Gardai should be armed?

LC2010HIS

I read an article earlier in a newspaper and it really got me thinking.
They were arguing the Gardai are not taken seriously because they are unarmed!.

I completely agree. I do believe Gardai should be armed with guns. But at the same time, Im not nodding for widespread gun use.

I dont like how Gardai are unarmed and have an aul chat with a suspect etc.
Its very hard to take seriously!

I dont understand why they are unarmed to be honest.


What does everyone else think?

AudreyHepburn

LC2010HIS wrote: »

I read an article earlier in a newspaper and it really got me thinking.
They were arguing the Gardai are not taken seriously.

I completely agree. I do believe Gardai should be armed with guns. But obviously, Im not nodding for widespread gun use.

I dont like how Gardai are unarmed and have an aul chat with a suspect etc.
Its very hard to take seriously!

I dont understand why they are unarmed to be honest.


What does everyone else think?

In certain situations yes without a doubt.

Some of the scum they deal with are too dangerous for go near unarmed imo and frankly it would make people treat with a little more respect in general.

chin_grin

The Gardaí aren't taken seriously because we have a joke of a judicial system. So if there's no backbone of course the "extremities" are going to appear spineless.

Solnskaya

considering some of the specimens that emerge from templemore, I'm not sure we can trust them with cars, never mind guns. They do arm the guards, but only after a while, and a long selection process to weed out the lads you wouldnt give scissors to.

WIZE

No Gardai would be a risk to the General Public if they were armed

Manach

So can the ordinary public acquire arms as well?

joshrogan

No I don't think Gardai patrolling the streets should be armed, they're capable of controlling minor situations with their given equipment and if there is any escalation in trouble they can call for back up.

AudreyHepburn

Solnskaya wrote: »

considering some of the specimens that emerge from templemore, I'm not sure we can trust them with cars, never mind guns. They do arm the guards, but only after a while, and a long selection process to weed out the lads you wouldnt give scissors to.

Let's try not to generalise for once.

dlofnep

No - They would abuse it.

ScumLord

The vast majority of guards have no need for guns, better to have a few highly trained guards in locations where their likely to be needed as I'm pretty sure the guards are already doing.

Wolfe Tone

lol, no they should not be armed, I wouldnt trust the average garda with a gun.

tan11ie

I do believe some should be armed to deal with the criminal gangs ect........
but then again i have my doubts ...some dumb ass coppers out there!

Mickeroo

Part of me says they should be but that could lead to escalation. I don't think it would do much good tbh.

southsiderosie

Are they allowed to carry tasers or pepper spray? I think that would be sufficient in most cases.

LC2010HIS

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

In certain situations yes without a doubt.

Some of the scum they deal with are too dangerous for go near unarmed imo and frankly it would make people treat with a little more respect in general.

Yeah Audrey, exactly! I want to join when they recruit again (and after I attend college) and to be honest, the more I imagine myself in their shoes, the more unsafe I'd feel up against certain situations.

I'm not saying, they should pull a gun on a petty thief in a supermarket but like, if others were about to be harmed by someone or if Gardai were about to be attacked etc etc

And even at that, shooting would be a last resort?

To be honest, I was very surprised the political visits went off without incident because If I was a criminal, "unarmed police force" would be cake?

Mickeroo

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Some of the scum they deal with are too dangerous for go near unarmed imo and frankly it would make people treat with a little more respect in general.

Fear of being shot does not equal respect imo.

AudreyHepburn

WIZE wrote: »

No Gardai would be a risk to the General Public if they were armed

dlofnep wrote: »

No - They would abuse it.

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

lol, no they should not be armed, I wouldnt trust the average garda with a gun.

Again with the stupid sweeping generalisations.

Is it not possible to have a Garda related thread without it?

LETHAL LADY

As far as I am aware most garda stations have a gun press and also have specially trained (usually detectives) to use them if needs be.

AudreyHepburn

Manach wrote: »

So can the ordinary public acquire arms as well?

