A system that will allow the public upload video evidence, including that of dangerous driving caught by road users, to garda systems could be in place within the next two years.
A digital evidence management system is being introduced by An Garda Síochána to deal with incoming video as part of the launch of body-worn cameras by gardaí, and will be later extended to other video footage.
The system will be rolled out to the public in “18 months to 24 months” time so that they can upload material and was something gardaí had “been looking at for a while” in terms of the road safety strategy, said Superintendent Liam Geraghty.
“We will be extending that system to allow members of the public to provide us with video footage that they may have retrieved. That’s not just in terms of road safety and driving on the road, but also in terms of our appeals for people with dashcam footage or video footage in terms of major crimes,” he said.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Supt Geraghty said it will make it easier for gardaí to investigate reports of dangerous or reckless driving and could be used as evidence in court.
“When that rolls out, people will be able to upload footage, but we will still require the people who are uploading that footage to make a statement to prove the authenticity of the footage.
“But it will make the system far easier for us to get that footage from other drivers on the road who have complaints about the driving of other people, to make that complaint to us and allow us then to investigate it properly.”
