Garda call for talks on cameras

The largest Garda staff association has called for a debate on the introduction of body cameras.

The London Met and the PSNI are operating extended pilots on them, with the Northern Ireland Policing Board backing the scheme.

Now rank-and-file gardaí are urging an examination on it here, against the background of demands for greater accountability of the force and “a rising tide of assaults” on members.

Garda Representative Association boss PJ Stone said: “Initial studies suggest that the number of vexatious complaints can be hugely reduced, and the complaints procedure can be speeded up — building trust and public confidence.”

He added: “Its use also suggests the reduction in both the number of assaults and the use of force; it professionalises officer behaviour and can provide compelling evidence in court — further encouraging early guilty pleas.”

He said body cameras have been used in domestic violence prosecutions.

But he said there were “costs as well as benefits”. He said the technology would require an initial expenditure, training for officers, and storage of material. He said the system would have to be subject to tight controls and protocols.

In an editorial in the Garda Review, Mr Stone said the wearing of a body camera in a person’s home could be an invasion of privacy.

A spokesman for the Garda Commissioner has told the Irish Examiner that the force was “currently examining the benefits of using body worn cameras”.

In the North, the PSNI launched a pilot project in June 2014, which was extended by three months.

Jonathan Craig, committee chairman of the Northern Ireland Policing Board, said the use of body-worn video was something the board had backed for a number of years.

He said a review carried out by the board in 2009 highlighted the benefits in domestic violence situations.

He said there had been “very positive feedback” on the pilot from officers and criminal justice partners.

“This clearly shows the use of such kit can be of benefit to both officers and victims by providing vital evidence of crime,” said Mr Craig.