Body-worn cameras continue to be effective for the Belleville Police Service.
Acting Chief Chris Barry will report a success story to the Police Services Board Thursday morning.
Belleville officers began wearing body cameras in 2022 following a 2021 pilot project.
On April 13, Belleville police arrived on the scene of an incident at the roundabout at Maitland Drive and Farnham Road and found one of the drivers had fled on foot.
The suspect was arrested nearby and, after being placed in a cruiser, smashed his forehead into the plexiglass divider several times.
He required hospital treatment to have his wounds stitched up.
Because the suspect was injured, the Special Investigations Unit was contacted, but the body camera footage clearly demonstrated the suspect’s injuries were self-inflicted and as a result, the SIU determined to not invoke its mandate and investigate the incident.
Acting Chief Barry says the technology benefitted the police service in two ways. Â Financially, they avoided a lengthy and costly investigation and, BPS officers did not have to participate in a stressful investigative process that often can take months to resolve.
