Gardaí 'will never accept being assaulted' as part of their job

Brendan O’Connor, President of the Garda Representative Association, said: "There is a need for better and more frequent self-defence training and this association has long called for mandatory custodial sentences for such attacks."

Gardaí “will never accept being assaulted as part of our job”, the President of the Garda Representative Association has said following an alleged assault on a garda in Fermoy.

A plain clothes garda was filmed apparently being hit in the face during an anti-refugee protest in the Cork town. Gardaí are investigating the incident.

It comes as new figures show there were 285 incidents where officers suffered injuries during an attack last year, an increase from the 243 cases that were reported in 2021. Injuries suffered in the line of duty included head injuries, dislocations, open wounds and bites.

Seventeen gardaí suffered closed fractures and another six endured a painful dislocation, according to data released under Freedom of Information. Seven internal head injuries were reported along with two cases of other internal injuries. One officer suffered an infection through an attack.

Gardaí also recorded one case of serious multiple injuries and 67 times when a garda suffered a sprain or strain while on duty.

Brendan O’Connor, President of the GRA, a garda union, said that a steady rise in violence against gardaí seems to have escalated further recently with the added dynamic of individuals filming assaults on members which are widely shared on social media. 

It is unclear whether this phenomena is leading to or encouraging such behavior but it is certainly adding to the distress of gardai and their families, Mr O’Connor said.

“The alarming increase in assaults on our members continues unchecked, the violence being visited on our members is shocking and something needs to be done," Mr O'Connor said.

“Policing has always had its dangers but we will never accept being assaulted as being part of our job. Both the frequency and the viciousness of assaults continue to rise and more needs to be done by our employer to create a safer working environment where the risk of assault is reduced. 

"The legislators and judiciary have also a responsibility to deliver effective legislation and appropriate sentencing. 

We believe more can be done in terms of having more members on duty and attending potentially dangerous incidents, the provision of better personal protective equipment including greater availability of Taser and body cams.

"There is a need for better and more frequent self-defence training and this association has long called for mandatory custodial sentences for such attacks.

"It is now accepted that there is a recruitment and retention crisis in An Garda Siochana leading to serious shortfalls and gaps in frontline policing. 

"The lack of available back-up because of personnel shortages is of massive concern to our members and leaving them exposed and vulnerable."

Fermoy investigation

Gardaí said that the force in Fermoy is now investigating an assault on a member of An Garda Síochána, that occurred on Oliver Plunket Hill, Fermoy, at approximately 6pm on Thursday. No arrests have been made, and investigations are ongoing.

No other incident of assault has been reported to gardaí from Thursday night's protest. 

Any person who believes they have been subject of inappropriate behaviour by a member of An Garda Síochána is entitled to make a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

Area breakdown

According to the garda figures, there were 25 attacks on officers in the Mayo, Roscommon, and Longford Division.

Another 20 cases were reported in Galway, 18 in Kerry, and 18 in Louth.

In Cork city, injuries to officers were recorded on 11 occasions, while there were eight cases in Cork North and six in Cork West.

In the capital, there were 17 attacks on gardaí that caused injuries in the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Division and 12 in the Dublin Metropolitan Region West Division.

The lowest number of injuries were recorded in Westmeath where there were just two incidents and in Dublin Road Policing and the Immigration Bureau, both of which had just a single case recorded.

An Garda Síochána has said it is mindful of the significant occupational demands placed on its members and their exposure to very stressful and traumatic situations.

Critical support is made available through the chief medical officer, the employee assistance service, the peer support network, and through counselling. Every garda injured while on duty is entitled to make a claim under the Garda Compensation Scheme.