Gardai with guns!

horticulturist

I stopped into a Maxol garage after work earlier and there were two gardai ahead of me armed with handguns. They were dead on and we spoke about the weather and such as we waited in line. Maybe I've been living under a rock but is it this a fairly common sight nowadays? I wondered why it was necessary for them to be carrying guns. Please enlighten me!

SEPT 23 1989

were they waving them about?

Sheep Lover

They are just toy ones, probably Christmas presents for the kids. Did it say "Made in Taiwan" on the side?

The_Valeyard

horticulturist wrote: »

I stopped into a Maxol garage after work earlier and there were two gardai ahead of me armed with handguns. They were dead on and we spoke about the weather and such as we waited in line. Maybe I've been living under a rock but is it this a fairly common sight nowadays? I wondered why it was necessary for them to be carrying guns. Please enlighten me!

Rapid Donut Response Squad.

Raging_Ninja

Garda Regional Support Unit. For special cases where batons aren't enough. Been around for a good few years now.

horticulturist

No. It's safe to say they weren't waving them about just lining up to buy coffee and scratch cards!

MadYaker

They were probably the armed response unit? I see them around Galway every now and again. Normal gardai still don't carry guns.

6541

The sooner our Gardai are armed the better.

MattD1349

ah jesus man where have you been? The lads on patrol with the guns? tis a great line to use on the young wans & for showing off to the lads.

SEPT 23 1989

6541 wrote: »

The sooner our Gardai are armed the better.

No because the criminals would be better armed

lots of guards would be killed

baldbear

Its the pimps and the hoors I blame.

braddun

most are in plain clothes,or have guns hidden

I am surprised you could see them

Crimsonred

braddun wrote: »

most are in plain clothes,or have guns hidden

I am surprised you could see them

I keep mine hidden.

MadYaker

6541 wrote: »

The sooner our Gardai are armed the better.

More guns means more people getting shot. At the moment petty criminals don't feel the need to have a gun themselves because they know their victims won't be armed and the Gardai won't be armed. Give the Gardai guns and that changes.

Crimsonred

Crimsonred wrote: »

I keep mine hidden.

In my best Mae West accent..

''Saaaay, is that gun in your pocket, or are ye just happy to see me??'

6541

MadYaker wrote: »

More guns means more people getting shot. At the moment petty criminals don't feel the need to have a gun themselves because they know their victims won't be armed and the Gardai won't be armed. Give the Gardai guns and that changes.

Ireland is actually awash with guns, many people do not realise this. Our society has got a lot more violent lately. I am pro Gardai and think they do an outstanding job.

IsaacWunder

MadYaker wrote: »

More guns means more people getting shot. At the moment petty criminals don't feel the need to have a gun themselves because they know their victims won't be armed and the Gardai won't be armed. Give the Gardai guns and that changes.

Not necessarily. This argument usually revolves around the US experience, but it wouldn't pan out that way in Ireland. Possession of a gun alone is an offense here and unless it's a shotgun they're extremely hard to get, so petty criminals wouldn't be armed.

New Zealand probably has the best system: regular cops aren't armed, but they have guns locked in the boot of all their squad cars. If they need a gun they have to get permission to unlock the box.

I think it's a good compromise.

Raging_Ninja

There are 400,000 legally owned firearms in the state.

Witcher

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

There are 400,000 legally owned firearms in the state.

No there aren't. Halve that and you're in the ballpark.

Legally held firearms have nothing to do with this thread anyway.

SEPT 23 1989

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

There are 400,000 legally owned firearms in the state.

they are not the ones you worry about

MadYaker

Gun crime is on the rise in urban areas which is a big problem. I really think arming all the Gardai would be a step in the wrong direction though.

I know this isn't very PC but to be fair MOST of the people getting shot are drug dealers and criminals anyway and are no real loss to society as a whole.

Raging_Ninja

Strider wrote: »

No there aren't. Halve that and you're in the ballpark.

There were 200,000 in 2005. Has almost doubled since then.

Witcher

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

There were 200,000 in 2005. Has almost doubled since then.

No it hasn't.

There are roughly 200,000 firearms of all types licenced here. That's from the latest Garda figures. We've never had anything close to 400,000 firearms licenced here.

Where did you even get the idea that it had doubled?

branie2

Was he buying bacon?

Ten of Swords

horticulturist wrote: »

I stopped into a Maxol garage after work earlier and there were two gardai ahead of me armed with handguns.

Members of the Regional Support Units are uniformed gardai that routinely carry weapons. There are several such units around the country.

Raging_Ninja

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

they are not the ones you worry about

For the most part, you're right. Though there have been a few instances where people went crazy and started shooting at the guards - John Cathy, another guy in the last year who took his own life after opening fire from his car.

SVI40

The numbers haven't doubled. There's in the region of 200,000 licenced firearms in the state.

Raging_Ninja

SVI40 wrote: »

The numbers haven't doubled. There's in the region of 200,000 licenced firearms in the state.

Dammit I read it in the papers last year.

MadYaker

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

There were 200,000 in 2005. Has almost doubled since then.

Where are you getting your figures from? the most recent figures I can find are from 2014 an article in The Examiner that says there are 220,000 licensed guns in ireland and the vast majority are shotguns.

SVI40

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

Dammit I read it in the papers last year.

It's not surprising the papers have it wrong. It wouldn't be a first.

Ten of Swords

This article from 4 days ago mentions 200,000 guns, but does not give a source

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/gardai-want-ban-on-all-handguns-654971.html

nullzero

So OP? when you asked did they let you shoot out some of the tyres of the cars on the forecourt?

