(Ottawa, Canada) – Ottawa police plan to issue 200 additional body-worn cameras by the end of 2026, expanding a pilot that began with 30 devices in November 2025.

The October 30 announcement says frontline and specialized officers will receive cameras as training and implementation are completed.

A further 650 devices are planned through 2027, bringing the intended total to 880. Those figures describe the rollout plan, rather than cameras already distributed.

Police say recording will be activated for designated activities under service policy, rather than running continuously. Officers should tell people when recording is underway where practical and safe.

The service says facial recognition is excluded. It lists secure storage, access restrictions, audits and retention rules among its privacy safeguards.

Police describe the devices as supporting evidence collection and accountability. The release does not establish that the expanded program has already improved those outcomes.

Source: Ottawa Police Service, October 30.

Editorial illustration of camera equipment; not an actual Ottawa police device or recorded encounter.