Sharp rise in cases of assault and obstructing gardaí in recent years

THERE has been a sharp rise in recent years in the cases of assault and obstructing gardaí and of resisting arrest.

Figures released to the Irish Examiner show there have been about 235 recorded incidents, on average, over the past three years. There were 239 cases in 2006, 236 in 2007 and 235 in 2008.

This compares to 203 in 2004 and 186 in 2005. There has been a jump of about 25% in the number of offences since then.

The figures, compiled by the Central Statistics Office, cover three linked, but separate, offences of assault, obstruction and resisting arrest of a garda.

They reflect to a large extent the danger gardaí face in trying to intervene in public order situations, where they are being obstructed by people and where others are resisting arrest. In some cases this progresses to assaults on gardaí.

The statistics come as the Garda Representative Association have called for a new law on attacking gardaí to be enacted such was the scale of the problem.

At their annual conference in Killarney this week, the association said such assaults should be considered so grave that they would be dealt with in the circuit courts and not the district courts, thereby attracting tougher sentences.

Association president Michael O’Boyce said the level of violence on the streets was so high that the Government needed to take immediate action.

He said figures available to them suggested that two gardaí were assaulted every day.

Last month, the association launched a graphic poster campaign, depicting gardaí who had been attacked. In one poster, Gda Helena Power was assaulted in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, during which her eye socket was fractured. In another, Gda Jeffrey White had to get 26 stitches to his face after being attacked in Dublin.

The association said the introduction of anti-stab vests, incapacitant sprays and a modern extendable baton have gone some way towards protecting gardaí.

But they said more needed to be done and that proposed legislative changes in relation to attacks on gardaí and other emergency personnel would send out the message that these assaults would not be tolerated.