I see no reason why not, we all have the right to defend ourselves.

NTMK

The Garda aren't taken seriously because of how useless they are.

I wouldn't trust most of them with a safety scissors not to mind a gun

AudreyHepburn

Mickeroo wrote: »

Fear of being shot does not equal respect imo.

I wasn't talking about scaring people into respecting them, but it might make people take them more seriously as a police force than little battons and pepper spray.

Sunnyisland

There are already many armed garda units.

I don't know about arming all the garda maybe the use of tasers guns is the way to go,We wouldn't want another situation like the one that happened in longford a few years ago,(forget the name)

Turner

About a quarter of them are armed.

You just will never see their guns. They keep them covered and are in plain clothes.

Unless they are on jobs


Armed response units all over the country too with the ERU based in Dublin.

I do think motorcyclists should be armed though, they work alone and can be first at scene due to their speed and ability to get through traffic fast.

thecornflake

They're too quiet. Gun or no gun any cop in the states will demand respect. They just don't have the right attitude. Perhaps they should try being more aggressive (not hitting people) , shout, don't take crap, make an example of people.

If someone does something wrong no matter how small they should be flagged for it and told what they did was wrong.

Cops in the states take "J walking" very seriously and make an example of you if you do it, compare this to a guard I saw a few years back. A man crossed Eden quay without a green man and with a guard directing traffic. She shouted at the man who was in a suit and he just ignored her and walked straight past her.She then turned around as he was walking past her and infront of everyone she did a weird dance/tantrum move like a child, rolled her eyes up to heaven and continued on.

I couldn't take her seriously. Could you ?

seanybiker

I think they should be armed.

Mickeroo

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

I see no reason why not, we all have the right to defend ourselves.

That's bollox.

LC2010HIS

I actually think and no offence to anyone out there in the Gardai, but I do think it could do with a "review" or whatever the government calls it.


I guess its another, "why are other countries this way and good aul doormat ireland is another way....."

AudreyHepburn

Mickeroo wrote: »

That's bollox.

Why? We are entitled to defend ourselves, are we not?

LC2010HIS

In relation to the states, there is double the crime, I guess.

I take them more seriously than our crowd.

Mickeroo

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Why? We are entitled to defend ourselves, are we not?

Indeed we are, but making instruments with no other function than to kill people freely available to buy is not a good way to go about making the country safer.

LC2010HIS

Mickeroo wrote: »

Indeed we are, but making instruments with no other function than to kill people freely available to buy is not a good way to go about making the country safer.

I dont believe anyone other than Gardai and the military should own guns.
I dont even believe hunters should have them.

Fremen

To come up with a sensible answer to that question, you first need to ask "How often does a Garda find himself in a situation where he actively needs a gun?".

I would say very rarely. Gardai would usually arrive at the scene of a serious crime after it has taken place, rather than witnessing it occuring. Their job is to track criminals down, rather than catch them in the act.

Most rank-and-file gardai wouldn't see much more than a standard public order offence anyway. In the worst case, they might take a smack or two, but that's nothing a baton couldn't take care of, and the law is heavily on their side.

On those grounds, I'd say the risks outweigh the benefits.

easygoing39

Nope,our guards have trouble keeping a simply yoke like a mondeo on the straight and narrow,give them a gun and there will be dead citizens all over the country.Just look at how the guards battered innocent people on the may day parade a few years ago,now think off all the dead people that would have littered dublin city center if these thick rambo cops had of hand guns!!! It would have of been like Tiananmen Square for God's sake.

Sunnyisland

LC2010HIS wrote: »

I dont believe anyone other than Gardai and the military should own guns.
I dont even believe hunters should have them.

And how would they hunt, Bow and arrows

Norwayviking

If you want armed guards you might as well send the army out in the streets.
But if they keep it locked up in a vehicle,and not shown to the public,its a different story.
And why should the Guards be allowed to be armed,and not me and you???
Its only going to provoke more violence.

Fremen

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Why? We are entitled to defend ourselves, are we not?

