Gardaí want more resources for war on drugs

A range of new measures are needed to tackle “the evil of the drugs trade”, senior gardaí claimed today.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has called for local garda drug units to be better staffed and resourced, mandatory sentencing for drug dealers and better powers of arrest for gardaí.

The AGSI also demanded more sniffer dogs and better-compiled statistics in its hard-hitting submission to a mid-term review of the Government’s National Drugs Strategy.

AGSI president Joe Dirwan said: “The situation is now so bad that these measures are urgently needed.”

“Society needs to re-energise the battle to combat the evil of the drugs trade which is capable of destroying so many lives.”

The association said it was now “extremely difficult” to arrest drug dealers unless they’re caught in the act.

Members also want increased resources for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug abusers and they called for the current multi-agency approach to be “beefed up”.

Mr Dirwan added: “Assets seized from drug dealers should be allocated to areas which suffer most from drug abuse.”