Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for body cameras on police officers.
The conversation is being reignited in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis which was recored by a witness to the incident.
The petition was launched prior to Monday’s demonstration in Halifax and has over 20,000 signatures.
In 2017, former Halifax police chief Jean-Michel Blais recommended against a costly five-year body camera pilot program.
The program would have introduced 50 body-worn cameras and total $1.4 million annually.
At the time, Blais said he was not convinced body cameras were helpful in every situation especially in marginalized communities.
The petition was created by Halifax resident Erin Johnson.
She says it’s time for the Halifax Regional Police to reconsider this investment as a tool for their officers, with the goal of holding the police force accountable to the law.
