Gardaí want stun guns to quell riots

THE use of electric stun guns should be considered here to deal with violent protests and public disorder, gardaí said yesterday.

The call was backed by Fine Gael justice spokesman John Deasy, who said gardaí needed non-lethal weapons to face rising violence.

Such weapons have been introduced on a year-long trial basis in Britain, and have been used in the US for around 20 years. Taser guns disable people by causing temporary paralysis with a 50,000-volt charge.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) said the guns could be used to deal with the violent protests which are expected next year when Ireland assumes the presidency of the European Union.

“We have to look at things like stun guns, especially with the European presidency next year,” said GRA president Michael Kirby.

“It is obviously effective in the area of crowd control. I’m sure if it seems to be effective in Britain we will be having a closer look here.”

He said that society here was traditionally not as violent as in the US or Britain, but added: “One would have to wonder about that now because of serious public order problems in towns and cities.”

Fine Gael’s justice spokesman John Deasy agreed, saying: “It’s becoming pretty obvious that guards feel they need non-lethal weapons to deal with crowd situations.

“In some cases, in urban areas, guards are facing gangs of drink-fuelled and drug-fuelled people and they can’t deal with them.

“In many jurisdictions they use non-lethal weapons for crowd control. To allow gardaí do their job effectively they should have them.”

Last week, the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) warned of serious injuries to police and demonstrators next year unless gardaí were equipped, prepared and funded. General secretary George Maybury said gardaí would be confronted by a militant minority intent on causing trouble at EU summits.

Electric stun guns are designed to incapacitate rather than seriously injure or kill. But human rights groups are concerned at their use on the public without more tests.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) yesterday expressed concern at the increase in non-lethal weaponry being sought by and given to the gardaí.

“We feel the gardaí are using the presidency as an excuse to bring in more aggressive policing,” said Aisling Reidy, director of the ICCL.

“Until the guards reform themselves in terms of training, management structures and accountability, they are not prepared to use weapons like that.”