While equipping police officers with body-worn cameras may benefit the safety of police officers, it is also important to consider how the introduction of this technology may violate the citizen’s charter of rights.
It is intriguing to think about how the introduction of body-worn cameras would alter the behaviour of citizens who know their actions are being recorded. I would imagine instances of violent confrontations would decrease. If these violent incidences were to occur, however, the use of this technology would without a doubt provide invaluable evidence to the role of the police officer in the situation as well as whether their use of force was justifiable.
For these body-worn cameras to be effective, however, they must prove to be ethical as well. It must be considered whether these cameras will violate section 8 of the citizen’s charter of rights which includes surveillance.
I believe regulations will have to be set as to the circumstances where these cameras will be appropriate among other rules to ensure the freedom of the citizens is not jeopardized in the process.
Ron Noy
Victoria