Should we arm the Gardai?

darkman2 · 2006-08-19 00:26:42

Hi, Would you trust an armed Gardai. I wouldnt with the corruption allegations currently on going. What do you think. Is it time they forced more respect for them or not????:rolleyes:

19-08-2006 01:26AM

#1

darkman2

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Hi,

Would you trust an armed Gardai. I wouldnt with the corruption allegations currently on going. What do you think. Is it time they forced more respect for them or not????:rolleyes:

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#2 19-08-2006 01:43AM

stepbar

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darkman2 wrote:

I wouldnt with the corruption allegations currently on going.

What "current" allegations would you be talking about here?

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#3 19-08-2006 01:46AM

biko

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Yes, definetly. At least inner city cops.
Maybe just stun guns/tazers?

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#4 19-08-2006 01:46AM

Gone West

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armless Gardai are not much use.
Just imagine them trying to give people directions or stop traffic, pr even drive their cars??

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#5 19-08-2006 01:49AM

Ruu_Old

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Theres been a couple of threads about this before, here and here, probably many more. I don't we should arm them with guns but some better protection is in order.

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#6 19-08-2006 02:01AM

MrJoeSoap

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stepbar wrote:

What "current" allegations would you be talking about here?

The Morris Tribunal I'd imagine.

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#7 19-08-2006 02:29AM

darkman2

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MrJoeSoap wrote:

The Morris Tribunal I'd imagine.

The corruption in Donegal. Once your on their list your never off. Like the Abbylara thing. Can we trust them in that respect??!?

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#8 19-08-2006 04:36AM

il gatto

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Where I live two Guards and a BanGuarda were beaten up at a checkpoint by one guy. The least they need is some sort of self defence training. Guards used to be relatively untouchable years ago. And they got away with giving people hidings. Since people are no longer afraid of them, they instill no fear or respect in would be law breakers. Therefore, with respect to violent crime, what good are they? They can bearly protect themselves, let alone the public. They seem to have taken to avoiding trouble on the streets wherever possible, be it taking their time coming from the station, manning the station on a skeleton crew at night, or simply turning a blind eye and driving past obvious situations where they're needed. Something has to change, hopefully without having to give them guns, but if thats what it takes we'll just have to accept that.

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#9 19-08-2006 06:47AM

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Instead of arming them, what about ongoing martial arts training? Maybe BJJ? They could self-defend and restrain? It would take a while to become proficient, but would it utlimately be worth the expense and time? If required training, their fitness should improve, too. Just a thought.

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#10 19-08-2006 07:34AM

Dooom

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I say trade the cops here for some South African cops. Be sorted then, those lads are constantly armed to the teeth.

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#11 19-08-2006 07:52AM

Vokes

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Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Instead of arming them, what about ongoing martial arts training? Maybe BJJ? They could self-defend and restrain? It would take a while to become proficient, but would it utlimately be worth the expense and time? If required training, their fitness should improve, too. Just a thought.

Exactly, there should be a self-defence course theyu have to take every year and they should be taught some kick ass judo moves

And there's definitely more than a couple who would benefit from a fitness regime. How can a Garda hope to make an impression with or face down criminals or even have their respect if the Garda is packing a 40inch waist.

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#12 19-08-2006 09:24AM

JaysusMacfeck

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Perhaps I imagined it but I remember seeing armed Gardaí in the north

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#13 19-08-2006 10:49AM

DublinWriter

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Blue_Lagoon wrote:

Instead of arming them, what about ongoing martial arts training? Maybe BJJ? They could self-defend and restrain?

In terms of self-defence they need to be equipped with pepper-spray, retractable batons and anti-stab vests like any other modern police force in Europe. All they have at present is a 1930's style hictory stick and cuffs. Pathetic in this day and age.

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#14 19-08-2006 11:28AM

boneless

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No. That simple.

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#15 19-08-2006 11:35AM

Mossy Monk

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armed Gardaí. absolutely not

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#16 19-08-2006 11:46AM

Sam Vimes

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i don't want armed gardai. i love listening to them shout "stop, or i'll stop stop again"

i think they should be armed. police are armed in most countries and the sky doesn't come crashing down. there'd have to be a proper training program first though. as they are, armed gardai would cause havoc

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#17 19-08-2006 12:01PM

zootroid

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I wouldn't want them armed, but i definitely think they should be better protected, maintaining minimum standards of fitness should also be a requirement (I'm friends with two ban gardai, both aren't exactly fit).

But I definitely wouldn't want them armed, I have never had a pleasant experience with a Guard, and for that reason alone wouldn't trust them.

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#18 19-08-2006 12:38PM

Angus MacGyver

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Not a Chance. Ive pissed off my fair share of idiots in school who have since joined and im bound to bump into them some day.

