Ottawa Police Service looking to have 850 more body-worn cameras by 2027

An Ottawa police body-worn cameras is seen in this photo on November 13, 2025. (Tyler Fleming/CTV News Ottawa)

The Ottawa Police Service is already looking toward expanding its use of body-worn cameras after first launching a pilot project last fall.

Thirty Axon Body-Worn Cameras were deployed in November 2025 to members of the Crisis Intervention Team and designated sergeants on the frontline.

A report for the Ottawa Police Service Board policy and governance committee says the police service intends to equip all frontline officers with body-worn cameras by the end of 2027, which would mean purchasing 850 additional cameras at a cost of $30 million, which includes hardware and licences for the accompanying AI software.

The report makes note that the generative AI program has aided in report-writing and transcription times.

“Pilot officers have reported shorter report‑writing times, improved report quality, and more time available to respond to calls and perform proactive work, contributing to the projected return on investment,” the report says.

A presentation prepared for the board says the additional 850 cameras could provide net annual benefits of more than $4.5 million.

“The ROI and Annual Payback provide positive indicators that the investment in BWC not only provides benefits with respect to the level of services provided to the City of Ottawa but will generate efficiency gains with the return of more officer hours (50,000 to 60,000 hours) to core policing duties to make this a sound investment,” the report says.

Police say the cameras offer benefits when it comes to transparency, accountability, and evidence collection. They also come equipped with automatic language‑translation technology in 50 languages.

Police association on board

Ottawa Police Association President Matthew Cox told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal on Friday that the police association had been calling for body-worn cameras since 2012.

“To me, it’s a no brainer. From 2012, the association, we’ve been advocating for it. It’s unfortunately always been the one thing that kept getting chopped off because of financial restraints,” he said. “So, I’m hopeful that this time we’re going to be able to push it across the finish line and equip all of our frontline officers with body-worn cameras.”

Cox says the cameras have been helpful in several ways.

“It definitely helps to allow you to refresh your memory much quicker because now you’re actually seeing your full interaction by playing back your video. It also allows for better training opportunities. If you do go on a call and something doesn’t go quite right, it allows you to go back and review it, just like a pro athlete would be able to do with a video review,” he said.

The police service is seeking board approval to deploy the additional 850 body-worn cameras. It’s expected another 200 would be given to officers this year, and the remaining 650 would be rolled out in 2027. The police service expects to train 165 officers on their use every quarter starting in September.

--With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Pringle

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App