Calls for bodycams for park wardens in Limerick
BODYCAMS should be provided to park wardens in Limerick to protect them from abuse and assault.
That’s the view of local councillor Sarah Kiely, who was speaking amid an upsurge in complaints of criminal behaviour in the People's Park in the city centre.
“I think there is something vitally important in protecting council staff in the parks department. I myself use the People's Park regularly and I've witnessed serious incidents.
“People have been injured, I've had to call the gardai myself recently. The park warden should be fitted with a bodycam,” the Fine Gael councillor said.
She praised the local authority's park warden for being “exceptional” at what he does.
“He puts a huge amount of effort in. He can tell you down to how many trees are there and takes serious pride. But he has been threatened on numerous occasions,” she said. “This can’t go on.”
Councillor Kiely made the comments at this month’s metropolitan meeting where Labour’s Joe Leddin was told the bar for installing cameras in the park is very high – and due to the fact children would use the playground, it might not be impossible to have these.
“If we can't get CCTV, we need to get bodycams which can be used in evidence,” said Cllr Kiely.
But the local authority’s head of digital Alan Dooley said: “There is no legislation in the land which will allow for bodycams to be used.”
He will liaise with gardai on CCTV.