Elite armed squad to tackle gangland crime in Limerick

foinse wrote: »

I'll see what i can do with pics, but it'll be hard enough with an AC around

The papers will have pics come tomorrow anyway, big photo shoot I would imagine with more tunics than you have seen since passing out

New armed Garda support units begin work

Elite armed gardaí are beginning work today as part of a new regional strategy to tackle shootings and hostage situations.

The 24-member squad, which will have its own uniforms and vehicles, will provide instant back-up to frontline gardaí.

It is the first of five Regional Support Units (RSU) which were pledged in the Garda’s 2008 Policing Plan.

The southern unit covering Cork City, Cork North, Cork West, Kerry and Limerick will initially operate as a pilot and be reviewed on a continuing basis.

“Regional Support Units will provide tactical and firearms support for our frontline officers responding to critical incidents and will enhance the overall level and extent of service that we provide to the communities we have sworn to serve, through a multi-purpose, skilled and well equipped group of personnel,” said Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy

RSU officers have undergone 13-week training period which included instruction in resolution/negotiation techniques, tactical driving, first aid and the use of firearms and less lethal weapons.

RSU officers will patrol as regular uniform Gardaí but when a potentially violent situation occurs they will change into tactical gear and will have access to firearms and less lethal weapons, similar to the Emergency Response Unit (ERU).

Each RSU will comprise 24 hand-picked officers, including supervisors. However, strengths can be increased if deemed necessary.

A basic RSU patrol will consist of two or three officers in a specially adapted marked patrol car.

The general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Joe Dirwan gave a cautious welcome to the new units. "We do need that type of response and we do need our detectives trained up to that level," he said.

Speaking on RTE's Morning Ireland today, he said the association had called for armed response units to be immediately available around the clock. However, he warned the crossover between the units and unarmed gardaí could create other targets for criminals.

Irish Times

donvito99 wrote: »

Must see it at 9 RTE.

Why wait?
http://www.rte.ie/news/1news/

donvito99 wrote: »

Cant get the real player to work.

Working for me. You're missing feck all though really. It's a very botched up report. Not very impressive.

And there's no footage ! What a waste of 2 mins for me that was

Ah, right so CLADA.

I tell you .. I love the partial arming of the force to deal with the ever increasing xy and z but I really really can't get behind this half assed method. It seems to me like these armed support guys can get taken out nice and handy once you go and get them when they don't have their special jackets on, badges and lights out or guns out of the safe.

Yes, it's very much a simplistic view of it all but I think a high visibility "We're armed, don't **** with us, we're not pissing about here" presence would be much more effective.

yayamark wrote: »

How are they gone to cover the markings?

I asked the same question and was told there is some form of adhesive strip that can be removed and replaced.
Take whatever you want from that

metman wrote: »

Talk about over-complicating things :rolleyes: why bother having it written on the vehicle thats its an armed unit? The local Guards will know, and Joe Public will only know when the crew is deployed with weapons, job done and no need for fridge magnets/gaffer tape.....etc

Tut Tut Metman, you obviously haven't been paying attention in class.:D

They will undertake regular duties until such time as they are deployed to an armed or critical incident.
At that point they change into tac gear, tool up, activate the electonic display, reveal the armed support unit markings.

Then they become an armed unit.

Whats complicated about that:rolleyes:

CLADA wrote: »

Tut Tut Metman, you obviously haven't been paying attention in class.:D

They will undertake regular duties until such time as they are deployed to an armed or critical incident.
At that point they change into tac gear, tool up, activate the electonic display, reveal the armed support unit markings.

Then they become an armed unit.

Whats complicated about that:rolleyes:

Yeah but it only takes 1 minute!!!!!

Sure you would hardly be shot dead in that space of time now would you?:rolleyes:

Nice uniform and car though

Just saw the pics this morning of the RSUs in the national press this morning and they do look the part. Nice to see they've finally moved away from the UZI too. Just one thing that did did make me chuckle was when the reporter said that donning tactical dress "...will involve pulling on a zip-up jacket over the uniform and donning a special cap, with 'armed support unit' markings." would have thought tactical dress consisted of a bit more than that

Glad to see the Guards finally getting some decent kit

eroo wrote: »

@CLADA,I presume they will carry their sidearms at all times??

Random,armed response vehicles/support units play an integral part of policing in the UK.It's high time we followed suit.It's not half assed,even if there are some complicaions,these should be ironed out by feedback from the RSU crews.

Armed criminals don't attack DDU Ford Mondeos(well,they're pretty obvious,but that is the point) nor do they attack other armed units,simply because these personnel are armed.They wouldn't risk it imo.There is a good chance a) they could be shot b)they could be arrested c)they wouldn't get far after the incident,as well as various other risks.So I don't think the RSU will be at any greater risk.

Marked RSU cars that stand out a mile;tac clothing;MP7's and Sig Sauer's. . .how is this not high visibility?lol

The " random " policng in the uk is generally SPecial branch asuch with the usual response gear in the booth,

though they spend most of their time speeding after noobie criminals they have the equipment should they be required.


but atleast the gardi have something, it beatsa having to call up the lads from limerick in the blocked out patrols with the aldi value camo gear and there chinese mp5's, but that was the old budget, in with the new

S.I.R wrote: »

policng in the uk is generally SPecial branch asuch with the usual response gear in the booth,

though they spend most of their time speeding after noobie criminals they have the equipment should they be required.

And Special Branch don't respond to firearms jobs here. Armed response is conducted by authorised firearms officers (AFOs) as part of Tactical Firearms Group (TFG) or Central Operations (CO) crewed in armed response vehicles (ARVs).



TFG Entry Team

eroo wrote: »

Armed criminals don't attack DDU Ford Mondeos(well,they're pretty obvious,but that is the point) nor do they attack other armed units,simply because these personnel are armed.They wouldn't risk it imo.There is a good chance a) they could be shot b)they could be arrested c)they wouldn't get far after the incident,as well as various other risks.So I don't think the RSU will be at any greater risk.

Armed Gardai have been attacked before, Jerry McCabe & Ben O'Sullivan being the last two serious cases.