Canada intends to equip police officer with body-worn cameras to increase trust, accountability and transparency.
The head of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police made the announcement after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he wanted police to wear body cameras to help overcome what he said was public distrust in law and order.
Protesters in Montreal and other Canadian cities took to the streets last Sunday in the latest international demonstrations against police brutality, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota as policeman Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Brenda Lucki has agreed to “engage in work and discussion... on a broader rollout of body-worn cameras” with the National Police Federation union.
Trudeau said he had spoken to Lucki. “One of the things we discussed was the adoption of body cameras. I’m committing to raising this with the provinces this week so we can move forward as quickly as possible,” Trudeau said. “Body cameras are a significant step towards transparency.”
The RCMP, which is a federal police force, also services eight of the 10 provinces. Ontario and Quebec, the two most populous provinces, have their own police. “Many people in this country simply do not feel protected by the police. In fact, they’re afraid of them,” Trudeau said.
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