Issue Date: 29th November 2023
As part of an on-going operational de-brief, the Garda Senior Leadership Team has decided on a range of measures to support Gardaí in policing serious public order incidents and conducting criminal investigations in order to keep people safe.
These measures are based on an assessment by the Garda Senior Leadership Team, in addition to feedback from Garda Managers, the four Garda Representative Associations and individual Gardaí.
The measures decided upon are:
- The provision of stronger incapacitant spray to all Gardaí – this stronger incapacitant spray is already provided to public order units
- Expansion of public order unit capability with the provision of an initial 200 Tasers for deployment to public order units subject to training (Tasers are already provided to all firearms specialist units – Emergency Response Unit and Regional Armed Response Units, as well as the Special Detective Unit)
- Submit a business case for the procurement of two water cannons
- Increase the numbers trained and engaged in public order training
- The provision of smaller round shields to public order units – they are already provided with long and medium shields
- Expand and enhance the public order fleet
- Run a separate proof of concept (POC) project involving the deployment of body-worn cameras in Dublin city centre. The cameras will be used in conjunction with a code of practice developed in line with the Digital Recording Bill. This relatively quick technical solution will make Body Worn Cameras available to city centre Gardaí in a shorter timeframe to the main solution (during Q1 2024)
- Accelerate the expansion of the dog unit, as provided for in Budget 2024
- Increase in Garda data scientists to support the analysis of evidential material
- Purchase of hand held video cameras for public order units
- Further expansion of public order tactics
An organisational de-brief is currently underway under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner Paul Cleary.
The Garda Senior Leadership Team is chaired by the Garda Commissioner, and includes the two Deputy Commissioners, Chief Administrative Officer, all Assistant Commissioners, all Executive Directors, the Chief Medical Officer, and Director of Communications.
