Parking wardens to wear body video devices
By Brendan Grehan
PARKING WARDENS in Lucan are to wear body worn video devices in order to deal with any disputes over parking. The measure was announced at this week’s Lucan Area Committee meeting of South Dublin County Council. The announcement was part of a report given by the Council on parking enforcement in the Lucan area.
The Council said that that “a number of complaints have been received in respect of the traffic wardens in the Lucan Village area in relation to how the wardens performs duties and the interaction of the wardens with members of the public”.
Lucan Village
The Council said that they have raised this issue with the parking contractor on a number of occasions as the ethos of parking enforcement that we wish to deliver is of a fair, impartial and professional service standard. They have now agreed that all wardens will use a Body Worn Video device which will be used in certain circumstances that are compliant with Data Protection requirements.
Body Worn Video devices can record exactly what happened, what was said and when, in an indisputable format. All wardens will receive training and guidance in their use. The use of BWV by wardens must be: incident specific, proportionate, legitimate, necessary and justifiable.
The council said that the use of BWV devices will comply with all data protection requirements and it is hoped the use of these devices will reduce the number of complaints received in respect of parking enforcement in the County.
Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Paul Gogarty said he queried the criteria for the operation of such a system.
He said: “While if used properly it will be of assistance to members of the public and traffic wardens in dealing with appeals and arguments regarding fairness in enforcement of the rules, it can also be used selectively and has issues in relation to data protection unless protocols are followed strictly”.
He added: “The manager replied that the parking subcontractor has taken SDCC’s complaints very seriously and are trying to resolve the issues brought to their attention.
“The BMV’s are used throughout the country in traffic complaints and they “tend to negate the need for conflict”.
“They are not used all the time, only where conflicts may arise according to training and protocol and not used if there are any children around.
“I asked for the issue to be brought back to the Council in six months to see how the BMV device has been working”.
TAGS Lucan
