By Christena Lawrie, CFRC's Broadcast Journalist and Local Journalism Initiative Reporter.
At the last Kingston Police Service Board meeting, the process of implementing a body-worn camera program was set in motion, aligning Kingston with a growing number of Canadian municipalities.
Looking across Ontario, many major and mid-sized regional forces, including Toronto, Durham, Waterloo, Ottawa, London, Cobourg, and Belleville, have rolled out or scheduled frontline body camera implementations.
The RCMP began a nationwide rollout in November 2024, aiming to deploy roughly 10,000 cameras to frontline officers. About 79% of frontline members were equipped as of July 2026, with full implementation expected by fall 2027.
Chair Gregory Ridge brought the motion before the Board, requesting that Chief Adam MacIntosh return to the Board next month with a report regarding the proposed implementation of a body-worn camera program. The report will cover the program’s scope and implementation timeline, financial and staffing requirements, expected outcomes and measures of effectiveness, as well as policies and procedures, cybersecurity, training, community consultation and public communication.
Ridge described the motion as a long-awaited step toward greater accountability and transparency, reflecting a conversation the public has been having for some time.
MacIntosh, who took on the role of Chief in January, said developing a body-worn camera program has also been a priority for him since the beginning of his term.
Following the preliminary report in November, Chief MacIntosh will also provide a second comprehensive public report in February 2027 with further details and implementation progress.
Listen to the story here.