The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has taken a significant step in bolstering officer safety and gathering vital evidence by launching its first-ever dash-cam pilot scheme in police vehicles. This initiative, which kicked off in December 2025, is being trialed in the Newry, Mourne and Down policing district—an area that has seen a disturbing surge in police vehicle-ramming incidents over the past year.
According to BBC News, ten police cars in the district have been equipped with dash-cams as part of the one-month pilot. The move comes in direct response to a worrying trend: more than 100 police vehicle-ramming incidents have been reported across Northern Ireland in 2025 alone, with 17 of those occurring in Newry, Mourne and Down. The attacks have not only endangered officers and members of the public but have also led to significant costs and operational challenges for the force.
Since January 2025, over 20 PSNI vehicles have been removed from service due to damage sustained in ramming incidents, resulting in repair costs of approximately £140,000. Superintendent Lynne Corbett, District Commander for Newry, Mourne and Down, underscored the gravity of the situation, stating, “The deliberate ramming of police vehicles constitutes a serious and continuing threat to our frontline operational capability.”
For many officers, the threat is not merely theoretical—it’s an all-too-real part of their daily work. One serving officer from the district recounted a harrowing experience from October 2025. The officer explained, “Whilst out on patrol we were alerted to a report of a potentially intoxicated driver. As further details came in, we made our way to the area he was believed to be in with the aim of stopping his vehicle and preventing harm to other road users. We activated our lights and sirens as we made our way towards the suspected drink-driver, however as we approached, a second vehicle appeared and, apparently assuming police were trying to stop him, he deliberately drove his vehicle at speed into the left hand side of our patrol car.”
The impact was immediate and violent. “Our vehicle was violently shunted and in turn struck a member of the public’s car. The offending vehicle also struck a van travelling in front of them as they made off across the border,” the officer continued. The aftermath of the incident was sobering: two police officers, two older members of the public, and two young men were all injured, and the police vehicle remains off the road for repairs. Reflecting on the ordeal, the officer described it as “an extremely scary and traumatising experience to go through, to have someone deliberately drive toward you at speed with the intent of stopping you and injuring you. It is something I hope not to experience again.”
The introduction of dash-cams is designed to address several urgent priorities. As outlined by BBC News and echoed in local reporting, the main aims of the pilot scheme are to deter and reduce ramming incidents, keep police officers safe, minimize fleet damage, enhance criminal justice outcomes when offenders weaponize vehicles against the PSNI, and refine the use of cameras in police cars to identify a recognized standard for evidence extraction.
Historically, some PSNI land rovers have been fitted with roof-mounted cameras, and footage from these has been used as evidence in investigations and court proceedings. However, standard police vehicles have not previously been equipped with on-board cameras, leaving a gap in both evidence collection and officer protection. Superintendent Corbett highlighted the potential of the new technology, stating that it would enable police to “build evidence-based intelligence on minimising both officer injury and fleet loss, strengthen operational resilience, and send a clear message to offenders that using a vehicle as a weapon will not be tolerated.”
The pilot scheme represents a proactive effort to adapt to evolving threats facing law enforcement in Northern Ireland. By capturing real-time footage of incidents, dash-cams not only provide crucial evidence for criminal prosecutions but may also serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders. The hope is that the presence of cameras will make individuals think twice before engaging in reckless or violent behavior toward police officers.
Superintendent Corbett also emphasized the broader significance of the initiative, noting, “There must be a lot more awareness of, and praise for, the invaluable and often dangerous work officers are doing in communities, and zero tolerance for those who use vehicles to attack them for simply doing their job and keeping people safe.” The pilot, she said, offers officers “additional evidentiary capabilities and protections.”
The scheme’s focus on refining evidence standards is particularly noteworthy. As the PSNI seeks to establish a recognized protocol for extracting and using dash-cam footage in criminal justice proceedings, the lessons learned from this pilot could shape future policy not just in Newry, Mourne and Down, but across Northern Ireland. The goal is to ensure that the technology is not only effective in the field but also robust enough to stand up in court, thereby enhancing the overall efficacy of law enforcement efforts.
The financial and operational impact of vehicle-ramming incidents cannot be understated. With over 20 vehicles sidelined for repairs and a price tag of £140,000 in 2025 alone, the strain on PSNI resources is significant. Every car taken off the road represents a reduction in the force’s capacity to respond to emergencies and serve the community. The dash-cam pilot, therefore, is as much about preserving the operational readiness of the PSNI as it is about protecting individual officers.
The pilot’s success—or lack thereof—will be closely monitored throughout December. Should the evidence demonstrate that dash-cams effectively deter ramming incidents and improve criminal justice outcomes, it’s likely that the scheme will be expanded to other districts in the future. For now, the focus remains on gathering data, supporting officers, and sending a clear message: attacks on police vehicles will not be tolerated.
As communities across Northern Ireland continue to grapple with the challenges of modern policing, the dash-cam pilot stands as a testament to the PSNI’s commitment to innovation, safety, and justice. The coming months will reveal whether this technological leap can turn the tide against a troubling trend and help restore a sense of security for officers and the public alike.
For those on the front lines, the hope is simple: that new tools like dash-cams will mean fewer traumatic incidents, safer streets, and a stronger, more resilient police service—one better equipped to protect and serve in an increasingly complex world.
