VPD launches officer-worn body camera pilot program

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officially launched its body camera pilot program on Thursday.

The VPD says 84 officers will participate in the six-month pilot. These officers belong to either the traffic section or patrol the downtown core or East Vancouver areas, and have received “specialized training,” the VPD previously said.

The chest-mounted cameras will record interactions these officers have, with the results from the pilot program “expected to guide VPD through the development of a broader body-worn-camera policy for all officers.”

“We live in complicated times, and it’s important that we do everything we can to keep your neighbourhoods safe, to protect your rights, and to ensure Vancouver remains a first-class city,” said Deputy Chief Howard Chow, VPD Operations Division.

“This is about trust, confidence, and continuing to deliver the best service to the people of Vancouver.”

The official launch of the camera pilot program comes after the VPD welcomed members of the public to provide input.

The force held a test run in 2023, 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.

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.

Body cameras were also rigorously debated at city hall in the fall of 2022, with council eventually passing a motion that green-lit cost analysis of body-worn cameras.

“For many years, we have advocated for the use of body-worn cameras to support our frontline officers and enhance public trust in the difficult work we do, but until now the significant costs associated with this technology have stood in our way,” Chow added Thursday.

“Funding committed in 2022 by Vancouver’s new city council and support from the Vancouver Police Board has allowed us to launch this pilot project, and we appreciate their continued commitment to public safety in Vancouver.”

The VPD says the cameras will be worn on the front by officers “in a way that provides an unobstructed camera angle and is visible to the public.”

Police are expected to turn their cameras on “as soon as safe and practicable for calls when there is a reasonable belief that there will be use of force” or if they anticipate violence or aggression.

Officers are to inform people who are being recorded as soon as they can, unless doing so puts them or others at risk.

“In most cases, officers will be able to review recordings while documenting incidents and preparing reports to Crown counsel,” the VPD adds.

The force notes officers are not expected to have their cameras on continuously if they aren’t responding to a specific call or if they aren’t interacting with a person.

“There are also times when, due to heightened privacy concerns, officers may use discretion and not activate a camera, such as in a place of worship, in a hospital, in a law office, or in a private home where they may encounter young children, victims of crime, and other sensitive situations,” the department explains.

The VPD has previously said viewing recorded video is “restricted to investigative or training purposes,” in line with provincial and the department’s standards and guidelines.