The complex police body-worn camera project continues to be something on the North Bay Police Service's radar.
The project has seen many delays since the initiative was announced back in 2020.
"So the body-worn cameras, we are still moving forward with that into the first quarter of the new year," stated Mike Daze, deputy chief of the North Bay Police Service.
"We do hope to have some of the rollout for the pilot programs for that. It is not as simple as rolling out body-worn cameras. We have to have the technology and the people behind to be able to work with the disclosure of that information and the processing of that mass information and that is the situation we are working through right now to make us ready to go for the start of next year."
See related: Police body worn cameras delayed to 2023
See related: Police chief eager to get body worn camera project in place
The police service made a presentation to the previous police board in October of 2022 just prior to the municipal election which led to a significant change to the new board which is now chaired by Rich Strivrins who took over the position in December of 2022.
Scott Tod, North Bay's police chief, has been an advocate of the camera initiative since 2020.
He believes the new technology will be good for both the police and the public.
"It will be for the members and the public," Tod noted.
"I think it provides an opportunity for accountability as to what our officers are doing in the community and it also provides us with a better ability to collect evidence on the scene when we are investigating crimes or other incidents involving people in our community. It also provides an opportunity for us to collect information in regards to the actions of people in our community so we can better equip ourselves with tools and training to deal with those critical issues in our community."
Tod believes the delays have created some positives as it allows them to see the transitions of the body-worn cameras being implemented in other Ontario communities.
Tod hopes that will help the Service make a smooth transition.
