Half of gardaí want to carry guns - Survey

More than half of gardaí polled about arming the force said uniformed officers should carry guns, it was revealed today.

The online survey by Garda Review magazine found 53% of respondents believed the time had come to issue firearms to rank and file.

Some 159 members who completed the survey were asked: “Do you now believe that all uniformed gardai on duty should routinely be armed?”

Half of respondents were attached to regular units of the force, with 63% of these in favour of being issued with guns.

Of the 47% that voted against more guns, many expressed a desire for more – and more visible – armed response units, according to Garda Review.

It said little emphasis could be placed on the response from other units because of the small sample size.

The results showed a majority of detectives who responded were against the idea but most student gardai were in favour.

The official magazine of the Garda Representative Association claimed the results signalled a cultural shift inside the force.

In an article on the findings, the magazine said the poll results were at odds with a common perception that uniformed gardai don’t want to carry guns.

The survey was carried out over the Garda Review website on a strictly one member/one vote basis, the magazine said.