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

Some grocery stores owned by Sobeis I.nc. last TOronto stores to test body cameras.

In a statement, the retailer confirmed it was launching a pilot project after body cameras were spotted on FreshCo cashiers at the store, located at Sherborne and Isabella streets.

The cameras are used to combat harassment and assault of employees and to prevent shoplifting and other crimes, Sobeys spokeswoman Caitlin Gray said.

But James Turk, director of the Center for Free Speech at the University of Toronto, said he thinks they may have the opposite effect.

“I think it makes any employee … more vulnerable, not safer, because potential thieves might see a body camera and just want to take it,” he told CBC Toronto.

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

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

The move is part of a larger trend: Loblaw Companies Ltd. also confirmed to CBC Toronto that it has been piloting body cameras in some of its stores for the past two years.

But Turk still believes the cameras put employees wearing them at unnecessary risk. “They can do the same kind of surveillance using fixed cameras pointed at the right places,” he said.

Customers should be informed about body camera use, experts say

Privacy experts have also expressed some concerns about the practice.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario does not monitor private sector organizations, including grocery stores, but provided CBC Toronto with a statement expressing concern that body cameras may collect “more information than necessary.”

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

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada also provided a statement stating that any covered entity Law on the Protection of Personal Information and Electronic Documents must take steps to ensure that the public is informed that video surveillance is being carried out.

Organizations must also ensure that records that are no longer subject to destruction, erasure or anonymization, the federal agency said.

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

Meanwhile, Rui Rodriguez, executive adviser for loss prevention and risk management at the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), said he supports the use of body cameras.

“Retailers over the last few years… they've been exploring all sorts of options that could help mitigate, de-escalate or deter crime in their locations,” he told CBC Toronto.

Rodrigues said RCC has found that both retailer losses and the number of violent incidents at retail outlets have increased in recent years.

Body cameras are more visible than CCTV systems

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

With that in mind, Rodriguez said he believes more cameras will deter opportunistic criminals.

“I think the key is knowing it's there. It's in front of you,” he said, noting that retailers have been using similar tactics for years.

“For example, public viewing monitors… you'll have a monitor hanging at the entrance, usually a little higher, when you walk in you see yourself. And this is a deterrent.”

As for Turk's contention that body cameras are a duplicate of fixed surveillance cameras, Rodriguez said he believes they provide a different perspective on any incident that actually occurs and can better capture images of criminals trying to hide their identities.

However, Turk encouraged any employee who feels unsafe using a body camera to speak with their employer.

“If a person feels that wearing a body camera puts them at risk, they have the right to refuse,” he said, adding that they could also talk to union representatives or contact the Department of Labor.