Vancouver police launch body camera pilot project
Posted June 15, 2023 4:09 pm.
Last Updated June 15, 2023 4:13 pm.
About 100 Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officers will wear body cameras starting this fall as part of a pilot project.
The test run comes just weeks after the coroner’s inquest into the death of Myles Gray, who died in 2015 after being severely beaten by VPD officers during an attempted arrest.
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Myles’ sister, Melissa Gray, says she has her doubts about the pilot program, hoping to see a mandate that officers equipped with the cameras are required to turn them on.
“In the case of my brother, they’re expected to make notes and they didn’t make notes, and nothing happened. So say if that’s the same thing, ‘we didn’t turn our body camera on’ so then what? Nothing?” she told CityNews.
“There needs to be some hard and fast rules or else this will continue to happen and all the money spent on these cameras is no good.”
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Gray says she believes if officers had been wearing body cameras during her brother’s attempted arrest, the outcome would have been different.
“I would imagine he would be alive. You do not beat someone to a pulp if you’re being videotaped,” she said.
Additionally, Gray notes that body cameras are only part of the equation for improving police responses, saying she would like to see improved mental health training.
“They need to figure out how to handle people that are vulnerable and in distress and again … a body cam isn’t going to solve that,” she said.
A fast-tracked rollout of body-worn cameras and improved crisis de-escalation training for officers were both among the recommendations the jury made at Gray’s coroner’s inquest in May.
The pilot program also comes after it was rigorously debated at city hall last fall, with council eventually passing a motion that green-lit cost analysis of body-worn cameras.
Premier welcomes body-cam rollout
David Eby says he’s looking forward to seeing the results garnered from the six-month pilot program.
“I’m glad that Vancouver is taking on this pilot project. It is one of the areas that was canvassed by the all-party committee on policing, using technology to increase public confidence and increase public safety,” he said at a news conference on Thursday.
“The body cameras have the potential to bring improvements to both areas, both accountability and prosecution of crimes that affect British Columbians and affect public safety.”
If the program shows positive results, Eby says it has the possibility of being expanded to other jurisdictions.
“I’m sure the solicitor general would be very interested in seeing the results of this pilot and whether there’s an opportunity for us to expand that if it provides good results for the residents of Vancouver,” the premier said.
The pilot program will run for six months after which point, it will be reviewed by the VPD.
-With files from Angela Bower
