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.

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.

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.

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 FY24 Community Policing Development (CPD) Implementation of De-Escalation Training Act programclosed on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at 4:59 PM ET.*

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

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.

FY24 Implementation of De-Escalation Training Act Program — is for an organization to work with the Department of Justice to develop and implement the final requirements for de-escalation training approvals meeting the goals of the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act. The successful applicant will help ensure that these requirements are informed by the act, by ongoing stakeholder consultations, by promising practices, and by research on the effectiveness of law enforcement training in this area.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

The COPS Office is committed to advancing work that promotes civil rights and equity, increases access to justice, supports crime victims and individuals impacted by the justice system, strengthens community safety and protects the public from crime and evolving threats, and build trust between law enforcement and the community.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Check out our How to Apply page for resources such as frequently asked questions, appendices, additional fact sheets, links to webinars, and more.

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.

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

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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.

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

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.

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.

There is one award up to $750,000 in funding available through the FY24 for the Implementation of De-escalation Training Act program. The award for the Implementation of De-escalation Training Act Program is two years (24 months) in duration. There is no local match.

Some of the requirements for training certification were outlined in the act, including (i) scenario-based exercises; (ii) pre-training and post-training tests to assess relevant knowledge and skills covered in the training curricula; and (iii) follow-up evaluative assessments to determine the degree to which, in their jobs, participants in the training apply the knowledge and skills gained in the training. Additional ideas regarding requirements have been identified through an ongoing stakeholder consultation process and analysis of existing programs.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act of 2022 directs the U.S. Department of Justice to develop or identify effective existing training for law enforcement officers and covered mental health professionals regarding (i) employing de-escalation tactics and alternatives to use of force; (ii) safely responding to an individual experiencing a mental or behavioral health or suicidal crisis or an individual with a disability, including techniques and strategies that are designed to protect the safety of that individual, law enforcement officers, mental health professionals, and the public; (iii) successfully participating on a crisis intervention team; and (iv) making referrals to community-based mental and behavioral health services and support, housing assistance programs, public benefits programs, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and other services.

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.

In addition, the Department of Justice is expected to establish processes to certify training programs and courses offered by public and private entities to law enforcement officers and covered mental health professionals and to terminate the certification of a training program or course if the program or course fails to continue to meet the standards under the training curricula developed or identified.

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.

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.