Edmonton police test chest video cameras

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EDMONTON, Alberta, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Edmonton (Alberta) Police Superintendent Ed Keller said police are testing the use of chest-mounted cameras to record interactions with suspects and the public.

Keller told a news conference Tuesday the palm-size devices will be strapped to officers' uniform collars.

No other forces in Canada use the cameras. Victoria, British Columbia tried similar ones for four months in 2009 but abandoned the project because of the cost of $1,300 each, the Edmonton Journal reported.

Police researcher Mary Stratton said some smaller U.S. forces use the chest cameras and they are more common in Britain.

Questions remain about how the devices will perform at night and during Edmonton's notoriously cold winters, the report said.

It will also be a test of individuals' rights under the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act and the Criminal Code, the Journal said.