Gardaí want stations secured against attacks at night

GARDA stations should be locked at night, a representative body for members has said, after a man was questioned in connection with a foiled arson attack at a station in north Dublin.

Michael Kirby, president of the Garda Representative Association, called for urgent talks with management about security at stations following the latest in a series of attacks.

A 58-year-old man is believed to have walked in to Raheny station carrying materials to make a petrol bomb. It is thought he lit a fire in the public area, which set off the fire alarm.

Two gardaí apparently saw the man standing at the front of the building holding a bottle with a rag stuffed in it and a lighter. They wrestled with the man in the station car park and managed to grab the items.

One of the gardaí suffered some bruising to his arm while the man was taken to Beaumont for injuries suffered in the incident. He is expected to be questioned on release.

Garda sources said this was a potentially highly dangerous situation, given the man could have exploded the petrol bomb in a confined space.

While the GRA expressed concern over security, Garda HQ said a working group set up after previous incidents has reported on the issue of security within stations. There has to be a balance struck between security and public access, said a spokesman.

“Accessibility to the public is a cornerstone of our existing culture and we would not like to see a situation evolve whereby garda stations resemble fortresses,” the spokesman added.

However, Mr Kirby said he was concerned about security at garda stations at night. “The overall picture needs to be looked at,” he said.

Since the death of Sergeant Andy Callinane, who died following an arson attack at Tallaght garda station in July 1999, a number of attacks have taken place.

“There have been some improvements in some garda stations. But there are wider issues, such as the open door policy adopted by management. We are going to look at that because it’s a health and safety issue,” Mr Kirby said.

“We have to look at access to stations and keeping people out at certain times until they have been well vetted. People just can’t roam in and out stations when they feel like it. I am talking about night time. People would have no cause to have passport forms signed in the middle of the night.”