Gardaí to begin wearing body cameras today ahead of national rollout

Body worn cameras for frontline gardaí will be rolled out in Dublin from today as part of a trial for the technology.

The cameras will be worn by a total of 700 gardaí during the proof of concept (PoC) project.

Operational gardaí in Pearse Street station, Kevin Street station and Store Street station will be wearing the cameras from today, while they will be introduced in Waterford station and Henry Street station in Limerick in the coming months.

The body cameras will be introduced following the enactment of the Gardaí Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023, which the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee had previously described as "a priority".

Speaking at the launch of the pilot phase of bodyworn cameras for frontline Gardaí, Minister McEntee said: “Ensuring frontline Gardaí are equipped with bodyworn cameras has been a priority for me and I am glad to say we are now in a position to launch the pilot phase of this initiative which will vastly improve how we police our streets."

"My plan is to move to have body worn cameras on Gardaí in every part of the country. Policing organisations around the world have found that body worn cameras can help improve front-line capability with the accurate recording of incidents, such as instances of domestic abuse."

She continued : “We cannot keep sending Gardaí into situations where they are the only ones without the ability to record what is happening. I want to commend An Garda Síochána for the ongoing work to ensure that frontline Gardaí are supported in policing our country safely and effectively. I very much look forward to being kept informed about the progress of the pilot phase of bodyworn cameras.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris added that the move marked "an important step forward for policing in Ireland", saying the cameras would be vital to protecting gardaí "on the beat as they experience an increase of attacks which will not be tolerated".

“Too often gardaí find themselves in situations where they are being recorded in tense situations with footage often edited to suit a particular narrative. This technology will offer protection both to gardaí and to the public with accurate recording of incidents.

“I look forward to hearing the feedback both from gardaí and the public ahead of further roll-out of body-worn cameras across the country. The Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources they need which is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of €2.3 billion in Budget 2024.

"This ensures every member of An Garda Síochána is equipped with the latest technology to keep every community across the country safe.”