Assaults on gardaí 'will never be tolerated', says Drew Harris 

The commissioner’s report also showed that Garda numbers are now below 14,200

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris: 'It is a shame that the actions of a very small number of individuals can cause such distress and harm.' Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said assaults on gardaí “will never be tolerated” and that it was a shame the actions of a small number of people could cause “such distress and harm”.

The police boss was referring to recent attacks on frontline members, some of which were recorded on mobile phones and circulated online.

The assaults sparked upset and outrage among frontline Garda associations as well as local and national politicians.

In his December report to the Policing Authority, Commissioner Harris said several gardaí had suffered injuries in November as a result of assaults.

“Such attacks on members of An Garda Síochána will never be tolerated either by An Garda Síochána or society at large,” he said in his foreword.

“While all Gardaí accept that policing can be a dangerous job, this is no excuse for their being subjected to assaults and other violent and threatening behaviour as our members pursue their goal of keeping people safe.  

“It is a shame that the actions of a very small number of individuals can cause such distress and harm.” 

Garda associations have cited falling numbers on the ground, caused by low recruitment rates and continuing retirements which they say have been compounded by rising resignations, as a factor in the exposure to violence felt by frontline gardaí.

The commissioner’s report underlines the reality of Garda strength, with numbers now below the 14,200 mark.

The figure stands at 14,176 as of November 30, compared to 14,519 in November 2020.

Low recruitment

Restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic severely hit recruitment numbers, dropping from 600 in 2019 to 275 in 2020, before increasing to 385 in 2021.

The report said 92 trainees commenced on November 28. Justice Minister Helen McEntee told the Dáil in early November that 24 students had been taken in up to then.

The Government had set a target recruitment figure of 800 for 2022.

The low recruitment this year is despite applications from 11,000 people in the most recent Garda competition. The commissioner’s report said that 393 candidates were currently going through the process of “physical competency test, medical and/or vetting, following a successful interview”.

The Government has signalled a further competition next year and a 1,000-recruit target.

The report said that garda overtime stood at €113.41m as of the end of November, which was €25.7m over budget.

Elsewhere, the report said there were ongoing technical issues in the modernisation of the computer aided dispatch (999) system.

It said that adequate resourcing remained the “biggest risk” in the success of a call transfer pilot project.

It said campaigns to replace end-of-life mobile phone devices for frontline gardaí were continuing, but that “ongoing investment” was required.

Crime statistics

Crime statistics in the report highlight a 41% increase in theft from a shop and a 61% rise in theft of other property in the year ending November, with a 31% rise in public assaults.

In one of the Garda operations in November detailed in the report, an armed support unit attended an incident where a person was standing on the outside of the barrier of a motorway, threatening suicide.

“Gardaí, assisted by an off duty paramedic, engaged with the person and following extensive negotiations, the person agreed to come in off the bridge," said the report.

"An ASU member utilised their firearms strap to tie around the person’s wrist to ensure they didn’t slip. The manoeuvre was successful. The person was returned to safety and taken to hospital for further treatment.” 

In a second Garda operation, officers received reports of a person attempting to enter a river.

“Upon arrival of gardaí, the person jumped into the river,” said the report. “A Garda member entered the water and attended to the person, using a buoy to assist in the recovery. With the assistance of all Gardaí present, the person was taken from the water to safety, where Gardaí conducted first aid until the arrival of an ambulance.”