Commissioner condemns latest attack on gardaí
Two gardaí — a male Chinese officer and a female garda — along with a student garda received injuries during an incident in north Dublin on Thursday night.
The three gardaí were taken to the Mater Hospital. The student garda was discharged overnight, but the two officers remained under care yesterday.
The newly appointed police boss, Fachtna Murphy, visited the two officers in the Mater and saw their injuries firsthand.
“I want to condemn this attack on three gardaí, one of whom was a student garda, in the early hours of this morning while they were going about their duty protecting the community,” said Mr Murphy.
He wished the injured members a speedy recovery and paid tribute to the care being provided to them by staff at the hospital.
The commissioner also renewed Garda appeals for anyone with any information in relation to the attack to contact Cabra Garda Station on 01-6667400.
The body representing rank-and-file gardaí yesterday welcomed the commissioner’s comments and called for more defensive equipment — specifically pepper spray — to be issued to officers.
“I would echo the comments of the commissioner and renew our call for the issuing of pepper spray to our members given the number of serious assaults in the recent past,” said John Egan, president of the Garda Representative Association.
He condemned the attack and wished his colleagues a quick recovery.
“In recent months, attacks on members are happening on a weekly basis. It is very worrying. Members of the force are entitled to be safe from assault in doing their duty and in protecting members of the public,” said Mr Egan.
He said while the number of gardaí on the beat had increased, there was a need for more officers.
“The increase is not sufficient to meet the need, that’s why we have called for an optimum-number survey to be carried out to establish how many gardaí are needed,” said Mr Egan.
The attack on Thursday followed a number of other reported assaults on gardaí:
November 15: Two officers were held at gunpoint, along with staff, during an armed raid at the Clanard Court Hotel in Athy, Co Kildare.
November 13: Two gardaí were attacked in Co Tipperary when they stopped people in a car.
September 25: Garda Paul Sherlock survived after being shot at close range on the North Strand Road in Dublin’s north inner city.
August 20: A garda was punched in the face and lost a tooth when he was assaulted outside a nightclub in Mallow, Co Cork.
