Free up gardaí to fight drugs and gun crime

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

AFTER the shooting of a nightclub doorman in West Dublin last weekend, Sinn Féin Justice spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh called for the civilianisation of Garda desk jobs to free up more gardaí to fight drugs and gun crime on the streets.
The 38-year-old doorman was shot in the neck at Moran’s Red Cow Hotel, on the Naas Road in Clondalkin, in the early hours of Sunday morning, 10 February. A 23-year-old man was later arrested in the South Inner City.
Aengus Ó Snodaigh said:
“The failure of the Government to deal with the drugs crisis has directly led to an increase in violent crime in Ireland. The shooting of a doorman at the Red Cow at the weekend is just the latest violent attack in the violent society that has grown out of the drugs crisis.
“The Government must put adequate resources into tackling drugs and gun crime. People are being shot on our streets on a regular basis as criminals show no fear or regard for the law. In the meantime, we have fully-trained gardaí working on administrative or other duties that could be done by civilians.”
The Dublin TD called for “a robust programme of civilianisation” of administrative Garda duties so that fully-trained gardaí can be redeployed into the fight against drugs and gun crime.
The Sinn Féin TD said that Garda drugs squads are currently working under unnecessary pressure and resources for them need to be at least doubled as a matter of priority.