City Council approves funding for police body-worn cameras

Starting next year, front-line officers with Lethbridge Police Service will be wearing body-worn cameras.

Based on a mandate from the Province of Alberta, the Lethbridge Police Commission requested ongoing funding from Lethbridge City Council to support the costs associated with implementation and the ongoing operating costs for equipment, licensing, disclosure and the Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS).

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, City Council approved the funding requests based on recommendations from the July 10 Economic & Finance Standing Policy Committee meeting. At that meeting, LPS Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh, Noella Piquette, Lethbridge Police Commission Chair, and Jen Visser, Lethbridge Police Commission Vice Chair, made a presentation that can be viewed here.

The approved funding for body-worn cameras will come from the Municipal Revenue Stabilization Reserve (MRSR) as a one-time allocation, net of any grants received, as follows:

• Up to $555,000 in 2025
• Up to $914,000 in 2026. If the City receives an anticipated Government of Alberta grant of $205,471, this would reduce the 2026 funding to up to $709,000

“This is a financial necessity based on the Provincial mandate, but having front-line officers wearing body-worn cameras will add another element of transparency for the both the LPS and the public,” says Mayor Blaine Hyggen. “Public safety is always our top priority. As we saw with the recent drop in our Crime Severity Index score, investing in our police is one of the ways to keep trending in the right direction. Body-worn cameras have the potential to assist with the speed and accuracy of investigations.”

As part of the approval, Council also directed City Administration to include the ongoing budget pressure for body-worn cameras in both the 2027 and 2028-2031 Operating Budgets.

“This Council was able to use the MRSR for these next two years, but the next City Council will need to address the ongoing costs moving forward,” says Darrell Mathews, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. 

Upcoming budget cycles: 

• City Council will deliberate the 2027 Operating Budget in the spring of 2026. The 2027 Operating Budget is planned to be a stub year added to the 2023-2026 Operating Budget 
• Capital Budget deliberations for the 2027-2030 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) will be conducted in the fall of 2026 
• In 2027, City Council will deliberate the four-year Operating Budget for 2028-2031