Ernie Louttit had his share of ugly confrontations while walking the beat as a Saskatoon cop: wrestling drunks; breaking up domestic disputes.

Later in court, it often came down to his word against the account of an accused.

He said having a confrontation caught on camera would have solved a lot of problems.

"You know, so many incidents where I was alone, where I wish I would have had that silent partner with me to show the courts what I was seeing, or what I didn't see, even," he said.

Louttit admits there are potential privacy concerns with having an officer outfitted with a body camera, but he said the benefits outweigh the costs.

The issue emerged in the wake of the fatal shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. The victim's family is calling for American police to wear body cameras.

Louttit said it could offer a perspective rarely seen.

"There's times when a camera would give a point of view that is so unique to a police officer, and it would give it to a judge or to lawyers," he said.