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GARDAÍ FEEL THAT their lives are being put at risk due to a decision by garda authorities to withdraw the Uzi submachine gun from detective units, TheJournal.ie can reveal.
The decision to withdraw the Uzi was taken in March last year after a review by garda authorities. One of the reasons for the withdrawal of the gun was that it was deemed unsuitable for incidents that might occur in a confined room, like in a bank for example.
At the same time revolvers carried by armed detectives were replaced by Sig Sauer semi-automatic handguns that all detective units now carry holstered to their belt.
A spokesperson for the garda press office said that the Uzi was taken out of service “because it no longer fulfilled the requirements”.
The press office said the Sig Sauer handgun was “identified to best meet the policing needs” of An Garda Síochana and that specialist units such as the Emergency Response Unit and Regional Support Unit have the MP7 submachine gun at their disposal.
Sources said gardaí are not looking to have every person in the force armed with most “happy to do their duty” in the knowledge that they have armed backup if required. However in situations like armed escorts, many gardaí are worried about their lack of fire power.
Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe
A source who knew Garda Detective Adrian Donohoe said they were “bothered about the fact that he was not sufficiently armed” when he was shot dead by armed robbers at a credit union in Dundalk.
“Had this attack on Adrian occurred a year earlier, he would have had the Uzi locked and loaded and resting in his lap as was common practice when escorting cash-in-transit vehicles,” they said.
Previously an armed escort unit of two detectives would have a handgun each and a Uzi machine gun, which the passenger in the car would carry. Now gardaí are asking for these guns to be replaced as they worry about facing criminals with superior firearms.
While the handgun is semi-automatic and has a high rate of firepower, it has a shorter range than the Uzi and sources said the image of an armed garda standing with a larger submachine gun in his hand while performing security duty or at arms checkpoints can work as a “visual deterrent”.
Armed response units
As the garda press office pointed out, the emergency response and regional support units are armed with powerful MP7 submachines but it is understood that there are large area gaps and at times a lack of personnel which leaves gardaí feeling vulnerable.
In a recent attack on a garda in Tallaght, in which he sustained ‘serious facial injuries’, it took nearly half an hour for the armed response unit to arrive as the two responding gardaí waited in the bathroom of the house where they had barricaded themselves.
One garda told TheJournal.ie that colleagues feel they do not have enough armed support “to protect the community and indeed ourselves”.
“I was never an advocate of arming the guards and I’m still proud of the tradition of not having an armed police force but it’s getting ridiculous now,” they said.
The feeling among most members is that we are sitting ducks, and more attacks of this nature are bound to happen. I’m not suggesting that every guard should be armed, but it could be more appropriate to have one uniformed armed response unit for each district. This member would perform all the duties a regular uniformed officer, with the added responsibility for dealing with particularly violent or armed suspects.
When contacted by TheJournal.ie, President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) John Parker said the failure of the garda authorities to replace the Uzi submachine “has been a serious concern”.
In the same review of firearms last year, a decision was made to cut back on training for firearms cards, which all gardaí carrying a gun must have. Garda authorities decided to downscale the number of cardholders particularly in rural areas and for detectives working mainly on white collar crime.
Parker said this “is another worry and it has left members without adequate resources,” he said. “Members are being exposed to unnecessary risk.”
In a statement the Department of Justice said that Minster Shatter has no direct function in this matter and that the decision to withdraw the Uzi last year was that of the Garda Commisioner.
In that context the Commissioner determines the appropriate measures to be put in place, including the specific firearms to be deployed, without reference to either the Minister or his Department.
The department said that garda authorities “have indicated that at present the armed capability of garda members is provided by district detective units supported by other units”.
“In addition, they have made arrangements to co-ordinate armed response measures throughout the country, it added. “In view of the operational nature of the functions involved, it would not be appropriate to comment on how the relevant resources might be deployed.”
