The Wood Buffalo RCMP is one of the detachments that will be wearing body cameras while they patrol and answer calls. A spokesperson for the law enforcement agency has stated that the body camera footage captured by the officers will not be released to the public unless there is a specific reason for the release. Wood Buffalo RCMP spokesperson Cst. Annie Delisle discussed the decision in a recent email, stating “For privacy and evidentiary reasons any video captured by RCMP members would not be available for public viewing other than possibly during court proceedings and trials. Recordings may be available through the Access to Information Act depending on the nature of the recording and if the recording forms a part of an investigation. Generally speaking, recordings would not be shared outside of Wood Buffalo Detachment.”

In some situations the body camera footage captured by the Wood Buffalo RCMP officers could be shared with other law enforcement agencies if the recordings are part of a major crimes investigation or involved numerous jurisdictions. Spokesperson Delisle also stated that “With today’s mobile technology, police are being recorded by the public during many interactions. Body worn video provides increased transparency and accountability for everyone, while also providing a first-person view of what a police officer encounters, oftentimes in highly dynamic and tense situations.” The body camera project will have 12 officers from the Wood Buffalo RCMP wearing the equipment during their shifts. The hope is that the cameras provide another way to monitor police and community member actions for a higher degree of accountability on both sides of the equation.