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Toronto police officers begin wearing body cameras as start of year-long rollout

Toronto police say some officers are now wearing body cameras as it rolls out their usage over the next year.

Deputy Chief Shawna Coxon says one shift of front-line officers in a division in the city’s northwest corner began wearing the cameras last week.

She says preliminary response from both officers and the community have been positive.

The force recently signed a five-year deal with Axon for $34 million, which includes 2,350 cameras and cloud-based storage.

Coxon says the cameras will increase accountability and transparency.

Critics have said the force should be cutting spending rather than investing in technology that studies suggest their effectiveness is inconclusive.

This article by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2020.

– The Canadian Press Enterprises Inc., 2020