Report: Head siege gardaí not adequately trained

Senior garda officers in charge of two major siege situations last year were not fully trained in dealing with the crises, the Garda Inspectorate revealed today.

In a new report it urged sweeping changes in the way gardaí react to armed barricade incidents including new specially-trained units throughout the country.

Inspectorate chief inspector Kathleen O’Toole also backed the introduction of controversial TASER stun guns and armoured rescue vehicles.

The 55-page document was sparked by the Barr Tribunal’s heavily critical investigation into the shooting dead of John Carthy during the Abbeylara siege in 2000.

Tánaiste and Justice Minister Michael McDowell believes the the report can significantly improve the force’s reaction to similar events.

Assistant Commissioner Nacie Rice is to head up a group charged with implementing the recommendations .

Former Boston police chief Ms O’Toole wants locally-based response units set up nationwide who would be first on the scene of an armed siege.

They could be drawn from existing Pubic Order Units and would receive tactical firearm training as well as being equipped with so-called less-lethal weapons.

These may include TASER electronic stun guns which shoot high-voltage needle-tipped darts up to 21 feet to disable suspects.

They have been linked to dozens of deaths in the US and UK during police use.

Ms O’Toole said she backed proposals from Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy in recent weeks to arm the Emergency Response Unit with the stun guns.

But she stressed careful consideration should be given to them being issued to other units within the force.

The report also paved the way for the introduction of the less contentious CS sprays as well as OC or “pepper” sprays.

The inspectorate noted progress within the gardai since Abbeylara in training to deal with similar events including a five-day On-Scene Commander course.

Although 23 superintendents and 19 inspectors had taken up the training, two commanders of major siege situations last year were not among them.

“There are still no definitive garda criteria for determining who takes charge at the scene of a barricade incident,” said Ms O’Toole.

“There is no absolute requirement that the person in charge be someone who has received the five-day training course.”

She noted the senior officers in both events performed very competently but had only received the less comprehensive two-day command training of the Superintendents’ Development Course.

The report has called for a duty roster of certified on-scene commanders to be set in each of the six garda regions along with a roster of mental health professionals trained to work alongside the Garda Negotiation Team.

No officer involved in the barricade scene should be involved in the follow-up investigation while any firearm, lethal or non-lethal, discharged and all logs and other police records should be impounded for inspection.

Under the inspectorate’s plans at least three armoured rescue vehicles should be bought to safely evacuate hostages, civilians or police officers at a siege location.

In addition, at least six multi-purpose vehicles to be used as command posts should be purchased by the force, with one based in each Garda district.

In more recent serious incidents, the on-scene commander established a command post at a nearby garda station and, by permission, in a dwelling house evacuated by the occupants,“ said Ms O’Toole.

“These options will not always be available and, even when they do present themselves, can be far from ideal for logistical and operational police purposes.”

She further demanded top priority be given to the introduction of a planned digital radio system by the gardaí.

“The current garda radio system is both inadequate and outdated in this regard,” she said.

“There are inherent, serious risks involved in communications going to some officers and not to others at the scene of an incident involving firearms.”

The inspectorate also called for garda headquarters to sit down with media organisations to hammer out clear protocols for the flow of appropriate, timely and accurate information during crisis situations.