A number of front-line Winnipeg police officers will begin wearing cameras as part of a pilot project that has been talked about for more than a decade.
The six-month pilot project starts June 10 and is an important step forward in the modernization of the police service, police said in a news release.
Forty front line officers will be equipped with Axon Body 4 cameras during regular duties, including responding to calls for service, self‑initiated interactions and enforcement or investigative activities.
The police service will use the pilot project to assess the potential of the cameras to support transparency, accountability, public and officer safety, investigative outcomes and the use of footage in courts, the release said.
Some police officers in Brandon started wearing the cameras earlier this week. That city’s police service said it will have 12 cameras to start, with the goal of having 65 in use by year’s end.
Elsewhere in Manitoba, members of the RCMP wear body cameras, as do all officers in the Manitoba First Nations Police Service.
Police body cams provide an independent account of interactions officers have with the community, the Winnipeg Police Service says. (Submitted by Winnipeg Police Service)
A recommendation to explore the technology for Winnipeg officers first came out in 2013 but was put on the backburner, falling to the wayside in city budgets.
Police Chief Gene Bowers said in March 2026, when he first announced his officers would start wearing the cameras this summer, that the cost of the technology has come down significantly in recent years.
Friday’s announcement provided the exact date. Bowers also previously said there is no cost during the pilot project as the cameras are being provided for free by the company.
About $400,000 was included in the City of Brandon’s budget for its officer-worn cameras.
The Winnipeg Police Service said it wants to hear from the public and its partner organizations “to better understand perspectives, questions, and concerns to ensure the pilot project is informed by meaningful input as it progresses.”
It plans to host public forums and has created a survey for people to fill out.