The move to trial Tasers for uniformed gardaí is a small but incremental change in policy under the new Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly who took up his post at the start of September.
The move was flagged at the time of his appointment. There is no discernible public demand for the move although it has been a long-standing issue for bodies representing the 14,500 members of the force, of whom around 300 are assaulted each year in the course of their duties.
Some 130 gardaí in Dublin’s north inner city and south inner city, as well as the Waterford-Kilkenny division, will take part in the trial. These divisions are also conducting trials of body cams, which should help in the assessment of the devices.
The outcome of the trial should not be pre-judged, and it must be remembered that Tasers are not deemed lethal weapons. That said, any move to distribute Tasers more widely amongst the force on foot of the trial must be properly debated by the Oireachtas as it has far-reaching consequences.
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An Garda Síochána is one of a handful of police forces that does not routinely arm its members, and this is at the heart of its doctrine of policing consent. Its uniformed members are trained to de-escalate situations in which other police forces might mandate members to draw their weapon.
The extent to which our model of policing engenders the support and respect that the force enjoys is something that must be weighted in the balance. By the same token the world has changed since 1922 when Michael Staines the first Garda commissioner said: “The Garda Síochána will succeed not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people.”
The police now face a different range of threats. Organised criminals are often heavily armed, and large civil disturbances – while still infrequent – are increasingly violent. The most recent disturbances at Citywest seemed to indicate the force is adequately equipped and trained for the current threat level. A strong case would have to made for the widespread issuing of Tasers.
