Hamilton police board hits pause on body-cam pilot
Hamilton police will put off a body-worn camera pilot project for at least another year since the service does not yet have a digital evidence management" platform capable of storing and processing the vast amounts of data the cameras record.
A report presented to the local police board Friday found several police services in Canada that have tested body-worn cameras also have access to advanced digital infrastructure.
Supt. Mike Worster, who presented the report, said digital evidence management categorizes and edits data, including photos, videos and audio, into more palatable formats that can be quickly accessed for court purposes or police investigations.
While it's possible to run a body-worn camera program without a (digital evidence management) platform, the amount of data that could be obtained on a given shift would be irrelevant if not properly managed," he said.
Members of the board agreed unanimously on a motion to develop a digital management system before revisiting the pilot for body-worn cameras next year.
Beside the issue of data storage, concerns were also raised about the project price tag.
A September report presented to the board suggested a 14-month pilot with 100 cameras would cost police roughly $250,000. Should the pilot be successful, a full deployment would cost $5 million over five years with 610 cameras.
Coun. Chad Collins said there are other, more pressing needs presently in the police budget, such as the construction of a joint police/fire station in Waterdown, that put the program in peril.
I just don't think, from a budget perspective, we see this happening anytime soon," said Collins.
Coun. Tom Jackson said recent conversations with community leaders led him to surmise that money spent on cameras could be better spent elsewhere.
I've been torn on this topic; leaning towards them, leaning against them. I am now leaning more against body-worn cameras," said Jackson.
I've gathered from community leaders that there's not overwhelming support for body-worn cameras, and that possibly money within the police service funds and our budget could be spent in other directions."
Sebastian Bron is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach him via email: sbron@thespec.com