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#19 19-08-2006 01:14PM

L31mr0d

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I say force everyone to carry a gun... I'm damn sure I won't get mugged if people know i'm carrying 2 berettas under my shirt. Isn't there a town in America where its the law that you have to carry a gun on you at all times, its supposedly the safest town in America, albeit, the most paranoid. But still, Guns are the solution to and cause of all of lifes problems

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#20 19-08-2006 01:41PM

muletide

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JaysusMacfeck wrote:

Perhaps I imagined it but I remember seeing armed Gardaí in the north

You wouldn't have seen Gardai in the north as it is the United Kingdom and the Gardai dont work there. They have their own police force called the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)

You probably saw PSNI officers who are armed at all times. Every now and then some Guards go on exchange to the North but they are not allowed to carry weapons while working there.

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#21 19-08-2006 01:58PM

Sam Vimes

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Angus MacGyver wrote:

Not a Chance. Ive pissed off my fair share of idiots in school who have since joined and im bound to bump into them some day.

that's what the garda reserve is for. they don't have to have guns to drag you down the station and beat the crap out of you

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#22 19-08-2006 02:05PM

Van Tall Luggage
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L31mr0d wrote:

I say force everyone to carry a gun... I'm damn sure I won't get mugged if people know i'm carrying 2 berettas under my shirt. Isn't there a town in America where its the law that you have to carry a gun on you at all times, its supposedly the safest town in America, albeit, the most paranoid. But still, Guns are the solution to and cause of all of lifes problems

Doesn't America have one of the highest worldwide shooting murders?
Guns for everyone isn't a good idea. I'm not even sure guns for gardai is a good idea.
That guy who got shot 8 times in the head in the london subway for doing...nothing... comes to mind.

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#23 19-08-2006 02:09PM

monkeyfudge

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bluewolf wrote:

That guy who got shot 8 times in the head in the london subway for doing...nothing... comes to mind.

He jumped a turnstile didn't he? Plus he was foreign looking.

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#24 19-08-2006 02:14PM

Van Tall Luggage
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monkeyfudge wrote:

He jumped a turnstile didn't he? Plus he was foreign looking.

I guess that justifies being shot 8 times in the head...

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#25 19-08-2006 02:17PM

luckat

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When this state was founded, after a civil war during which many people were armed and dangerous, the first Garda Commissioner (himself an ex-gunman) fought hard for an unarmed force.

The countries that arm their police have less success in combating crime than the Gardai do.

The time I was really proud of the unarmed Garda Siochána was when an unarmed garda came across some looper - I think it was Mad Dog McGlinchey - driving in the far reaches of the country with another equally heavily-armed mate. By sheer force of personality the garda arrested them both and brought them in. They escaped, but were recaptured after a search by unarmed gardai.

(By the way, the Menezes case: no, he didn't jump a turnstile. People watching the killing mixed up the cops with the guy they shot. Later, more accurate evidence showed that he walked in, picked up a free paper, put his ticket in the turnstile, strolled through the open doors of a Tube train and sat down, and as the cops raced towards him, stood and walked slowly towards them, only to be grabbed, held down and shot repeatedly in the head. A festival of incompetence by hysterical police, the whole thing.)

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#26 19-08-2006 02:46PM

Sam Vimes

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bluewolf wrote:

I guess that justifies being shot 8 times in the head...

course it does.

[randy from south park]they took our jobs[/randy from south park]

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#27 19-08-2006 02:56PM

robnubis

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monkeyfudge wrote:

He jumped a turnstile didn't he? Plus he was foreign looking.

he was running for a train as he was late.

the police apparently didnt make much of an effort to NOT shoot him, case of shoot first tbh.

i wouldnt trurst the current genration of gards with guns, maybe tazers of pepper spray, something non lethal.

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#28 19-08-2006 03:40PM

That Guy 901

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A gardai came into my school last year and he said he did ot want to have a gun with him.

The more the police use guns, the more criminals will use guns.

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#29 19-08-2006 03:44PM

DublinWriter

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bluewolf wrote:

I guess that justifies being shot 8 times in the head...

Kind of a mute arguement that as the regular UK police aren't armed either, just like ours aren't.

Funnily enough, I'm suprised no one has mentioned Abbeylara yet.

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#30 19-08-2006 04:56PM

greenkittie

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I'm from Belfast and am used to seeing the armed PSNI and to be honest i can't take the Gardai as seriously partly due to the fact they are unarmed.

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#31 19-08-2006 05:00PM

Ciaran500

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luckat wrote:

The countries that arm their police have less success in combating crime than the Gardai do.

Figures? Soruce?

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