Toronto Police officers in north Etobicoke are among the first to get their long-awaited body-worn cameras.
The first two camera-equipped officers were out on the street Monday in the Rexdale area as part of 23 Division. It’s the start of a year-long rollout for the gear.
Cameras will arrive in south Etobicoke for 22 and 11 Divisions beginning around October. A full rollout to all frontline officers is expected over the next year.
Toronto Police say officers will ” turn on the body-worn camera prior to arriving at a call for service; when they start investigating an individual; or when they are asking a person questions for the purpose of collecting their information. “
A police officer will turn off the body-worn camera when the call for service or investigation is complete or when the officer determines that continuous recording is no longer serving its intended purpose.
Officers will face penalties for shutting their cameras off on calls.
It should be fairly obvious if an officer’s camera is recording. Police say there are “lights and notices indicating it has been activated. Officers are trained to give notice as soon as reasonably possible that a body worn camera is in operation.
The force plans to buy 2,350 body-worn cameras at a cost of $34.1 million.
The cameras are among a Toronto Police list of items to ensure equality on the force.