Search Ottawa police on YouTube and more than 66,000 hits crop up.

Many are videos uploaded from the public, with titles such as "police brutality," "criminal cover-up" and "Ottawa police punch and choke drunk man."

The public may never see the full picture from only a few minutes of tape but could police capturing events with their own personal cameras help shed some light? And halt frivolous police complaints?

The Ottawa Police Association supports body-worn video cameras for the rank-and-file but Ottawa's top cop says no.

"The reality is, we are under video," said OPA president Matt Skof, who has long wanted the equipment. "We don't have perspective video."

Such video would provide unedited footage from an officer's perspective, said Skof.

It could be used in court and to battle back against unfounded allegations.

Ottawa Police Chief Charles Bordeleau understands the public videotaping officers on the street is a reality.

"I think it's a fact. We have to accept that. I think that's the nature of society today," said Bordeleau, adding his officers are "very cognizant" of that reality.

But having such equipment also brings questions surrounding costs, when to even turn them on, and how such massive amounts of data would be stored and maintained.

Bordeleau said they have "no interest right now" in equipping officers with such cameras.

"I've got limited money to spend on technology," said Bordeleau. "It's not something they're knocking on my door saying they want this or we need this."

Being taped for an entire shift also brings up privacy issues, said Skof, such as personal phone calls or bathroom breaks.

Ottawa police also do not have dash cams in cruisers; the force tested the technology but never had it installed.

The force also dropped the use of cameras when using a Taser.

— Danielle Bell