Body Worn Camera Survey - Peterborough Police and Trent Research Centre

The Body Worn Camera Survey is now closed.

Thank you to the community for over 2000 responses to our survey, we are very happy with the amount of engagement we received regarding this issue. Now that the survey for Body worn cameras has come to a close the Trent researcher will be compiling all of the data which will go into a public report that Peterborough Police will be sharing. This report, along with a presentation to Senior Leadership, will help guide leadership and the Police Service Board’s decision on implementing PBWC.

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The Peterborough Police Service is partnering with the Trent Research Centre to conduct a survey to better understand and obtain input from the community on police worn body cameras.

Body-worn cameras have entered the public discourse as a potential tool to increase police accountability. The exploration of this technology has become important as many police services across the province and the country are in various stages of research and implementation. Both organizations are interested in the views and experiences of the citizens of the City of Peterborough, Village of Lakefield, and Township of Cavan-Monaghan.

The survey was open from Tuesday, February 1, 2022, until Monday, February 28, 2022.

A link is provided below and can also be found through peterboroughpolice.com and Peterborough police social media accounts.

Responses will help us understand and learn how the community feels about the use of body-worn cameras as well as form guidelines and policies and potentially a pilot project.

Participation is voluntary and anonymous; however, the Trent researcher is looking for age, gender, career and in which municipality you reside or work.

If you have any questions about the research or wish to receive a paper copy of the survey, please contact below.

Quotes:

“It’s imperative that the Peterborough Police Service understands the community’s feelings on body-worn cameras along with the full impact of implementing such technology into the daily activities of the Service. Over the past number of years, there has been discussion about the use of body-worn camera technology in the context of officer and public safety. As we explore this option for our service, we thank those in advance for completing the survey.” – Timothy Farquharson, Acting Chief of Police, Peterborough Police Service

“The Peterborough Police Service is looking forward to working on this project with Trent University’s Centre for Community-Based Research. Community engagement on issues such as the use of body-worn cameras is an important part of the process which why this process is designed to reach as many communities as possible. We encourage the community to lend their voice to the subject and fill out the survey.” – Emily Jones, Community Engagement and Development Coordinator, Peterborough Police Service

"I believe that this research is crucial for the Peterborough Police Service to not only obtain responses that can aid in the successful implementation of body-worn cameras, but to also enhance transparency and engage the community in this important decision. Furthermore, community responses will provide insight into how the public would feel about such a change and can help the service to better serve their community. The questions in this survey will allow for the service to gain a general idea of potential concerns the public may have, and reasons why individuals believe body-worn cameras should or should not be implemented. This survey has been approved by the Trent Ethics Board. Thank you for your participation in advance." – Sabrina Wolanczyk, Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science, Trent Undergraduate Student