Gardaí must be on street, not at desks - Revamping the force

RECENT gangland murders in Dublin bring into sharp focus the dangers faced by the public on a daily basis. The brazen nature of the attacks involving the Kinahan gang and the Hutch crime mob also pose a threat to members of An Garda Siochána.

The force has already lost 88 members in the line of duty since its creation and the fear is that well-armed gangsters will think nothing of increasing that figure.

As a result of escalating gang warfare and threats posed by dissident republicans, there have been calls for the gardaí to be armed on a regular basis, including uniformed members of the force.