Officers are trained to give notice of the camera’s operation as soon as reasonably possible. The timing of this notice may vary depending on the context and safety of the encounter. To signal its activation, the camera will emit three audible sounds, and flash red.

It is the purpose of this Policy to authorize the Service to deploy and use body-worn cameras and to ensure that their use by the Service occurs in such a way as to ensure the following public interests are served:

Technology, Accountability, Interaction with Public, Equipment and Uniform, Privacy, Data and Records, Community Relations, Human Rights, Professional Conduct

Recordings cannot be edited, altered, or deleted from the camera by a police officer. The video management team has access and permissions to search and view BWC recordings for the purposes of preparing redacted copies for court disclosure purposes and FOIP requests. They are responsible for the removal or redaction of privileged, sensitive or clearly irrelevant content prior to the disclosure or release of a copy of a BWC recording. An unedited version of the recording will be saved and will remain accessible (until retention policies dictate its deletion).

The Board will monitor the Service’s implementation of this Policy to mitigate these risks, including the provision of robust training to Service Members to ensure the effective deployment of this tool. The Board will also continue to monitor best practices and recommendations made by relevant stakeholders to identify possible revisions to this Policy, where appropriate. The Board will also continue to work with the Service and a broad range of stakeholders to identify other opportunities and strategies to achieve the crucial goals of delivering professional policing in a manner that respects individuals’ dignity, privacy, worth and human rights.

Recordings are held for a minimum of two years and then securely deleted. Any further retention of evidence for investigations are guided by The Police Act, 1990.

Officers take reasonable steps to balance the privacy rights of individuals with the benefits of using body-worn cameras for law enforcement purposes. Recording under certain circumstances will depend on the lawful authority of the officer’s presence.

The Board recognizes the important constitutional principle: that individuals have a justified expectation of privacy as they go about their daily business, even within public spaces, and this expectation must be respected subject to reasonable limits.

“Body-worn cameras can’t replace an officer’s perceptions, but they can be extraordinarily valuable when they confirm the presence of weapons, capture resistance, and verify de-escalation attempts. What’s more, it is expected that the presence of cameras encourages people on both sides of the lens to be the best version of themselves as they interact.”

accountability, data and records, interaction with public, human rights, community relations, privacy, equipment and uniform, technology, professional conduct

Officers are trained to be aware of interactions with the public that may be sensitive in nature, such as when children are present, during a sexual assault or domestic violence investigation. Additionally, a video management team is responsible for the removal/redaction of privileged, sensitive or clearly irrelevant content prior to the disclosure or release of a copy of a BWC recording.

During incidents including but not limited to calls for service, including those related to mental health, traffic stops, and contact interviews. Camera’s will be activated upon arriving at an incident and will continue to record until the incident is completed.

Unlike the United States, there are significant privacy implications in Canada governing our ability to release BWC footage to the media and/or public. In the vast majority of incidents, it is expected that recordings will not be released publicly, however, members of the public can access the video by submitting a FOIP request. Members of the public cannot request the data to be deleted; recordings are stored according to the retention policies and if disclosed for court purposes, will be redacted and vetted for any privacy-related concerns or issues.

In addition, the manner in which body-worn camera use is implemented and governed could have a substantial impact on their effectiveness as it relates to cases of excessive use of force or other matters that may engage the police oversight system. Similarly, access to recordings must also be strictly governed, both to prevent breach of privacy by both internal and external actors, and to ensure that all recordings are preserved in their full, unedited form on the system, throughout their retention period. Finally, the transparency of the implementation of this Policy by the Service, including public access to information on its effectiveness in achieving the Policy’s goals, is a critical element of building the public trust necessary for the achievement of the Policy’s purposes and goals.

SPS officers must balance the privacy rights of individuals with the anticipated benefits of using BWC’s for law enforcement purposes. The program and policy is will be evaluated on an ongoing basis to ensure its compliance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Criminal Code of Canada and provincial legislation. Recording in a private place is dependent on the lawful authority of an officer’s attendance at the location. Some examples include receiving consent from the owner/occupant, in relation to a search warrant or exigent/extenuating circumstances.

By recording interactions with members of the public, body-worn cameras have been advanced as one way to increase transparency, enhance accountability for rights protections and situations in which force is used during an interaction with police, and improve law enforcement practices by identifying where a need may exist for additional training, supervision or discipline. Body-worn cameras will also enable the timely and fair investigation of any allegations of misconduct by Service Members, and a quick resolution of complaints.

In March 2022, the Saskatoon Police Service implemented the BWC program, deploying 40 cameras to front-line officers in the Patrol, Traffic, Foot Patrol, Bike and Community Mobilization Units, and Alternative Response Officers. The audio and video recording device will document police and civilian interactions while engaged in enforcement and investigative duties. This includes but is not limited to calls for service, including mental health, traffic stops, and contact interviews. BWC’s are intended to support law enforcement duties and aid in capturing certain incidents. They are not intended for continuous recording. BWC’s are openly displayed to the public and will show an illuminated red LED light notifying the public when the camera is recording.

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In addition, body-worn cameras are an effective tool for gathering evidence and providing a more accurate record of events, thus improving the work of the criminal justice system as a whole.

The element of video has evolved rapidly over the past few years, becoming an integral part of our society. It has also affected policing in the many different ways it is utilized; from home security systems and cell phone recordings to in-car cameras, the use of video is common and can be an important investigative tool. It also provides a new level of accountability and transparency. This has been proven with law enforcement agencies across the globe adopting body-worn cameras (BWC).

The Board acknowledges that the use of body-worn cameras is not without its own challenges. There are important concerns surrounding privacy, particularly where what could be perceived as surveillance of vulnerable people and racialized communities is concerned, or in sensitive situations such as domestic violence calls.

The Toronto Police Services Board (the Board) is committed to providing fair, effective, efficient, equitable and accountable policing services to the members of all of our communities, in accordance with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Human Rights Code of Ontario. The Board is also committed to ensuring that the inherent worth and dignity of all individuals who come into contact with police is respected in all interactions.

It is, therefore, the policy of the Toronto Police Services Board that the Chief of Police, in consultation with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and other relevant stakeholders, will develop Procedure(s) that:

If the video is disclosed for court purposes or through a FOIP request, the video management team will be responsible for the removal or redaction of privileged, sensitive, or clearly irrelevant content prior to the disclosure of a BWC recording.