The police in the Republic of Ireland, An Garda Síochána, are moving towards carrying body-worn video. The force has published a Request for Tender (RfT) for the procurement of Body Worn Cameras (BWC) and Digital Evidence Management Systems (DEMS).
The Irish police propose a Proof of Concept (PoC) for body worn, trialling the equipment in Dublin, out of Pearse Street, Kevin Street and Store Street Garda stations; and in Waterford and Limerick outside the capital. As for a timetable, the force says that the body worn will be used operationally, in the trial areas in the second quarter of 2024. A further and separate procurement process will look for body-worn for all Garda members and which will be informed by the learnings of the trial, the force adds.
As elsewhere, the police say that body-worn is for safety of officers; to improve ability to collect evidence for trial; and add to accountability.
Chief Superintendent Derek Smart said: “The publication of this Request for Tender brings An Garda Síochána a step closer to the reality of Body Worn Cameras being generally used by Gardaí. This Proof of concept period provides an opportunity for An Garda Síochána to understand the capacity and capabilities of Body Worn Cameras and for the public to provide their feedback to An Garda Síochána prior to the organisation wide roll out of Body Worn Cameras.
Andrew O Sullivan, Chief Information Officer for An Garda Síochána, said: “This is the next step in the procurement and roll out of Body Worn Cameras for An Garda Síochána continuing our ongoing commitment to providing our Gardaí with the most modern electronic tools to be effective in keeping them and people safe in today’s society. The Proof of Concept phase is an essential element to introducing Body Worn Cameras, in a way which is clearly explained and understood by everybody in society, as a tool to assist members of An Garda Síochána in their day to day duties.”
Background documents are on the An Garda Siochana website.
Background
Recommendation 12 of the recent Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) report, mentioned separately in the March print edition of Professional Security Magazine, states that An Garda Síochána ‘should develop a plan to deploy body worn cameras’. As for the legal basis, The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023 was signed into law in December.
In the UK, body worn video cameras are routinely carried by police; Axon equipment by the Met Police, for example.
Picture by Mark Rowe: Police on patrol, crossing O’Connell Street, Dublin, February dusk.
