Cobourg Municipal Bylaw Enforcement introduce body cams

By Cecilia Nasmith

The Town of Cobourg's Legislative Services Division announces the introduction of body-worn cameras for Municipal Law Enforcement Officers.

This follows council's approval in August of robust, comprehensive policies for body-worn camera use, developed in line with recommendations made by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Information and Privacy Commission of Ontario.

The move is an effort to improve transparency and ensure accountability of town staff, enhancing trust between them and the community. It should also improve enforcement reporting and accountability.

The announcement noted that the body-worn cameras are intended to capture specific interactions with the public as opposed to recording a full shift. The body-worn cameras allow for accurate documentation of officer-public interactions, and enhance the accuracy of officer reports and court testimony.

“Audio and video recordings also enhance the town's ability to review enforcement proceedings and may also be useful in documenting infractions, violations and accident scenes or other events that include the confiscation, removal of equipment, personal items and vehicles from town or private property,” the press release added.

Following training this week, Municipal Law Enforcement Officers will begin using body-worn cameras the week of Sept. 26.

In accordance with applicable legislation, the minimum retention period for recordings from body-worn cameras is 60 days. Recordings of evidence captured during an investigation will be kept a minimum of 2.5 years after the last incident of this evidence being used or disclosed.

For more details, visit the Body-Worn Camera page on the municipal website at www.cobourg.ca/BWC