A change in legislation will be required before gardaí can wear video recording devices on their uniform, the annual Garda Representative Association’s annual conference was told in Killarney.
Body worn video which can record close encounters between police officers and the public, and entered as evidence in court, is now the norm in police forces in much of the western world, the conference heard.
Inspector Stephen Goodier of Hampshire Constabulary who is helping in the roll out of the devices across the UK, told the conference British police officers were "initially sceptical" and worried about Big Brother issues.
However there has been a sea change in the past few years, and officers are increasingly challenged by the public and complaints are made even about innocent interaction.
“There’s a whole sea change. People live their life on social media,” Insp Goodier said. Among police offers, there is now” pretty universal enthusiasm” for the cameras, and it is legislated for under the Data Protection Act and recordings can be entered as evidence, he said.
“What I’ve seen over the last few years is officers are crying out for body-worn video,” he said.
About 56,000 police officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, most of them frontline officers, now use the devices. This is about half the police force.
The devices are worn conspicuously and the person recorded is normally warned and can see themselves on camera.
While there cannot be indiscriminate or non-stop recording, police officers can record incidents without first warning an individual especially in a dynamic evolving situation.
Raised standards
“Every individual must know if they are being recorded. But it’s not against the law to record without informing because it can be a very dynamic situation,” Insp Goodier said.
It had “a very powerful effect”, he said, dampening down the behaviour of a suspect if they knew they were being recorded. And it also raised professional standards as police officers knowing their behaviour might be on show too, he added.
During questions and answers, the conference in Killarney heard how some gardaí had purchased their own cameras, but there was no provision under legislation for this. A change in the “broad” legislation of the Surveillance Act here would be required so gardaí can wear body cameras.
Cost would also be a prohibitive factor, contributors from the floor suggested.
Insp Goodier said Garda management needed to step in and provide the equipment and infrastructure.
“If you don’t do it, why is the rest of the world doing it, and you’re not?” he asked.
In the courtroom it backed up a police officer’s evidence and also showed a perpetrator in a real life situation, not as a well-dressed person in a suit in a courtroom , he said.
Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Noirín O’Sullivan has promised long awaited changes in the Garda uniform.
“It is a priority,” the commissioner told the conference, after a strong call by outgoing president Dermot O’Brien.
The commissioner was told that the GRA was constantly being asked when the “non-functional” uniform was being changed.
Management’s uniform had been changed, but that of frontline gardaí had not.
Members wanted “safety and comfort” - the boots were too cumbersome and far lighter footwear was needed.