The rollout of body-worn cameras for RCMP officers across British Columbia, while a valuable tool for evidence, has created an unintended strain on an already understaffed Crown Counsel system.
According to Andrew Duncan, the region director for the BC Crown Counsel Association, the additional video footage is dramatically increasing the workload for prosecutors, leading to delays and exacerbating a pre-existing shortage of legal professionals in the Southern Interior.
“Body-worn cameras, which from the association’s perspective we consider a very valuable tool … have created additional disclosure obligations,” Duncan told AM1150.
“If you have one, two, three, four officers on scene investigating, they’re all recording. The interaction is an hour long. That’s potentially four hours of video that we now have to review.”
This new requirement is transforming what used to be routine charge assessments into lengthy, time-consuming tasks.
For example, Duncan said a simple theft file, which may have taken 30 minutes to review previously, could now occupy a prosecutor for half a day – or more – if multiple officers attended the scene.
The increased workload is contributing to a growing backlog of cases waiting for charge assessment because prosecutors simply do not have the time.
The association has long argued that the Southern Interior is short on prosecutors, and the introduction of body cameras only amplifies that challenge.
However, Duncan said senior management within the BC Prosecution Service does not seem to share their view on the staffing crisis.
Compounding the issue is a provincial hiring freeze that restricts their ability to fill vacancies, even for what Duncan calls essential “frontline” roles that have a direct impact on the public.
For victims of crime, these delays mean a longer wait for justice.
“It just comes with the burden of we need more time to review it. And in this case, we need more Crown to be able to have the time to review it.”
A spokesperson for the BC Prosecution Service said it continues to work with everyone involved to address the disclosure challenges but would not comment on an “active grievance.”
“We understand a grievance was filed by the BC Crown Counsel Association (BCCCA) on May 21, 2025,” the statement read. “There is a negotiated agreement between the provincial government and the BCCCA that sets out the grievance procedure.”
