Front-line officers in Abbotsford will wear body cameras starting in May as part of a six-month pilot project.

The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) announced the project on Wednesday (April 23), stating that officers from two designated patrol shifts will wear the Axon cameras on a daily basis.

Media officer Sgt. Paul Walker said each shift will see 16 cameras in use.

He said the project is expected to improve transparency and accountability.

Real-time video and audio of interactions between officers and the public will ensure an accurate record of events, he said.

Walker said the cameras will also enable the department to promptly review any concerns or complaints about particular incidents and will increase safety.

鈥淭he presence of cameras can deter aggressive behaviour and provide crucial evidence in our investigations,鈥� Walker said.

According to the about the cameras, officers will begin recording during various instances, including when officers believe the use of force might be necessary or when the person they are dealing with is aggressive or might become violent.

The cameras will also record when a person indicates their intention to file a complaint, when interviewing a witness or suspect, and when the officer believes that 鈥減erishable evidence鈥� needs to be collected.

The web page states that officers are required to identify potential privacy risks in situations that include inside a home, law officer or place of worship; during exposure to medical care; when individuals have exposed private body areas; and when victims or witnesses are 鈥渞eluctant to cooperate or request not to be recorded in sensitive situations.鈥�

鈥淎ny recordings made are handled in according with the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act,鈥� the website states.

鈥淭his means your personal information will only be collected, used and disclosed as authorized by law. Identifiable personal information will be reviewed and, where necessary, redacted to protect your privacy.鈥�

Officers cannot edit or delete footage. Recordings are automatically deleted after 13 months, unless they are needed as evidence of a crime, violation or complaint.

Walker said the cameras are being loaned to the APD by Axon at no cost during the six months, and $50,000 has been set aside in the police budget to handle administrative tasks such as processing and transcribing video that is needed as part of any ongoing cases.

He said if body cameras are approved on a permanent basis, the annual expense is not yet known because it is dependent on the number of devices purchased and the ongoing operating costs.

Walker said the program will be reviewed at the end of six months to assess its efficacy, anticipated ongoing costs, and operational impacts.

The APD has previously considered the use of body-worn cameras. In its March 2019 budget, $1 million was allocated for the 2020-21 fiscal year, but the spending was later removed from the city budget.

The city鈥檚 five-year budget in 2015 had forecast a similar amount on body cameras in 2018, but that also did not come to fruition.

Other municipal police departments currently using body-worn cameras include Vancouver and Delta.

Meanwhile, several RCMP detachments across the province began using body-worn cameras in November 2024 as part of the first-phase rollout.

A total of 300 cameras went to front-line officers in Mission, Tofino, Ucluelet, Cranbook, Kamloops and Prince George. At the time, the RCMP said a total of 3,000 cameras would be deployed across B.C. over the next 12 to 18 months.

RCMP officers in Fort St. John and the surrounding Peace Region began using them in January of this year.