Call for garda cars to be reinforced

THERE were calls yesterday for steps to be taken to reinforce garda patrol cars following the latest joyriding incident, which left two officers injured.

The two gardaí were treated in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital after a stolen jeep rammed their patrol car in Malahide, north Dublin. Their injuries were not described as serious.

A youth in his 20s was charged yesterday in Swords District Court in relation to the incident.

“At the time of the deaths of Garda Michael Padden and Tony Tighe management did say they were examining the issue of reinforcing cars,” said George Maybury of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors.

Last April, Garda Anthony Tighe, a 53-year-old father of four, and Garda Michael Padden, 27, were killed by joyriders in Blackrock, Co Dublin, as they tried to clear the road of traffic.

Mr Maybury added: “At that time we demanded adequate protection and we continue to say the same.

“It’s absolutely necessary that we have reinforced vehicles to provide for the safety and health of the occupants.

“Unfortunately we continue to get people hurt and injured in these circumstances. If we had vehicles of this nature it could hopefully avoid these situations,” he said.

Labour justice spokesman Joe Costello backed the call. “They should be available in high-risk areas, particularly in the inner city and certain estates in Dublin and other areas, and at high-risk times.”

He said plans to reinforce garda cars seem to have been shelved because of financial costs.

“It’s a bit lame to cite financial grounds considering the number of gardaí being injured and indeed gardaí being killed because of joyriding. We’re not talking about billions of euro, it’s quite a small sum of money,” he said.

An estimated nine gardaí have died in the last five years in the course of routine policing in squad cars.

At least four were either killed by joyriders or involved in intercepting joyriders.

Joyriders have also wreaked havoc among ordinary civilians this year, most recently last January when taxi-driver Robert McGowan, 30, was killed in Ballybough, in Dublin’s north inner city.

Last May, Tanya Nunan, 17, was killed by joyriders in Limerick city.

She was walking along Bengal Terrace at 11.25pm on a Sunday when a stolen car slammed into her.