Bodycams for gardaí could infringe rights, warns ICCL
The introduction of body-worn cameras for gardaí would have no positive effects and could even serve to hinder community policing, the justice minister has been warned.
A new submission to Charlie Flanagan by the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) seeks to debunk the seven justifications for such cameras being introduced as outlined by the Department of Justice earlier this year.
Such cameras were first used in the US where their introduction was aimed at reducing instances of police brutality and racially-charged violence.
However, that context is far removed from the Irish one, where the vast majority of police officers are unarmed, according to Doireann Ansbro, senior research and policy officer with the ICCL.
“There appears to be a lot of misinformation out there,” Ms Ansbro told the Irish Examiner.
“As far as we can tell, there is no clear and conclusive evidence that these cameras are serving any purpose. Different studies give different results,” she said, adding that in some jurisdictions the distribution of cameras to police forces actually saw an increase in violent action.
Most cameras can be switched on and off at an officer’s discretion, Ms Ansbro said, adding that “the assumption is that all police officers are honest”.
The idea for body-worn cameras was first mooted by the Commission on the Future of Policing before being introduced into legislation by the Government earlier this year.
Ms Ansbro said she has been told that the legislation has the weight of the Government behind it as the “political will” exists for its realisation.
“People think they’ll contribute to certain outcomes, but when you do the in-depth research it’s hard to see how that’s the case,” she said. She added that “significant privacy concerns” surround the cameras.
“These cameras will be on the streets and they’re much more intrusive than CCTV.
“They’re at close range with audio as well, and it has the potential to affect people’s behaviour, dictating where they go,” she said, adding that the cameras could have a “chilling effect” on the right to protest.
