Frontline gardaí to be issued with body cams with facial recognition technology

AN GARDAI Síochána are to immediately begin purchasing body cams to issue to frontline gardaí.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has announced that Garda Commissioner Drew Harris will now begin tendering for the purchase of body-worn cameras, following a Cabinet meeting this Tuesday at which the Government discussed how to equip An Garda Síochána with the necessary tools and technologies to build stronger, safer communities.

According to the minister, these will be crucial to improving the safety of frontline gardaí, as well as assisting in the investigation of crimes.

Cabinet approval was given to progress the current Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 in the Oireachtas as a priority, to legislate for the wearing of bodycams.

The minister, in a statement, also announced the use of facial recognition technology will be provided for separately in a new Garda Síochána (Digital Management and Facial Recognition Technology) Bill 2023. 

This bill will be drafted on a priority basis to provide for the safe and ethical use of facial recognition technology (FRT) to assist gardaí to investigate the most serious crimes subject to a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, such as threats to national security, homicide, rape and aggravated sexual assault, child sexual abuse and more.

The bodycams to be purchased for gardaí will allow for the use of FRT.

Speaking after this Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Ms McEntee said that “without adequate data analysis tools, the length of criminal investigations will increase, potentially threatening public safety and delaying victims’ access to justice. 

“It is imperative that An Garda Síochána can utilise modern technology with appropriate safeguards to increase efficiencies within the organisation and ensure that policing expertise is utilised in the most effective and strategic manner. That is why I firmly believe facial recognition technology is also vital to ensuring that gardaí can do their jobs most effectively,” she said.

The new bill comes after strong opposition from the Green Party on the use of FRT by gardaí. Party leader Eamon Ryan had previously blocked attempts to give gardaí powers under the Recording Devices Bill to use FRT. 

In a statement the party said that they would not rule out a “limited form” of FRT, but warned: “We believe that the introduction of any form of artificial intelligence could have such enormous consequences that the Government should proceed with caution.”

Under the new bill, FRT would only be used retrospectively to search images that are already legally in the possession of gardaí, which they already do manually.

According to Ms McEntee, a number of proposed safeguards will be included in the new bill such as the prohibition of mass surveillance and profiling, codes of practice subject to human rights and data protection, no automated decision making, and a High Court judge to report annually on the operation of the provisions. 

The new FRT bill will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny by the Oireachtas Justice committee and a full bill is expected to be published by the end of the year.