Within certain sensible limits. If you give someone a gun, you're giving them the ability to kill a person just by pointing at them. That's going a bit far, if you ask me.

You might as well argue that police should carry A.K.s because they have the right to defend themselves. The point is you have to draw a line somewhere. I draw it at handguns.

LC2010HIS

realies wrote: »

[/B]


And how would they hunt, Bow and arrows

Damn right!

LC2010HIS

Fremen wrote: »

I draw it at handguns.

Yeah? Thats what I mean like.
I dont mean rifles lol

Mickeroo

LC2010HIS wrote: »

Damn right!

It's actually illegal to hunt with a bow and arrow in Ireland afaik. Seems odd.

Eric Cartman

I believe the gardai should be armed, But if you have an armed police force then it should be legal for citizens to have guns , which I also believe in. We have a huge problem in this country where criminals can do what they like and just go through our revolving door prison system without punishment. the threat of having a few rounds through your kneecaps for breaking into somebodys house would be a lot of help

Norwayviking

LC2010HIS wrote: »

I dont believe anyone other than Gardai and the military should own guns.
I dont even believe hunters should have them.

Ever tried catching a deer or a rabbit with your bare hands:rolleyes:

Solnskaya

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

Let's try not to generalise for once.

Audrey, you are a guard, aren't you. Were you that foxy brunette that stopped me for no tax on my hiace last week? I'd give you a gun no bother, that uniform does things for a man.

Sunnyisland

Norwayviking wrote: »

Ever tried catching a deer or a rabbit with your bare hands:rolleyes:

Rambo can do it,:p:p A few rambos here to .

Norwayviking

realies wrote: »

Rambo can do it,:p:p A few rambos here to .

If we had Rambo,we wouldnt need an army either;)

AudreyHepburn

Solnskaya wrote: »

Audrey, you are a guard, aren't you. Were you that foxy brunette that stopped me for no tax on my hiace last week? I'd give you a gun no bother, that uniform does things for a man.

I'm not no, but I don't see what that has to do with anything.

jetsonx

Well already they seem to threaten to use their "power of arrest" to everybody and anybody even in the most non-threatening situations.

I dread to think what sort of power-buzz young dim-witted and inexperienced recruits fresh from Templemore would get brandishing a weapon like a gun.

There are way too many aggressive loose-canons in the force for any sort of universal gun use policy.

Guns and Gardai would be a lethal concoction.

Icyseanfitz

Mickeroo wrote: »

It's actually illegal to hunt with a bow and arrow in Ireland afaik. Seems odd.

so its alright to shoot an animal so long as you dont use a bow or crossbow? where the hell is the sense in that god this country is so turned around its not even funny,

on gardai with guns, one part of me is saying yes they should have them, i see gardai abused an awful lot where im from, people just dont fear or respect them on the other hand there are some really stupid gardai around, remember that protest a year or so ago by students at some government building? ended with the students getting beaten up for no damn reason

LC2010HIS

Norwayviking wrote: »

If we had Rambo,we wouldnt need an army either;)

Imagine a country with Rambo and Chuck Norris


Ahem, anyway....

Sunnyisland

AudreyHepburn wrote: »

I'm not no, but I don't see what that has to do with anything.

He fancies you and is chasing you around the boards,have you not noticed

LC2010HIS

realies wrote: »

He fancies you and is chasing you around the boards,have you not noticed

Woop Woop! Get in there How bad sure!

RMD

tan11ie wrote: »

I do believe some should be armed to deal with the criminal gangs ect........
but then again i have my doubts ...some dumb ass coppers out there!

There is highly armed and well trained Gardai in city areas where criminal gang problems exist. The ERU are based in Dublin, that means if a criminal gang needs to be dealt with Ireland's most highly trained Gardaí are available very quickly.

In the rural areas there are the RSU, highly armed, highly trained and capable to deal with pretty much any threat posed. We have sufficient numbers of arms within the Gardai for the risks posed.