Limerick gardaí will be among first in the country to get body-worn cameras

GARDAí in Limerick will be among the first in the country to get body-worn cameras as part of a €2.1m “proof of concept” project.

It comes after An Garda Síochána published a contract tender in a move to equip gardaí with the technology.

The contract covers both the body-worn cameras themselves, along with software and services for gardaí in Henry Street Garda Station, as well as Dublin and Waterford. 

It would see a trial period in each region to see the pros and cons of the technology. 

Limerick local Chief Superintendent Derek Smart said that 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 rollout of body-worn cameras,” he added.

In total, there will be 200 cameras provided for the Limerick scheme, with the initial use planned for roads policing units, the regular units and the community policing units. 

Among the possibilities for the pilot scheme in Limerick would be a 30-second buffer, a feature where a camera provides audio footage dating back 30 seconds from the activation moment, a common feature among most police body camera models worldwide. 

The Limerick pilot will also be used to consider the advantages and disadvantages of personal versus pooled used cameras, which would decide whether a camera is tied to one officer, or if the camera is passed between gardaí as they swap shifts. 

The tender also states that they are proposing  “three separate service contracts for the completion of a proof of concept” - meaning Limerick will have a different service provider than Dublin or Waterford. 

Gardai bid to ensure ‘tensions’ stay calm in Limerick city area

Under the tender, footage will be uploaded at the end of a shift so it can be used as evidence, or deleted after an agreed period if not required.