OVER 100 Gardaí in Limerick will be equipped with body-worn cameras (BWCs) from today (Thursday August 1), following the continued rollout of a three-county pilot programme.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Minister for Justice Helen McEntee were at Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick City to officially launch the cameras on Shannonside, the second of three jurisdictions in Ireland to be fitted with BWCs in the proof of concept stage.
Pearse Street, Kevin Street, and Store Street Garda Stations in Dublin have all been equipped with the bodycams since May 31, with a rollout of cameras in Waterford expected next month.
Speaking at the launch, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said that the new BWCs are a key step in An Garda Síochána coming in line with other modern police forces.
“The ability of An Garda Síochána to securely acquire and process digital evidence is a key feature of modern policing, and the use of body-worn cameras is supported by underpinning legislation, technology, and training, and is a very important evidentiary tool,” Commissioner Harris said.
The Garda Commissioner said that “over 1,200 pieces of body-worn camera footage have been so far recorded within the three Dublin Garda stations that are using the cameras, with over 300 instances of camera footage being tagged as evidence in summary and indictable offences,” the Garda Commissioner explained.
The bodycams, when inactive, record in 30-second loops so that when a Garda starts recording, the previous 30-seconds are also recorded, giving extra context to the incident. The devices also feature a screen on the front that clearly shows what is being recorded at any given time.
Commissioner Harris said that Gardaí from Store Street, Dublin, who were at the scene of anti-immigration protests and riots in Coolock had recoded 48 pieces of evidential footage that will be used to bring cases against those engaged in violent disorder at the former Crown Paints site that had been earmarked for refugee accommodation.
Speaking in Limerick, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that the rollout in Limerick is a step towards all Gardaí nationwide being equipped with bodycams.
“I want every member of An Garda Síochána to have access to body worn cameras. It is absolutely vital that our Gardaí have body-worn cameras,” she said.
The Justice Minister added that “it’s been very clear in the one and a half months since body-worn cameras have been rolled out in Dublin … that Gardaí feel more protected, but we also have evidence that particular situations have been de-escalated and potential dangerous situations have not arisen because of the use of body-worn cameras”.
“It’s also really important that Gardaí have body-worn cameras to access and to gather evidence so that we can have successful prosecutions.”
Limerick Garda Gavin Keegan said that the cameras will give Garda members more security and make them feel safer on the streets.
Sergeant Gavin McDonald said that the bodycams will also help “level the playing field” in terms of members of the public recording interactions with Gardaí.
“There has been the capacity I suppose for people to maybe edit or use footage for their own purposes and use a very, very small section of that footage. So I suppose, for me, I really feel that it levels the playing field, in that there’s a very much non-biased account of what has happened,” he said.
