Police body cams not 'worthwhile' if officers can turn them off, lawyer says

There's no point in police officers wearing body cameras if they are able to turn them on and off, Toronto lawyer Peter Rosenthal says.

Rosenthal was responding to comments made by police Chief Mark Saunders, who said last week that officers should be able to control the camera because of privacy issues.

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On Thursday, Toronto police will ask the Police Services Board for about $500,000 to facilitate the call for proposals from potential suppliers of body-worn cameras.

The force wants to acquire the cameras for all officers after wrapping up a ten-month pilot of the technology earlier this year.

But Rosenthal said Thursday that the project will be "destroyed" if officers are not required to leave their cameras on at all times.

"There are real privacy concerns, but those should be dealt with at the other end, not with the police officer making the decision," Rosenthal, who has represented clients who have been shot by police, told CBC's Metro Morning.

He said that recordings taken from the body cameras should be kept private unless they are needed for an investigation.

Calgary police want officers to control own cameras

Other cities in Canada are also moving their police forces toward body-worn cameras. In Calgary, all officers are expected to be equipped with a camera by 2017.

The Calgary Police Service says officers can and should turn off their cameras in some situations, such as at a law office or hospital, when interviewing a sexual assault victim or child, or when making a personal phone call.

But Rosenthal thinks Toronto should avoid cherry-picking when officers can turn off their device, arguing that under those circumstances, the expensive program would not be "worthwhile at all.

"You never know what's going to happen," he said.