent studies or reputable evidence in Canada that supports the claims that body cameras will reduce violence and theft in retail establishments. Rather, the prevailing belief is that they will somehow deter these bad behaviours.

Questions remain about whether the devices will be effective in retail establishments in Canada or if they could increase the costs of goods.

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Retailers in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States have used body cameras for years. Generally, retailers in these jurisdictions use the cameras based on beliefs and some anecdotal evidence that they reduce retail theft and decrease violent encounters between staff and shoppers.

These statistics appear to come from an Axon-funded report led by emeritus professor Adrian Beck that examined the use of cameras across 16 retailers. The report states that “most estimates are based upon changes in relatively small numbers and so caution is required in interpreting the numbers.” As an example, the number of violent incidents across the retailers over a 90-day period decreased from 16 to five. Another conclusion from one retailer found users “estimated” that 45 per cent of the time a situation was de-escalated by turning on the camera.

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We can be optimistic about these findings, but more research is necessary. Caution must be exercised when extrapolating any data, especially anecdotal evidence. Beliefs about the effects of the cameras in Calgary, Saskatoon or elsewhere must be carefully tested.

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Erick Laming is an assistant professor in criminology and sociology at Trent University. His main research examines police use of force and accountability. Christopher J. Schneider is professor of sociology at Brandon University and author of Policing and Social Media: Social Control in an Era of Digital Media, 2nd edition (Lexington Books, 2024).

Body cameras will not stop violent encounters or end retail theft, and the expenses associated with equipping workers with cameras will surely end up costing customers. Inflation of food prices is a leading reason people steal, so increased costs of goods to offset the expense of the cameras could just lead to more retail theft.