This headline is inappropriate and sensationalist. It does nothing to advocate the amazing work Tom has been doing in promoting the role of the White Ribbon Campaign, and the calm and dignified way in which he has been doing it.
The murderer should have been castrated after his first rape conviction, but no that would make too much sense, and there is too much money to be made by the circus courts on this type of cash cow.
I listened to the interview and this headline is not at all a representation of the true tone of Mr. Meaghar’s interview. It makes him sound like someone who is obsessed with hatred and thoughts of revenge. Truer is the representation that Sean O’Rourke outlined, where he has turned his energies to forming a collective of men who will impress, through their unity, a united voice opposed to violence against women that will influence all men. This is his legacy to Jill, as Sean O’Rourke pointed out, not obsession and hatred as the headline suggests. Very tabloid…
Hi John,
Thanks for your feedback. Just a little explanation on headline choice as I agree that the tone of the interview was how Tom’s work came out of the horrific events.
If you read the subtitle and the first line of the article, that is how I have framed the story – that a huge positive came from the initial obsession. Headlines are not meant to tell the whole story.
Thanks
Sinéad
“If you read the subtitle and the first line of the article, that is how I have framed the story – that a huge positive came from the initial obsession. Headlines are not meant to tell the whole story”
The font size of the subheading is even smaller than the actual content. Headlines are meant to st the tone for a story.
A very feeble excuse, Sinead.
Why wasn’t Tom’s positivity expressed in the headline and the initial obsession in the subtitle?
Surely that would best reflect how you claim you wanted to frame the story?
“Headlines are not meant to tell the whole story.” Why was the title of a recent Ask.fm/IDA article changed? Honest question.
I agree with Sinead. Nor did I take the negative perspective from either the headline or the story that some have. Indeed, I think it highly important that people know that despite the work this wonderful man has undertaken since the death of his wife he is still so deeply affected by this horrendous crime. His detestation and hatred of the rapist murderer does not detract in any way from his wonderful compassionate work. In fact it makes him more human. He is incredibly open and honest about his feelings and I admire him all the more. I do not find this feelings towards the rapist in any way detract from his contribution on other fronts. He is clearly a deep and compassionate man and I can relate to both his anger and rage at the rapist and to his compassion. His is a very human story and we are better for knowing the full of it. A great guy.
“His detestation and hatred of the rapist murderer does not detract in any way from his wonderful compassionate work.”
No, but the headline does.
@JohnR
The whole point of people’s disgust is based on their great admiration of how Tom has been coping with horrendous adversity.
They feel strongly – as I do – that he deserves better than a tabloid style headline to introduce his noble story.
The least Sinead could do is to apologise and admit that she made a journalistic blunder.
Twink and Fraj, I appreciate what you’re saying. I just don’t feel the same way about the headline. I know the story of what happened. The headline did not in my view diminish his story nor did the article seek to minimise his wonderful contribution. I think people are over reacting. It’s a headline designed to draw people into his story. It appears to have succeeded. Just my view but I appreciate that others may see things very differently.
I would imagine the headline – “Jill Meagher’s husband has turned his anger and grief into positive action” would receive vastly less clicks then the current one. It is as simple as that.
Here is the same story portrayed in a more honest and less sensationalistic [i.e. click generating] fashion.
The headline is nasty and misleading and only relates to one quote as to where the poor man’s head was at even while he aimed to help, so it is, at most, a reference point, not the central thread which should surely be reflected in headline.
The headline has set a wrong tone for the actual article. I wonder how many people skipped your story be cause of this sinead
Very few I would imagine if we are to judge by the success of such headlines. You and I didn’t anyway!
I didn’t intend causing a furore with my initial observation and certainly don’t think that any apology is necessary as Fraj suggested. I do, however agree with him when he says that Tom Meagher, ” deserves better than a tabloid-style headline to introduce his noble story”.
As a famous Corkonian once said, several times, ” We’ll leave it there now so…ok?”
You cannot heal until you forgive.i know that’s very difficult.
have your say