'Long-awaited': Sudbury police details timelines, costs for bodycams

The Greater Sudbury Police Service will begin rolling out bodycamsin January.

This announcement follows nearly four years of calls from anti-racism groups in Sudbury for changes to local police services.

In 2020, Black Lives Matter Sudbury urged local police to equip officers with body cameras. This discussion is happening in many communities, with various groups advocating for police accountability following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in the United States.

According to a report presented at the police board meeting on Oct.16, the service is set to receive 30 bodycamsin December. Officers in the Emergency Response Unit and the Traffic Management Unit will undergo initial training shortly after, with a full rollout expected in January.

"We're ready to roll this out. It will only strengthen our public trust as we commit to this program moving forward," saidSudbury's Police Chief Sara Cunningham.

She calls the rollout "a complete change in the way [police] do business."

The service will monitor the initial deployment by reviewing workflows, conducting audits, and assessing staffing needs. A full service-wide deployment is anticipated by January 2026.

During the meeting, Cunningham emphasized the importance of making necessary workflow adjustments and evaluating the demands on their digital evidence management system.

"It includes a staged rollout plan. Thus ensuring that our members are set up to be successful in rolling this out by standardizing the training format, we will ensure that we remain consistent, compliant and operational ready," said Cunningham.

According to the chief, the phased rollout model allows for adjustments to timelines if necessary. This approach also aligns with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario's model governance framework.

The police service budgeted $3.3 million for bodycams and controlled energy weapons in 2021. Currently, about $1.7 million allocated for the cameras remains unspent. The full deployment is projected to require an additional $3.76 million by 2030.

Al Sizer, chair of the Greater Sudbury Police Services Board, called the report "long-awaited" and "anticipated." He says he's keen to keep on top of all updates to see how the organization is doing with the new technology.

The Greater Sudbury Police Service says itwill provideregular updates on the bodycam implementation to maintain public trust and accountability.