Officers urge harsher sentences for assaults on gardaí
These were among the many requests made to Noirín O’Sullivan, the interim Garda commissioner, at the annual meeting of the Garda Representative Association, which represents rank-and-file members.
Its president, John Parker, said members of the force suffer more stress, depression, and alcoholism than in a lot of other jobs. He said that, and over the last number of years, he had been increasingly aware of members who had taken their own lives.
“Suicide is one of the hazards of our job, but it is something that can be significantly averted by early intervention or prevented by identifying those most likely to be at risk and providing them with services such as the Employee Assistance Officer and referral to specialists for counselling.”
Garda Parker said action was also needed to tackle violent attacks on gardaí. “We have two very recent incidents that also highlight the ever-present threats to our members. In Cork city, a garda motorcyclist was rammed, tossed into the air like a rag doll, and lucky to escape with his life. And what was described as a viable box bomb was placed outside a garda’s home near Mohill in Leitrim.”
Garda Parker said there was a need to have assaults on gardaí accurately recorded and “effective deterrents such as lengthy prison sentences” imposed on culprits.
The GRA also wants an end to the revolving prison door of temporary and early release, and remission of large portions of sentences.
Garda Parker said the Government needs to resource the force and it was time “the financial handcuffs are taken off the force” so gardaí can dismantle the crime gangs who gain strength in times of weakness. “The public deserve no less,” he added.
The GRA president also called for the Garda commissioner to be given the space to manage the force and with gardaí on the ground left to get on with the job. Garda Parker said the GRA welcomed news that garda recruitment will start for the first time since 2009, although no exact date has been given. He warned, however, that the intakes would have to be enough to compensate for the 350 gardaí due to retire this year. “An Garda Síochána has almost 400 vehicles less than were in the fleet in 2009. This is having a severe effect on our ability to maintain the high patrolling capability we had been providing and more so in the rural areas. The spare capacity is often not there to deal with peaks in demands or the occasions where further manpower should be deployed to scenes. We need this to be sorted, it can’t go on,” Garda Parker added.
