Ottawa police officers have begun wearing new body-worn cameras, which marks the start of a program aimed at boosting transparency, accountability and efficiency across the service. Thirty devices are now in use, as part of a pilot project tied to recommendations from the inquest into the death of Abdirahman Abdi in 2016. Insp. Iain Pidcock with the Ottawa Police Service says the cameras will provide an objective record of officer interactions and help streamline reporting. “Up until now, we’ve seen snippets of incidents that can be heavily edited,” says Insp. Pidcock. “But now we have a complete record from our perspective. The officers are better able to articulate, explain and testify to what occurred, using the video.” The latest generation Axon Body-4 cameras capture a wide field of view, provide real-time audio uploads, and automatically generate transcripts, that officers can use to write reports. “There are also productivity tools which essentially assist the officer to write a report based on what has been recorded and how served,” Pidcock says. “It does save time, and our goal is to get the officers back out serving the public and not sitting behind their computer writing reports.” The footage is uploaded to a secure cloud system and can be live-streamed to the police operations centre when needed. Cameras remain off during routine patrols and peaceful protests but automatically activate if a situation escalates and a taser is drawn. Sgt. Sean Convey, one of the service’s crisis intervention officers, where most of the cameras have been deployed, says the rollout connects directly with lessons learned from the Abdi inquest. “The Abdirahman Abdi inquest helped bring additional focus and urgency to that goal,” says Sgt. Convey. “Through the mental change initiative, we’ve worked to ensure the rollout connects directly with our priorities, which are openness and learning and improving responses to mental health crisis.” Convey adds that the new technology can also help de-escalate tense encounters and reduce time spent on paperwork. “I can’t see them being a downfall,” he said. “I’ve seen situations where a camera being involved can actually help de-escalate situations.” Ottawa police expect to rollout cameras to all frontline officers by 2027. The service’s draft 2026 budget includes a $36 million increase, part of which will fund a wider deployment. “Our officers have been asking for it for a long time because they see the value in having that accountability, transparency and that objective record of what’s gone on,” says Insp. Pidcock.
