New Garda Commissioner considering wider use of Tasers

The new Garda Commissioner is considering the wider use of Tasers and prioritising “increased visibility”.

Justin Kelly made the remarks at his first press conference on Tuesday, having been appointed to the role on Monday.

Mr Kelly said he was “delighted and honoured” to be appointed Garda Commissioner, characterising it is a “huge privilege”.

The Commissioner, who noted that Tasers were already in use by some units, said he will give “careful consideration” to expanding their use to frontline gardai.

Mr Kelly said there would be a pilot scheme around such an expansion and a “slow build-up”, adding: “We won’t rush into it.”

He said it would be “unlikely” that it would get to a point where every garda would be issued with the device.

Meanwhile, he said that increasing engagement with victims of crime would be among his priorities, particularly those who have suffered domestic violence.

He told reporters: “We need to get our engagement with the public right every time. So when I say every time, what I mean is all contacts that we have with members of the public.”

He added: “It’s really important that we provide a professional, courteous and respectful response to members of the public, and unfortunately, we see from some surveys that we do not always do this. ”

Elsewhere, Mr Kelly said he would be focused on increasing garda visibility to target anti-social behaviour and criminality

“We are a low-crime country but these type of anti-social crimes can really impact the daily lives of people – the public should feel safe to come in to our cities to work and socialise.”

He said this should not be “visibility for visibility’s sake”, adding that frontline gardai should have everything they need to undertake their duties and enforce the law.

Mr Kelly said this will include the “full rollout” of body-worn cameras, adding that An Garda Siochana was moving towards a further procurement process.

“I’m also considering the provision of tasers to protect our frontline people.

“We’ve seen some of the recent incidents where frontline members have been under significant pressure and on a weekly basis I see the reports of members of gardai who were injured – so it’s really important that they have everything they need to protect themselves.”

Mr Kelly said he would also be prioritising national security.

“In my view it is not spoken about enough,” he said. “We are living in very uncertain times with a volatile geopolitical environment.

“And although we may be an island on the edge of Europe, we’re not immune to the threats in the national security space.

“So it’s absolutely vital that we in An Garda Siochana have all the capabilities in place to protect us from these threats and to keep the people of Ireland safe.”

Mr Kelly further set out an ambition to “reset” relations with representative bodies for members of An Garda Siochana.

He also thanked his predecessor Drew Harris for his service and dedication, and expressed well wishes for his retirement.