Attacks on gardaí becoming 'far too common' - Garda Representative Association
Ellen O'Donoghue
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said that attacks on its members are becoming "far too common".
It follows an incident in West Dublin on Sunday, when a Garda in his 20s was hospitalised after officers tried to stop a boy driving erratically on an e-bike in Hartstown Park in Blanchardstown.
The officer needed stitches.
A young boy arrested at the scene has since been released without charge, while a file is prepared for the Garda National Youth Diversion Bureau.
Local GRA representative Mark Ferris told Newstalk that the officer who was knocked down wasn't seriously injured, and has since been discharged from hospital.
"He’s recovering well from his physical injuries, but the psychological impact could take much longer to heal.
"This is a young member, only starting out in his career. He simply wanted to make Hartstown Park safer for the community, and what happened to him will, understandably, leave a lasting mark," Ferris said.
Ferris added that the attack is a reminder of the daily risks that gardaí face.
"His colleagues are shocked, but sadly not surprised. These kinds of attacks on gardaí are happening far too often.
"Members accept a certain level of risk when they join the job, but the sense is that these targeted assaults are becoming more frequent, and that is deeply worrying right across the organisation."
The GRA has also called on the Government to take a stronger response to assaults on Gardaí.
Members should be entitled to carry out their duties without facing targeted attacks, Ferris told Newstalk.
"Recent discussions around new legislation to support more tactical interventions in pursuit driving are welcome, as is Grace’s Law, and they do matter.
"But gardaí also need to feel that when they are proactive in enforcement of the law, and attacked in the course of making the community safe, the wider criminal justice system will recognise that fact in how such crimes are treated and prosecuted.
