War on crime - Gardaí not equipped to do their jobs

IT WOULD seem absolutely ludicrous for Justice Minister Michael McDowell to be discussing in America this week proposals to deal with violent and organised crime, when the gardaí lack the fundamental equipment to fight crime.

The minister, accompanied by the Garda Commissioner and the Secretary General of the Justice Department, need not visit the US to realise that the force badly needs proper police equipment which has been available on a worldwide basis for anything up to 20 years.

It seems that one of the minister’s ambitions was to meet Bill Bratton, the man who invented the concept of “zero tolerance” in New York in the 90s, and who is now Los Angeles Police Chief.