Should the Gardai be armed???

BattleCorp

Should the Gardaí be armed? I mean all of them, not just the ERU or detectives.

Is it really fair in this day and age to send them out with a bit of a stick and nothing else to face the tooled up criminals of today?

donvito99

Use the search function.

Oblig /thread

Celly Smunt

No they shouldn't.

Victor

I understand more than 99% of them have two arms.

This topic of discussion has been done to death if you use the search function.

endacl

Victor wrote: »

I understand more than 99% of them have two arms.

This topic of discussion has been done to death if you use the search function.

I don't know. Op may have a new angle?

orestes

No. Every arguement in favour of arming the gardai is based on hysteria and lunacy.

miss_flamingo

Not sure...I can see why it might be much better for their own safety! But I'm not so sure if I'd trust the majority of them with a gun.... :rolleyes:

Yes they should.

A Garda with no arms wouldn't be much use.

BattleCorp

endacl wrote: »

I don't know. Op may have a new angle?

Nah, no new angle. I just put it up because it popped into my head. Lazy me.

looking_around

they use more than a "stick" like those electric guns. So no, they don't need lethal weapons.

electrobanana

I think every topic has been done to death at this stage...shut the whole lot down.

opinion guy

BattleCorp eh???

Methinks the OP may be about to suggest a plan to use the brain of deceased Garda to power the new BattleDroid his corporation have been developing. It will be called RoboGuard

electrobanana

opinion guy wrote: »

BattleCorp eh???

Methinks the OP may be about to suggest a plan to use the brain of deceased Garda to power the new BattleDroid his corporation have been developing. It will be called RoboGuard

you always have an opinion don't you guy?

Son Of A Vidic

BattleCorp wrote: »

Should the Gardai be armed???

Fúck no.

o1s1n

I barely trust them with pepper spray, let alone firearms.

We have an armed response unit in case of emergencies.

Death and Taxes

BattleCorp wrote: »

Should the Gardaí be armed? I mean all of them, not just the ERU or detectives.

Is it really fair in this day and age to send them out with a bit of a stick and nothing else to face the tooled up criminals of today?

the ERU are armed as are many of the detective units.

Fighting Irish

donvito99 wrote: »

Use the search function.

Oblig /thread

:rolleyes:

SB2013

orestes wrote: »

No. Every arguement in favour of arming the gardai is based on hysteria and lunacy.

o1s1n wrote: »

I barely trust them with pepper spray, let alone firearms.

We have an armed response unit in case of emergencies.

A relatively easy position to take when you are not the one at risk.

BlatentCheek

The last Garda shot or violently killed in the line of duty was armed. The last one before that was in 1999. They're at more risk of death from cars than guns, like that poor Garda killed by a joyrider in Donegal back in 2010. They're now issued with non lethal weapons like tasers, pepper spray and extendable batons, along with stab vests that adds up to more than "a bit of a stick". An unarmed police force has been fit for purpose since the states inception so why change it when crime, particularly gun crime, is dropping?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/violent-deaths-87-garda%C3%AD-killed-in-line-of-duty-1.967486

SB2013

BlatentCheek wrote: »

The last Garda shot or violently killed in the line of duty was armed. The last one before that was in 1999. They're at more risk of death from cars than guns, like that poor Garda killed by a joyrider in Donegal back in 2010. An unarmed police force has been fit for purpose since the states inception so why change it when crime, particularly gun crime, is dropping?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/violent-deaths-87-garda%C3%AD-killed-in-line-of-duty-1.967486

We are ignoring the high number of Gardaí that are injured with knives and other weapons. Have you ever tried to disarm someone wielding a golf club or a machete? It's not easy.

And it's all very well spouting on about the ERU but when the closest armed unit is half an hour from you thats not much comfort.

Nino Brown

I think they should have tasers for sure, and maybe access to less than lethal weapons. But I think guns would be an unnecessary escalation, in the fight against criminals.

orestes

SB2013 wrote: »

A relatively easy position to take when you are not the one at risk.

See, this is what i meant by hysteria.

kerry4sam

BattleCorp wrote: »

Should the Gardaí be armed? I mean all of them, not just the ERU or detectives.

Is it really fair in this day and age to send them out with a bit of a stick and nothing else to face the tooled up criminals of today?

No, dear God no! Do not allow the Guardians of Peace possess un-necessary arms / means of force.

Sulla Felix

Theres a youth defence poster in rathmines promoting giving them all uzis. Thought it was an unusual, if ballsy position for them to take.

SB2013

orestes wrote: »

See, this is what i meant by hysteria.

Feel free to elaborate.

SB2013

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Theres a youth defence poster in rathmines promoting giving them all uzis. Thought it was an unusual, if ballsy position for them to take.

I believe that's an Independent advertising campaign.

BlatentCheek

SB2013 wrote: »

We are ignoring the high number of Gardaí that are injured with knives and other weapons. Have you ever tried to disarm someone wielding a golf club or a machete? It's not easy.

And it's all very well spouting on about the ERU but when the closest armed unit is half an hour from you thats not much comfort.

Using a non lethal weapon, of the sort issued to all gardai, on someone wielding a knife or blunt instrument is far preferable to shooting him. I'm sure most Gardai would rather have the choice of tasing such an aggressor as shooting someone can have a lot of consequences: investigation, media speculation that the Garda's actions were wrongful, stress resulting from it all.

Sulla Felix

SB2013 wrote: »

I believe that's an Independent advertising campaign.

