OVER 70% OF people believe that gardaí on the beat should be compelled to use body-cams. 

According to an opinion poll carried out by Amarách Research for RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live/TheJournal.ie, 73% of people think that gardaí should be forced to use body-cams. 

The poll found that 14% did not think gardaí should wear body-cams, while 13% said they didn’t know. 

Men and women were broadly in agreement on the issue, with 75% of men and 72% of women responding positively to the idea. 

The proposal was also supported regardless of age. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 72% thought that body-cams should be mandatory for gardaí, while support from people between 25 to 34-years-old was overwhelming, with 85% backing the idea. 

Support fell slightly among people aged over 55, with 64% backing the idea – the lowest figure for any age group. 

There was no significant difference based on social background. Those from well-off backgrounds backed the idea with support at 72%, while 75% of those from lower-income backgrounds also expressed support. 

People living in Munster were most likely to back the proposal, with support at 78%. 

Support was lowest among people in Leinster (excluding Dublin), where support dropped to 68%. 

Plans to introduce body-cams for gardaí have proved controversial. Last month, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties warned that the idea was “beyond concerning” and open to potential privacy rights breaches. 

Body-cams have become an increasing common in countries around the world, with front-line gardaí calling on An Garda Síochána to introduce body-cameras. 

In June, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan tabled a bill introducing body-cameras for gardaí at Cabinet. 

The proposal forms part of the implementation of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland’s report earlier this year. 

Advocates argue that the cameras are used to gather evidence and provide police with their own recordings of situations encountered on their beat.

The Claire Byrne Live / Amarách Research Panel consists of over 1,000 Irish adults, all aged 18+. The poll was conducted earlier this week.

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