Coaldale-Picture Butte RCMP begin wearing body-worn cameras in June

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Residents in Coaldale, Picture Butte and across Lethbridge County will soon have their police interactions with RCMP officers recorded.  

The 12-month nationwide roll-out of body-worn cameras, which started in the fall of 2024, is set to begin in this region by the end of June. The Coaldale-Picture Butte RCMP will equip front-line officers with body-worn cameras as part of the Alberta RCMP’s ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and modernization. 

The body-worn cameras will capture both audio and video recordings and will be ready for officers to use later this month following comprehensive training. 

“It’s a phased introduction so it’s our turn in June. We’ve identified a few days in June to train our members with the hands-on (equipment),” said Coaldale-Picture Butte RCMP Staff Sgt. Mike Numan. “By the end of June all our members will be trained in body-worn cameras and prior to that they have online learning to do.” 

A total of 10,000 to 15,000 cameras are being deployed to front-line officers across Canada, while up to 23 officers in the Coaldale-Picture Butte detachment area will be trained to wear them, noted Numan, adding that body-worn cameras are increasingly being used by police agencies around the world, for their ability to provide accurate, unbiased audio-video documentation of police interactions. 

Town of Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn applauds the use of body-worn cameras  and said the initiative is about fairness, clarity, and supporting good policing. He noted that RCMP officers face challenging situations every day, and body-worn cameras offer “clear, objective records that protect both the public and our officers.” 

“The introduction of body-worn cameras is a welcome step toward greater transparency and accountability in policing. Our residents expect professionalism and integrity from law enforcement and this technology reinforces both,” said Van Rijn. “When residents know that interactions with police are being recorded, it builds trust and encourages positive engagement on both sides. Body-worn cameras are an important tool in strengthening public confidence and keeping our communities safe.”

All recordings of police interactions will be uploaded to servers at each detachment, which will store the protected and confidential data, said Numan. 

In addition to enhancing accountability and public trust, the body-worn cameras will improve police-community interactions, provide better evidence collection, with high-quality audio and video footage supporting investigations and prosecutions and will help with efficient complaint resolution, expediting investigations and saving time and resources.

“This footage that we gain is going to be part of our investigation – it’s audio and video footage and it starts (recording) from the start of the incident to the end,” said Numan, noting that investigators often only get a snippet of something that’s happened. “This way everything’s recorded. It will be part of our disclosure and will be provided as part of our court package to the crown prosecutor for the courts to see as well.” 

Numan said having the recordings will not only aide police in resolving concerns and complaints from citizens, but body-worn cameras will also help residents, who will now be aware that they are being recorded. 

“Hopefully that will help their actions be appropriate and it’ll protect them as well from any wrongdoings on an officers part,” said Numan. “It’s kind of a two-way street and we think it’s going to be really beneficial for both us and the community.” 

To learn more about the Alberta RCMP body-worn camera rollout visit the RCMP on Facebook @RCMPinAlberta and on X @RCMPAlberta.