Over 150 gardaí have been taken out of training early and deployed to front-line policing roles in an effort to reassure the public following last month’s riots in Dublin.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said this will shore up public confidence and ensure a heightened police presence on the streets over Christmas. The majority of the class, 115 of the 151, will be deployed in the Dublin region. They began training last May.
The gardaí, who are still one month away from graduation, took their oath of loyalty in at Templemore Garda College on Friday. They will have full policing powers once deployed and will return to Templemore in January to complete the final phase of their training.
Addressing the recruits at Friday’s event, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said it will be their responsibility to maintain the highest of standards.
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“To act ethically. To act professionally. To act with integrity. To protect the human rights of everyone you come into contact with. It is what the public expect of you, and it is what I expect of you.”
He also paid tribute to the actions of gardaí during the riots in Dublin on November 23rd when a dozen officers were injured and millions of euro of damage was caused to the city centre.
“Recently, of course, we saw Gardaí courageously put themselves in harm’s way to protect the people of Dublin,” he told recruits.
“This dedication, courage and professionalism in the face of significant vitriol and violence should be an inspiration and example to you all.”
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr Harris said a team of 60 detectives are continuing to gather evidence from CCTV footage and eyewitnesses. Investigators are examining the most serious offences first and attempting to identify suspects, he said.
The early deployment of the recruit gardaí are part of Government and Garda efforts to reassure the public that Dublin city centre is safe. However, Ms McEntee has faced criticism for failing to reach the stated target of recruiting 1,000 new gardaí this year.
Speaking to reporters in Templemore, she conceded recruitment efforts will be between 200 and 300 gardaí short of target. However, she said today’s class was the largest in years and that a new class will be starting on December 27th.
Furthermore, a new recruitment campaign will open on January 15th, she said.
Mr Harris said he is concerned about the number of gardaí resigning from the force early. So far this year, 306 gardaí have retired while 160 have resigned. This amounts to about 3 per cent of Garda strength which stands at just over 14,000 personnel.
Mr Harris said exit interviews with departing gardaí are ongoing to determine why so many are leaving.
Asked why so many of the new recruits members are being assigned to Dublin, Mr Harris and Ms McEntee said the influx will allow other gardaí to be transferred around the country.
“We want people to confident in our capital city. That will help with this,” she said. “That’s not to say we’re taking our eye off any other town or village across the country.”
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