Danger: Gardaí train to combat drug-fuelled violence
GARDAÍ have been undergoing weeks of training to qualify in public order policing.
They highlighted increasing cases of violent, deranged persons (VDP), who may have mental health or drug problems and take hostages in a home or lash out against themselves.
Officers said the problem was becoming more common with the availability of a number of prescription and illegal drugs, which are being consumed together with dangerous outcomes.
Inspector John Egan said it was often family members who were forced to call in the gardaí, which was a traumatic experience for both officers and witnesses.
He said: “Unfortunately, it is more common that a lot of the times it’s at home, it’s very unnerving for families.
“Parents who will call and say their daughter or son has taken something upstairs, they don’t know what the scenario is.
“My officers have to be trained and be able to look after themselves. It might look aggressive at the outset but if you have a knife or a samurai sword coming at you, you need the training and equipment to deal with that scenario, and for the safety and human rights of that person.
“They deserve full human rights – that’s not them on a normal day and we have to
‘If a knife or samurai sword is coming at you, you need the training to deal with that’
remember that. A lot of it down to drug-taking.
“A lot of different drugs are available at the minute and people are taking prescribed and non-prescribed drugs,” he said.
During the annual courses, officers are trained and tested in their competence in public order policing skills.
Exercises involve resistance to Garda units from peaceful protesters, and controlled and staged violence, which includes withstanding missiles, petrol bombs and physical attacks.
Officers must also go through intense fitness tests wearing full protective and fire retardant uniforms, and human rights training, to qualify for the unit. is