Cape Breton police to roll out body cameras this fall

Cape Breton will be adopting body cameras for its police force this year.

The Cape Breton Regional Police is planning to launch body cameras for officers and downtown security cameras this fall.

Police Chief Robert Walsh gave an update on the implementation of the camera system at the Board of Police Commissioners meeting on Wednesday. Regional council approved of the project in their $321.2-million capital budget earlier this year.

“As part of CBRM’s commitment to public safety, accountability, and transparency in policing, the implementation of various camera systems has been prioritized,” the agenda for meeting reads.

The project includes body-worn cameras for frontline officers, in-car cameras for patrol vehicles and stationary cameras in downtown areas.

Walsh says downtown surveillance cameras, in particular, have helped cut down on crime elsewhere in places like Charlottetown. Adding the video will be available to police in real time.

“We’re going to start by seeding anywhere between 30 and 50 cameras, and it’s our vision to put them in all of our downtown cores – not just downtown Sydney,” said Walsh.

“If we had a situation, for example, of an active shooter... it will be livestreamed into our communications centre where our operators would be able to access that and even back up the video briefly to see if what is being reported is actually taking place.”

The agenda says the final drafts of the privacy impact assessments for all three systems are under a final internal review. The assessments include usage restrictions, mitigation methods and storage protocols.

“There is privacy constraint legislation that has to be addressed through this, the cameras in downtown cores and at key intersections would only be used for an investigative purpose,” said Walsh.

For years now, some business owners in downtown Sydney have been dealing with things like vandalism and theft. Restaurant and properties owner Craig Boudreau welcomes the cameras, but feels they are only part of a broader solution when it comes to crime.

“There have actually been people who have relocated from Charlotte Street for that reason. So, I think it will be a definite help and I think it will instill the confidence in people that we need,” said Boudreau.

Contracts for the systems are expected to be handed out by July and the systems are set to be installed by late summer or early fall.

An implementation report will be made available by September.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.

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