AN GARDA SÍOCHÁNA say that they are examining the use of body cameras for an array of purposes.

Police in Hampshire in the UK announced yesterday that they would be trialling a system for using the cameras to conduct interviews.

In response to a question from TheJournal.ie, a garda spokesperson said:

Body worn cameras are not currently on issue to uniformed members of An Garda Síochána. A small number of devices were tested in a Dublin Garda Division in the past 12 months for the purpose of evaluating the technology.

Last year, the cameras were spotted in use at water meter protests, something the gardaí said at the time was “nothing new” and was used “for evidence gathering”.

The cameras currently in use can cost around €800 each and the manufacturers say that they are used “by over 4000 police agencies worldwide”.

One can record up to 12 hours of footage with an extended battery pack. The cameras are waterproof, ‘rugged’, and record a 68 degree field of view.

This article was amended at 10.08am due to incorrect information provided by the press office of An Garda Síochána. 

Read: Why are gardaí wearing cameras at water meter protests?

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