The VPD is now expanding its Body-Worn Camera Program. In the coming months, 800 additional frontline officers will be trained, for a total of 900 officers.

The 2024 Body-Worn Camera Pilot Project provided valuable feedback for the rollout to our frontline VPD officers. We sought feedback and input from community groups, as well as anyone involved in an interaction where cameras were used.

We believe the cameras will strengthen public safety, enhance transparency, trust, and accountability in interactions between the police and the public.

The public can expect that their interactions with Vancouver Police officers could be recorded.

 

VPD Body-Worn Camera Policy

A working group of sworn and civilian members from across the VPD planned the roll-out of the body-worn cameras and created policy for our officers. The policy went into effect on March 7, 2025, with Vancouver Police Board approval.

The policy was reviewed by the BC Information and Privacy Commissioner and is consistent with:

Frequently Asked Questions

Body-worn cameras are relatively small devices that record interactions between the public and police officers. The video and audio recordings can be used to enhance accountability, transparency, and public confidence.

VPD officers may record interactions with the public in these instances:

  • attending a call for service
  • speaking to someone in a police investigation
  • assisting in de-escalating a situation
  • if someone verbalizes their intent to file a complaint
  • anticipating an arrest or detaining a person
  • providing someone with their Charter rights
  • interviewing a witness or suspect
  • if an officer believes perishable evidence needs to be collected

If an officer has a reasonable belief that use of force may be used, or they anticipate violent or aggressive behaviour, the interaction will be recorded.

VPD officers must abide by Standard 6 of the B.C. Provincial Policing Standards. Where discretionary recording is applied, officers must consider circumstances and areas with heightened privacy concerns and ensure that measures are taken to mitigate those risks.

Officers must inform people at the beginning of every recorded encounter, or as soon as reasonably possible, that they are being recorded, unless there is a safety risk in doing so.

Once an officer has activated their camera, it must be left on continuously without interruption until an incident is concluded, except in certain circumstances that warrant the camera being turned off, such as:

  • the officer becomes aware that the recording is in violation of the policy
  • the officer believes recording could inhibit their ability to gather information

Viewing the recordings is restricted to investigation or training purposes, and in accordance with the B.C. Provincial Policing Standards and VPD policy.

Only the officer who took the recording and other designated staff with approval can view the video.

Recordings will only be released in accordance with Part 2 or Part 3 criteria in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). You can apply here.

The recordings are encrypted and stored securely within the current Provincial Digital Evidence Management System.

Recordings are retained in accordance with PRIME-BC retention periods, with the shortest retention being 13 months. Recordings may also be kept for training purposes.

Officers are currently using the Axon Body 4 camera.

As members are trained, they will be expected to deploy with a camera when working an assigned field duty in uniform and in an operational capacity.

There are two operating modes:

  1. Ready/Buffering mode: The camera has been turned on, but is not recording an event. In this mode, the body-worn camera continuously records a 30-second loop of video (no audio) which is retained only if the camera is activated. This allows for capturing the moments before an event begins.
  2. Recording/Event mode: The camera has been activated and is recording audio and visual.