Sask. RCMP begin body cam rollout, but civil rights lawyer says devices let police control the message

Alec Karakatsanis says body cameras are "one of the most dangerous developments in modern policing."

"It captures what the police perspective is, but also the police control when that footage is released, how it's released, how it's edited, what context it's released into, so they can control the virality," said Karakatsanis, who is based in Washington, D.C., founded the non-profit Civil Rights Corps, and has spent 10 years researching and studying police and body cameras.

The RCMP is rolling out body cams across Canada. Saskatchewan got its first taste Tuesday as officers in Fort Qu'Appelle donned the technology. Other communities like Black Lake, Fond du Lac, Pelican Narrows, Onion Lake and Punnichy are next, with the rest of province's detachments to follow in the next eight to 12 months.

Officers are expected to turn their cameras on in situations where they come into contact with someone or to record statements.

RCMP say the cameras will provide accountability and transparency, but also be useful for recording details during investigations.

"As we continue to modernize as Saskatchewan's provincial police service, body-worn cameras will have a role in our ongoing trust-building with the communities and people we serve," Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the RCMP in Saskatchewan, said in a news release.

"Body-worn cameras are one more tool we can use as police officers in our daily duties and in being accountable to the public."

But Karakatsanis said body cams are another way for police to control the message.

"If there's a particularly egregious incident, they can prevent it from being released at all, but if there's an incident they want to use for propaganda purposes, they can release it right away."

He said police could also use the cameras to record anyone gathering in public for events like protests, then eventually use artificial intelligence and face recognition technology to identify anyone present.

"Everybody in the policing world understands that the purpose of police body cameras is surveillance and power."

The RCMP said the footage taken by body cams will only be released to the public "on an exceptional basis" because of privacy laws in Canada.

RCMP Supt. Murray Chamberlin told CBC that civilians who interact with officers would have to request the body cam footage through an access to information request in most circumstances.

Bob Hughes, an advocate with Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism, said the body cams won't be a silver bullet for transparency.