Police inspecting 150 body-worn cameras
The Calgary Police Service will be testing approximately 150 of its body-worn cameras after a technical problem with the built-in radio microphone portion of the devices was found in a small number of them.
The button officers use to talk on these radio microphones has become stuck on 14 devices, which can cause interference with the police radio network. As a proactive measure, police will be testing all devices to ensure no others are experiencing the same problem. Any devices that are functioning properly will be returned to service immediately.
The testing mainly affects officers in District 1. There are 26 body-worn cameras used by the Calgary Police Service Traffic Section that do not have built-in radio microphones. These cameras do not require testing and will remain in service.
The Calgary Police Service is committed to phasing in body-worn cameras across all areas of the Service by 2017 and this testing is not expected to have a significant impact on this roll-out. The company that manufactures the device is assisting with the testing and any resulting repairs as the cameras are still under warranty, so this process is not expected to create any additional cost for the Calgary Police Service.
More information on the body-worn camera program in Calgary can be found on the Calgary Police Service website.