As policing organizations across North America ponder mandating the use of body cameras for all on-duty officers, Waterloo Regional Police say they too are considering taking a closer look at the technology.

“Although it’s great to have the oversight and the evidence that would be captured in a body camera, some of the downfalls from it are the costing, the storage of the memory, et cetera,” Staff Sgt. Michael Haffner told CTV News.

The service has discussed using body cameras in the past, and Haffner said they are “absolutely” something that may be considered again in the future.

Body cameras are already used by some police services in Ontario, including in Wingham, where Chief Tim Poole says he’s seen the behaviour of people interacting with officers change once they realize they’re being recorded.

In the United States, New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and officials at the White House are among those who have called for wider use of body cameras by police.

The latest push comes in the aftermath of a fatal shooting by a police officer in North Charleston, South Carolina, captured by cell phone video.

The city’s mayor said Wednesday that 251 body cameras will be ordered, to ensure one for every uniformed officer on patrol.

Had those cameras been in place prior to last weekend’s shooting, a former federal prosecutor said, their use potentially could have spared the life of 50-year-old Walter Lamer Scott.

“They make both police and civilians treat each other better, because they know they are being recorded,” said Paul Butler, now a professor of criminal law at Georgetown University.

"If the police officer knew he was on camera, he may have been deterred from firing his weapon at a fleeing suspect."

In some states, concerns have been raised over whether footage gathered by body cameras should be accessible by the public.

With files from The Associated Press