Pilot project will see Sudbury police wearing body cameras next year

Some Greater Sudbury Police officers will wear body-worn cameras as part of a pilot project beginning in 2025.

Members of the city's police services board received an update Wednesday on the process of implementing the cameras across the entire force.

Some Greater Sudbury Police officers will wear body-worn cameras as part of a pilot project beginning in 2025. (Photo from video)

While the plan to have all officers wear them began in 2021, Natalie Hiltz, acting police chief, told the board the rollout is a long process. It requires training, purchasing software, hiring people and creating policies to handle the flow of digital evidence.

“We want the public to know is delay is not inaction," Hiltz said.

"We are certainly working, setting up the behind the scenes that supports … a responsible deployment and operationalization of the body-worn-on-video technology."

Hiltz said the first officers will begin wearing the cameras next year as part of a pilot project.

“These cameras will be piloted with a specific group of officers so that we can, on a smaller scale, encounter … the bugs and hiccups and road bumps that we're going to have," she said.

The project will help police learn the potential problems of the new technology, including policy training and using the equipment.

Police board chair Al Sizer said it's not always easy to implement things immediately. While it's something the public has been asking for, Sizer said the cameras will also benefit police.

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“We'll hold our police service accountable to the public, but it will also defend our police service from frivolous, vexatious or remarks (and) accusations that are unfounded," he said.

"So we're really pleased that we are working towards that body-worn cameras. It's been a long process.”

Hiltz said a detailed financial report on the cost of implementing the cameras, along with timelines, will be available at the board's Oct. 16 meeting.

When police in Hamilton brought in cameras in June, it cost the service $10 million over the next five years to bring in 500 cameras.