Beginning today, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has deployed 85 officers with body cams.
The VPD has released more info on how the body cams will be used, including that the cams aren’t expected to be turned on at all times.
The six-month pilot will include officers from the VPD Traffic Section, the downtown core, and East Vancouver. The trial results will guide a broader potential deployment of body-worn cameras for all officers.
If it isn’t already, I think “police body cam phenomenon” or a similar term will be coined. Police body cams were theorized to increase police accountability and transparency, but how often is relevant body cam footage actually available when police do things they shouldn’t do? Here’s a working version of “police body cam phenomenon:” a seemingly effective thing, when exclusively controlled by parties opposed to the thing accomplishing what it’s intended to accomplish, is unlikely to actually accomplish that thing