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There will soon be an extra set of eyes watching interactions with Okotoks RCMP.
Okotoks RCMP officers are going to be equipping frontline officers with body-worn cameras, which is part of the Alberta RCMP's ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and modernization.
They have received comprehensive training, and their officers are ready to use this technology while they are out serving the community.
It's part of a 12-month long nationwide rollout of bodycams, which started back in the autumn of 2024.
In total, between 10,000 and 15,000 cameras are being deployed across Canada for frontline officers, and the Alberta RCMP detachments are at the forefront of this initiative.
Bodycams are becoming used more often by police agencies around the world, because they can provide accurate, unbiased audio-video documentation of the police interactions with the public.
"Your Alberta RCMP is proud to implement this technology to meet the ever-changing policing needs of Albertans and uphold public safety," they stated in a media release.
Some of the benefits of officers wearing bodycams include enhanced accountability and public trust due to the unbiased audio-video documentation, and improved police-community interactions because cameras often encourage respectful encounters and help to reduce tension.
Not only that, but bodycams help to better collect evidence, because the footage they collect supports police investigations and prosecutions, and they help to efficiently resolve complaints.
The Okotoks RCMP will begin using these bodycams on March 14.
The High River RCMP will also be wearing bodycams, beginning in March.