The paper?

orestes

SB2013 wrote: »

Feel free to elaborate.

Saying "it's easy to say that when you're not the one at risk" isn't a rational arguement, it's an appeal to hysteria. It carries about as much weight as shouting "won't somebody think of the children".

SB2013

BlatentCheek wrote: »

Using a non lethal weapon, of the sort issued to all gardai, on someone wielding a knife or blunt instrument is far preferable to shooting him. I'm sure most Gardai would rather have the choice of tasing such an aggressor as shooting someone can have a lot of consequences: investigation, media speculation that the Garda's actions were wrongful, stress resulting from it all.

Yes they probably would. FYI a taser is considered a firearm.

Sulla Felix wrote: »

The paper?

Yes

phelixoflaherty

Th average Garda has less than one arm..

Praetorian Saighdiuir

Elena Ashy Liquor wrote: »

No, I think if they have a case where there is armed gangs, or a armed robbery or something, I think the army should be trained to be called in

AGS have specialist armed units for that situation.

the_syco

Normal Gardai; not sure. Probably not. Everyone else apart from the "bobby on the street" (detectives, AGS, etc) should be armed with at least an uzi type weapon, with the AGS having better guns.

Manic Moran

Everyone else apart from the "bobby on the street"

The problem is that there are more 'bobbies on the street' than there are everyone else, and so the first person to show up, often not knowing what the situation is, it quite likely going to be one of them.

Nino Brown

Manic Moran wrote: »

The problem is that there are more 'bobbies on the street' than there are everyone else, and so the first person to show up, often not knowing what the situation is, it quite likely going to be one of them.

True but everybody knows Irish police aren't armed, so if they don't want to get arrested they just run. Arming Gardai will change the reaction to the first Guard on scene.
Seeing as we don't have a problem with people shooting at Gardai, it would be foolish in my opinion to arm the Gardai, which could change the reaction to them, thereby creating a problem where there wasn't one before.

kfk

In the past, some detective units were armed with uzi smg's afaik.

Witcher

kfk wrote: »

In the past, some detective units were armed with uzi smg's afaik.

They're all armed but the UZI is gone now.

kerry4sam

According to this:

Garda management is considering the widespread deployment of Taser stun guns in the face of rising injuries to gardai, with around 800 a year needing hospital or medical treatment and spending three days or more off work.

I don't mind this move once each Garda is actually held accountable; that their won't be any word of any mis-understandings when the taser is used on someone and all paperwork is completed honestly once used.

Time will tell on whether this will be used by the force; and whether they can be trusted with the taser in their personal possession. A potentially good move. Potentially.

Freddy Smelly

Victor wrote: »

I understand more than 99% of them have two arms.

This topic of discussion has been done to death if you use the search function.

i long for the day i see a 3 armed cop on the beat :P imagine how he could direct traffic

irishgeo

Some high powered garda cars might be more useful than arming them.

SB2013

Nino Brown wrote: »

True but everybody knows Irish police aren't armed, so if they don't want to get arrested they just run.

Where did you get this notion from?

irishgeo wrote: »

Some high powered garda cars might be more useful than arming them.

For what purpose? If a Garda chases a car and there is an accident they are left out to dry.

LostBoy101

C'mon now the only reason the American cops need guns is 'cause they're fat..

Tigger

give them baseball bats and paintball guns with that paint you cant wash off no need to go straight from a batton to a gun

Yes, arm them.

We have a highly visible cohort of scumbags in this country, and they permeate nearly every area, particularly in the cities.

Grayson

LostBoy101 wrote: »

C'mon now the only reason the American cops need guns is 'cause they're fat..

and all the criminals have guns in the US.

Gardai don't need guns. If they needed it then the GRU would be actively campaigning for it.


I have no idea what it is with some people fascination with guns. They seem to think that every single problem can be solved by giving more guns to people.

LostBoy101

Grayson wrote: »

and all the criminals have guns in the US.

Gardai don't need guns. If they needed it then the GRU would be actively campaigning for it.


I have no idea what it is with some people fascination with guns. They seem to think that every single problem can be solved by giving more guns to people.

Yep since the cops get guns then the people start demanding them. No wonder the states are in a gun war.

Hilly Bill

phelixoflaherty wrote: »

Th average Garda has less than one arm..

They have 2. One normal one and the Long arm of the law which they use to get cats down from trees.

the_syco

Manic Moran wrote: »

The problem is that there are more 'bobbies on the street' than there are everyone else, and so the first person to show up, often not knowing what the situation is, it quite likely going to be one of them.

Selling the idea of training them up when stations are being closed and cars are being ran into the ground; it ain't going to happen.

TheNog

kerry4sam wrote: »

According to this:

I don't mind this move once each Garda is actually held accountable; that their won't be any word of any mis-understandings when the taser is used on someone and all paperwork is completed honestly once used.

Time will tell on whether this will be used by the force; and whether they can be trusted with the taser in their personal possession. A potentially good move. Potentially.

As it stands right now if a Garda uses pepper spray or the asp a report has to be done. It is standard procedure and has worked well so far.

I remember this same debate a few years ago of "can we trust them to use the asp/pepper spray correctly and without abusing them". An ASP is probably considerably more dangerous than a tazer as one strike can be fatal. It's unlikely with a tazer unless there is severe underlying medical problems.

Tbh I would welcome tazers being considered and possibly implemented. They could save numerous injuries and millions of euro too