McDowell rejects garda calls for safety gear

JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday rejected garda calls for more weapons and protective equipment on the grounds that he did not want the force to develop a "Robocop" image.

Kitting out gardaí in riot gear could prove counter-productive by upping the ante in public order disputes, he said.

“I have no particular plans to provide more equipment. I don’t like the Robocop image that’s involved in that,” Mr McDowell said. “We can’t have a situation where ordinary gardaí become indistinguishable from riot squads. The armoury approach might be counterproductive. It might not deter assaults and might have the opposite effect.”