Extra 5,000 gardaí learn to f ire guns to tackle armed gangs threat

AN ADDITIONAL 5,000 gardaí undertook firearms training in 2020. However, officers discharged their weapons just 17 times, figures show.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee revealed that 13,520 of the 14,491 members of the force were firearm trained last year.

This represents a significant increase in training numbers over the 2019 figure of 8,435.

The cost for the instruction is believed to run into the millions, figures suggest.

The numbers showing the increase in officers being put through their paces with firearms come just weeks after

‘Gardaí need to tackle armed criminals’

George Nkencho, 27, was shot dead during a stand-off with gardaí. Officers initially tried to subdue Mr Nkencho with a Taser and pepper spray before the fatal shooting, which sparked protests.

The Justice Minister revealed that training was provided by firearms instructors attached to the Garda College and Special Tactics and Operations Command under the governance of the director of training at the Garda college.

Ms McEntee said there were different levels of training with ‘members attached to regular units and detective units trained in handling handguns only’.

These weapons included the Smith & Wesson revolver, the SIG Sauer P226 pistol and the Walther semi-automatic pistol.

Specialist units such as the Emergency Response Unit and the Armed Support Unit are trained in handling the SIG Sauer pistol, H&K MP7 submachine gun, Taser and 40mm direct impact munitions.

A breakdown of the firearms training figures showed that 11,483 rank and file gardaí received training in 2020.

More than 1,876 sergeants and 130 inspectors were trained while 25 superintendents and six chief superintendents were trained.

The figures indicate that while the majority of the force do not carry weapons, more than 90% of gardaí have received some level of training in firearms use.

However, Ms McEntee stated that she was not able to calculate the cost of the weapons instruction. It was ‘not possible to provide an overall cost of firearms training on an annual basis given that subsistence and travel expenses are borne by the Division of the member being trained, and to compile this information would involve a disproportionate expenditure of Garda resources’.

The Minister revealed the details of firearms training for gardaí on foot of a request from Social Democrats coleader Catherine Murphy. Previous Freedom of Information requests have revealed that since 2016 the force spent almost €1m on travel and subsistence costs for gardaí.

They also revealed that the force has spent more than €6m on weapons and ammunition and that 60% of the Garda college’s time has been spent on weapons training.

However, it is rare that officers use their firearms, with weapons discharged on just 17 occasions in 2020, including five times in July, figures revealed.

Meanwhile, gardaí used pepper spray on 907 occasions in 2020, including 107 times in the month of January alone.

They also used Tasers, a device more commonly associated with American policing, on 34 occasions.

Deputy Murphy said the police force should be mindful of our tradition of unarmed policing.

However, the Social Democrats co-leader also pointed out in a statement: ‘Over time and with the rise in serious crime and ruthlessness of criminal organisations it has become necessary to develop armed response units to modernise An Garda to respond to these threats.’