Montreal police ramp up use of body cameras

About 40 police officers working out of three stations in Montreal will be wearing body cameras in the coming weeks.

The second phase of the pilot project begins next Thursday, with officers from Station 38 in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough being equipped with the new technology.

On Oct. 5, officers at Station 8 in Lachine will get them and the force is aiming for officers at Station 39 in Montreal North to be wearing them by Oct. 14.

The three stations were chosen because they receive ahigh volume of calls and because officers at those stations intervene in a variety of situations and deal with diverse segments of thepopulation, police say.

In the first phase, which began in May, 20 Metro policeofficers and 10 traffic patrollersworking in the southernpart of the island were equipped with cameras.

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The pilot project will last until February, when all the cameras will be taken out of service.Public consultationswill begin in the spring.

Montreal police chief Philippe Pichet announced the plan last October. The police union and Mayor Denis Coderre have both voiced their support for the project in the past.

Montreal police say thegoal of having officers wear the cameras is to ensure the transparency ofpolice interventions and build trust between citizens and police.

There is some evidencethat use of body-worn cameras by police reduces both complaints against police and the use of force by front-line officers.

The initiative was the first of its kind in Quebec when it was launched.It will cost $1.7 million for 2016, which includes salaries for thoseassigned to the project and buying the cameras.

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