Bodycams worn by Toronto FreshCo cashiers raise questions about safety and privacy

Some foodstuff stores owned by Sobeys Inc. Ar the in vogue(p) Toronto stores to try body-worn cameras.

In a financial statement, the retailer confirmed it's piloting the project after the bodycams were spotted on FreshCo cashiers in a store located at Sherbourne and Isabella streets. 

The cameras are being used to combat harassment and assault directed toward employees and to prevent shoplifting and other crimes, Sobeys spokesperson Caitlin Gray said.

But James Turk, director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, said he thinks they could have the opposite effect. 

Sobeys has seen a significant decrease in violence and aggression toward employees and customers since the cameras were introduced to select locations, Gray said in a statement. The retailer also said the bodycams only record when activated during an incident and are not used to monitor employees. 

Sobeys has not yet responded to questions about when the pilot officially began.

But Turk still feels the cameras put the employees wearing them at unnecessary risk. “They can have the same kind of surveillance using fixed cameras aimed at the right locations,” he said.

Privacy experts have also raised some concerns about the practice.

The public should also be informed about the use of the cameras and whether the footage is being retained and for how long, the statement said.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada also provided a statement that says any any organization subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act should take steps to ensure that the public is informed that video surveillance is taking place.

Organizations must also ensure recordings that are no longer required be destroyed, erased, or made anonymous, the federal office said.

Stores participating in the Sobeys pilot are adhering to all applicable privacy laws, including posted signage, Gray said in response.

Meanwhile, Rui Rodrigues, the executive advisor for loss prevention and risk management at the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), said he supports the use of bodycams.

The RCC has found that both the amount retailers have lost and the number of violent incidents in retail locations have increased in recent years, Rodrigues said. 

A Toronto police data dashboard also shows that the number of shoplifting incidents valued at over $5,000 has increased from 32 in 2020 to 105 in 2024. 

With that in mind, Rodrigues said he feels more cameras will deter opportunistic criminals.

“I think the key is the knowledge that it's there. It's in your face,” he said, noting that retailers have used similar tactics for years. 

“Public view monitors, for example … you'll have a monitor hanging at the entrance, usually a little higher when you walk in, you see yourself. And that is a deterrence."

As for Turk’s assertion that bodycams are redundant to fixed surveillance cameras, Rodrigues said he feels they provide a different viewpoint for any incident that does occur and may be better at capturing images of criminals attempting to conceal their identity.

Still, Turk urged any employee who feels unsafe wearing a body camera to speak with their employer.

“If an individual feels that wearing a bodycam puts them at risk, they have a right to refuse,” he said, adding they can also speak to union representatives or contact the Ministry of Labour.

Reporter

Tyler Cheese reports on local and provincial news in Toronto and the GTA. You can contact him at tyler.cheese@cbc.ca or @TylerRCheese on X.

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