Surrey police to roll out first body-worn cameras

Starting Wednesday, some Surrey police officers will wear body cameras as part of a six-month pilot project.

The Surrey Police Service (SPS) says 20 Road Safety officers will wear Axon Body 4 body-worn cameras (BWC). An announcement Tuesday said the pilot project comes after developing a BWC program since 2021.

It says the Surrey Police Board approved the purchase of 20 cameras last year.

“Through our previous community consultations, it was clear that there is very strong public support for the use of body-worn cameras in Surrey,” said Chief Const. Norm Lipinski.

The project follows the lead of several Canadian police jurisdictions that have implemented BWCs, including in Vancouver, Delta, and the BC RCMP, which announced in January that it would spend the year rolling out over 3,000 cameras.

The SPS says the cameras will enhance transparancy and build trust, improve evidence collection and support prosecutions, help resolve public complaints, de-escalate the behaviour of anyone who knows they are being recorded, and provide useful insight into police interactions.

Officers with cameras will record “the entirety of all investigative and enforcement activities, including at calls for service, and when capturing evidence, executing search warrants, and interacting with the public during the lawful execution of police duties.”

A red light will indicate whenever the camera is recording, and the SPS says officers must balance the camera’s objectives against privacy concerns.

More information about the use of the cameras, including how to request access to video, is available on the SPS website.