Taser pilot for frontline uniform gardaí to commence on Thursday

Eva Osborne

A taser pilot for frontline uniform gardaí will commence on Thursday, December 18th.

During the taser pilot programme, a group of 128 gardaí from three different stations will be authorised to carry tasers while on operational duties.

Tasers will only be carried by the selected uniform gardaí in conjunction with Body Worn Cameras (BWCs), An Garda Síochána said, adding that all 128 gardaí have undergone a comprehensive three-day taser training course.

The selected stations are taking part in the pilot are:

• Store Street Garda Station, DMR North Central Garda Division;
• Pearse Street Garda Station, DMR South Central Garda Division;
• Waterford Garda Station, Waterford/ Kilkenny Garda Division.

Tasers have been on issue to specialist members of An Garda Síochána Special Tactics and Operational Command Units (Regional Armed Support Units and Emergency Response Unit) since 2007.

On average, An Garda Síochána said there have been two taser deployments per month over the last five years.

Speaking about the forthcoming taser pilot, acting deputy commissioner for security, Paul Cleary, said: "Every day, frontline gardaí respond to fast-moving, unpredictable incidents.

"Almost all are resolved calmly. But some can turn volatile very quickly.

Situations where somebody is armed, distressed, intoxicated, or experiencing a severe mental-health crisis.

"In some of those scenarios, gardaí have to make instant decisions to protect the public, protect the person in crisis, and to protect themselves.

"The taser pilot is about giving specially trained gardaí, a controlled, less-lethal option when every other approach has failed or isn’t safe.

"This isn’t about changing the culture of Irish policing. It isn’t about arming gardaí. And it isn’t about increasing force. This is about preventing harm."

Cleary said tasers will only be used where there is a "clear, immediate threat" that cannot be managed in any safer way.

"We know trust matters. We know policing only works when the public believe in how we operate and why we do what we do.

"This pilot is measured, transparent, and grounded in keeping people safe, including the individuals we encounter at their most vulnerable.

"We’re doing this because the realities of frontline policing are changing. And it’s our responsibility to make sure the tools, training, and safeguards change with them, in a way that protects communities and respects the values that define Irish policing.”