Gardaí to begin using body cameras from 2025

Michael Bolton

The rollout of body cameras used by gardaí will begin in 2025, with a pilot operation to begin in 2024.

Body cameras are a small, lightweight camera that is visibly worn by a gardaí.

The camera records footage to its own internal encrypted storage, which is uploaded when the Garda docks the camera in the Garda station.

Camera Footage is uploaded at the end of a shift, so it can be used as evidence at court or is deleted after an agreed time period if it's not required as evidence.

An Garda Síochána will develop and publish detailed public policy and provide internal guidance procedures for the use of camera's following engagement with all relevant parties before they are used in public.

The law currently does not allow for the use of facial-recognition technology on footage collected by body cameras but the Government has said it will provide a legislative basis for such use.

Footage not tagged as needed for an identified investigation will be automatically deleted after a certain period.

Andrew O Sullivan, Chief Information Officer for An Garda Síochána, commented, "A modern police service must have electronic tools to be effective in keeping people safe in today’s society. Policing itself must continue to digitalise in order to keep people safe in a digital age.

"One of our core principals is that every decision that could impact on a person is made by accountable, identifiable Garda personnel.

"There is no question of autonomous machine decision making, ever. Today’s RFI represents another major milestone in the delivery of the Garda data and technology vision, and for public safety in Ireland.”