Starting next year, members of the Lethbridge Police Service will be wearing body-worn cameras with funding support from the city.
City Council approved a funding request from the Lethbridge Police Commission, with up to $555,000 approved in 2025 and up to $914,000 in 2026. If the city receives grant funding from the Province of Alberta, the approved funding for 2026 will be up to $709,000. The money will support the costs associated with the implementation of the equipment and the operating costs, along with any costs associated with licensing, disclosure and the Digital Evidence Management System.
Mayor Blaine Hyggen explains having police wear these cameras will add another element of transparency for both LPS members and the public.
“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,” Hyggen says.
City Administration was also directed by council to include the ongoing budget pressure for body-worn cameras in both the 2027 and 2028 to 2031 Operating Budgets.
Chief Financial Officer Darrell Mathews explains that while the funding over the next two years will come from the Municipal Revenue Stabilization Reserve as a one-time allocation, this is a cost that will need to be addressed moving forward.
