THUNDER BAY - Mike Dimini, a traffic Const. with the Thunder Bay Police Service, said not only do body worn cameras allow for more transparency in the service, they also help officers better serve the community.
“I think they show a lot of positive effect for the public, transparency for the service, and it shows people we are not afraid to show what we do on a day to day basis,” he said. “It makes us better officers. We have a chance to review our calls and what we’ve done and see where we can grow and get better as a service.”
Dimini was one of the first officers outfitted with a body-worn camera when the pilot project began late last year. The original pilot was to end at the end of February, but Insp. Dan Taddeo informed the Thunder Bay Police Services Board that the pilot has been extended to March.
“The project has been extended now due to difficulties getting in all of the equipment that was agreed to in the trial period with the vendor,” he said. “We have another month and a half left.”
Six officers in the traffic unit and three uniformed patrol officers are outfitted with body cameras and one vehicle is fitted with a camera in both the front facing position and viewing the prisoner compartment to the back. A second vehicle will be outfitted with cameras on March 7.
Since the pilot began last November more than 1,700 videos have been created. During the Police Services Board meeting on Tuesday in Fort William First Nation, Taddeo shared several redacted examples recorded by Thunder Bay officers, including traffic violations, an intoxicated man in need of assistance in the cold near city snowplows, and a foot chase where a subsequent investigation led to drug trafficking charges.
“It gives excellent perspective on the police officer involved,” Taddeo said. “It’s not just some snap shot in time picked up from a cell phone camera for example.”
There has been one complaint filed against an officer who was wearing a camera, which aided in the investigation.
“A motorist was stopped for a traffic violation and there was a complaint made in regards to how the officer’s conduct was perceived,” Taddeo said. “The body-worn camera was reviewed and suggested it was otherwise.”
According to Taddeo, technology has changed significantly in the last three years and cloud based storage now allows for easier storage and sharing of recorded videos.
“Technology has now evolved where Cloud Storage is now encrypted, it’s Canadian-based, and it satisfies all the requirements of privacy legislation, both federal and provincial,” Taddeo said. “We have a number of tools where we can do with it as we need. It’s all very important as we move toward looking at an RFP for what a company or companies can do for us and what we can do for the lowest cost possible.”
One of the recommendations in Independent Police Review Director Gerry McNeilly’s report into the Police Service was to outfit vehicles and officers with cameras.
Thunder Bay Police Service Chief Sylvie Hauth requested an additional $1 million on top of the $41.8 million police operating budget for 2019 to fund the implementation of OIPRD recommendations, including outfitting officers with body worn cameras.
“That was part of the amended budget request ratified by city council,” Taddeo said. “The cost for year one is included in the budget so we will be moving forward with this.”
The Police Service is now in procurement discussions with respect to moving forward with the program and choosing a vendor to supply the equipment.
Ideally, Taddeo said he would like to see all officers outfitted with body worn cameras, which would be approximately 130, based on the needs of various sections.
According to Dimini, many of his fellow officers have approached him to ask about the cameras and how they can become involved.
“I think most if not all want to see this project go through,” he said. “I think it’s going to be beneficial for everybody to show everyone how we do our jobs and that we do a fantastic job as a service.”