My name is URL

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No because the criminals would be better armed

lots of guards would be killed

A lot of them are armed already because of the 250+ legally owned guns that get stolen every year.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/1134-guns-stolen-in-four-years-30441097.html

They'd definitely be more inclined to use them if all Gardai (or more people) were armed though.

paulosam

RSU have the nice Volvo patrol cars too, not the usual poxy Focus or Hyundai estates.

6541

paulosam wrote: »

RSU have the nice Volvo patrol cars too, not the usual poxy Focus or Hyundai estates.

I have always wondered this, what process is used to decide what type of cars our brave Gardai drive. Is it based on cost, speed etc. Does anyone know?

Omackeral

horticulturist wrote: »

I stopped into a Maxol garage after work earlier and there were two gardai ahead of me armed with handguns. They were dead on and we spoke about the weather and such as we waited in line. Maybe I've been living under a rock but is it this a fairly common sight nowadays? I wondered why it was necessary for them to be carrying guns. Please enlighten me!

That is some high Octane sh*t right there.

Turtyturd

'Have ye got a coin to scratch this?'

'Just use the gun.'

the_syco

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No because the criminals would be better armed

lots of guards would be killed

Most of the criminals are already better armed. And Gardai are getting killed.

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

John Cathy, another guy in the last year who took his own life after opening fire from his car.

John Cathy? Do you mean John Carthy? If so, that was back in 2000, and he shot from his house.

=-=

Over two and a half thousand weapons and explosives offences happened in 2013. On the decrease, but we should remain vigilant.

wendell borton

The guards should be respresentitive of the people they serve, more community guards would be lot more effective than guns at reducing crime. We don't want the us and them scenario thats causing so much trouble in the US at the moment.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

wendell borton wrote: »

The guards should be respresentitive of the people they serve, more community guards would be lot more effective than guns at reducing crime. We don't want the us and them scenario thats causing so much trouble in the US at the moment.

Well unless they start running around attacking Polish people or travellers, you can't really make that comparison. Community Gardaí are all well and good but there is a serious undercurrent of complete disrespect for the Gardaí around the country because scumbags aren't afraid of them and know the judicial system is soft.

wendell borton

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

Well unless they start running around attacking Polish people or travellers, you can't really make that comparison. Community Gardaí are all well and good but there is a serious undercurrent of complete disrespect for the Gardaí around the country because scumbags aren't afraid of them and know the judicial system is soft.

Arming the guards won't change that, it a failing of society in general.

steveone

IsaacWunder wrote: »

Not necessarily. This argument usually revolves around the US experience, but it wouldn't pan out that way in Ireland. Possession of a gun alone is an offense here and unless it's a shotgun they're extremely hard to get, so petty criminals wouldn't be armed.

New Zealand probably has the best system: regular cops aren't armed, but they have guns locked in the boot of all their squad cars. If they need a gun they have to get permission to unlock the box.

I think it's a good compromise.

What happens if the squad car is stolen?

harry Bailey esq

horticulturist wrote: »

I stopped into a Maxol garage after work earlier and there were two gardai ahead of me armed with handguns. They were dead on and we spoke about the weather and such as we waited in line. Maybe I've been living under a rock but is it this a fairly common sight nowadays? I wondered why it was necessary for them to be carrying guns. Please enlighten me!

Most if not all plainclothes detectives carry a .38 smith and wesson revolver.The armed response unit, regional support unit and branch use SIG's and other automatics as sidearms

dmc17

horticulturist wrote: »

I stopped into a Maxol garage after work earlier and there were two gardai ahead of me armed with handguns. They were dead on and we spoke about the weather and such as we waited in line. Maybe I've been living under a rock but is it this a fairly common sight nowadays? I wondered why it was necessary for them to be carrying guns. Please enlighten me!

Did they mention anything about a white Christmas? I might put a bet on, and if anyone would have an inside track on these things it's the Gardaí.

roadsmart

harry Bailey esq wrote: »

Most if not all plainclothes detectives carry a .38 smith and wesson revolver.The armed response unit, regional support unit and branch use SIG's and other automatics as sidearms

The revolvers have been phased out over the last 10 years. Most now carry sigs.

Jumboman

6541 wrote: »

The sooner our Gardai are armed the better.

I woundn't trust the gardas with water pistols never mind guns.

We have already seen how they abuse their pepper spray. You can only imagine what they wound do if they had guns.

harry Bailey esq

roadsmart wrote: »

The revolvers have been phased out over the last 10 years. Most now carry sigs.

I still see plenty with revolvers,id imagine the police prefer using them as they won't jam.

K.Flyer

Just from what I have personaĺly seen, I think there is a steady increase in the number of Garda carrying firearms.
I don't see the problem myself, if some parts of society had more respect for the law and their fellow countryman there would be no need for them.
But unfortunately parts of society are being terrorised by the increasing proliferation of lawless scum who need taking down. If that means arming the Garda, then so be it.

sdanseo

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No because the criminals would be better armed

lots of guards would be killed

Disagree in two ways. One, I don't think more criminals would use guns, I think there'd more likely be less people chancing armed robbery.

Second, better armed than this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOBLaST44oY

diomed

6541 wrote: »

The sooner our Gardai are armed the better.

.. for the gun makers.
Then the criminals need more and better guns. Then civilians need guns for protection.
Instead of keep fit classes after Christmas we would need gun classes to learn how to use our Christmas presents.

Jester252

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

No because the criminals would be better armed

lots of guards would be killed

Absolute BS

Criminals already have AKs and other high power guns.