Gardaí responding to riots are sometimes forced to refrain from using force or making arrests due to a lack of backup, according to a major policing review.
In some cases, this emboldens “certain cohorts engaged in criminal behaviour” who believe they can act with impunity during a riot, gardaí told the Policing Authority, which was tasked by Government to review public order policing in the aftermath of the Dublin riots in November 2023.
The violence followed an incident in which a woman and three children were stabbed in Dublin city centre.
In the hours that followed, rioters set fire to buildings, cars, buses and a tram; were involved in confrontations with the gardaí and there was also extensive looting. The damage caused ran to millions of euro.
Doctors initiate legal action over State’s transgender policy
How U2 drummer Larry Mullen jnr avoids conflict with neighbours: buy up all surrounding houses
‘I caught my husband masturbating with a male friend but he says it’s nothing’
Rory McIlroy’s spine-tingling third round puts him in control of his Masters destiny
Specialist gardaí also said the perceived lack of action during violent incidents damages public confidence in the force, “not least given that the public may not be aware that the arrests were subsequently made,” the report states.
A lack of gardaí at public order events is a key influence on decisions over whether force can safely be used, the Policing Authority said. Gardaí can be reluctant to use force, and potentially escalate a situation, if they are not present in sufficient numbers.
It also finds that the fear among gardaí of being referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), which investigates complaints about the behaviour of gardaí, was not a particular influence on decision-making about the use of force in public-order situations.
The authority made the findings in the context of huge pressures on Garda resources and recruitment. It said there is “no immediate prospect” of Garda numbers rising above 14,000 in the short to medium term, despite Government promises to bring manpower levels to 15,000.
The rate of recruitment will mostly be offset by retirements and resignations, it said. The organisation will also see large numbers depart over the next five years due to the “retirement cliff” resulting from accelerated Garda recruitment in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The authority commended the bravery and dedication of public order gardaí but raised concerns over inconsistent use of command and control models, the lack of a dedicated public order training facility and a reliance on overtime to facilitate public order policing.
The use of overtime in the face of understaffing “is leading to fatigue and chronic burnout among personnel, which presents a significant risk to the organisation, the wellbeing of members and community safety,” it said.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, protests have become from frequent and more complex, it found. Social media means protests are organised rapidly and “with little sense of an organising party.”
However, the Garda policy in this area dates to 2017, before the “increased use of social media for the mobilisation of protest and pre current issues such as migration policy.”
The authority also found the Garda had failed to fully implement most of the 20 recommendations laid out in a 2019 review of public order policing.
It identified a lack of intelligence gathering in advance of protests outside the Dublin area. Gardaí reported relying on each other to report “suspicious observations on social media” which may lead to public order incidents.
Authority chairwoman Elaine Byrne, in an introduction to the report, pointed out that the current public policing policy, which dates from 2017, was in “urgent need” of updating as it did not take into account new challenges.
It emerged during the review there was not a consistent view or understanding of public order policing among the ranks of superintendents and chief superintendents.
The report has stated that some senior officers were of the view that it was akin to a “riot squad” that only mobilised when violence was anticipated or imminent.
“In particular, there was a lack of knowledge of the range of scenarios for which public order gardaí are currently trained.”
The use of overtime to substitute for understaffing was leading to fatigue and chronic burnout among personnel, the report also found.
It said the purchase of new circular shields and incapacitant sprays were welcome, and that tasers were being tested at present.
However, it says using tasers during the Dublin riots would not have been appropriate.
It also pointed out that the current armour and kit was designed for men, and not suited to women. That needed to be rectified.
On Wednesday morning, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan briefed his Cabinet colleagues on the report, and on the public-order challenges facing gardaí.
Since the riots, Garda authorities have taken a number of steps, including a sharp increase to 1,500 in the number of gardaí trained in public-order policing.
In addition, Garda numbers have been increased and overtime extended in the Dublin area to provide a higher garda invisibility on the streets.
Gardaí are also exploring how to expand the Garda dog unit.
There have been 68 arrests relating to the riots, and a number of cases are making their way through the courts.
