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GARDAÍ SAY THEY have saved lives in more than 30 circumstances since the gangland war in Dublin’s inner city erupted last year.
Speaking today as he announced the addition of 57 gardaí and six sergeants to special crime operations units, Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll said increased resources in the force in recent years have had a significant impact.
“The restructuring in the organisation has resulted in a situation where we are more often involved in intervening and preventing loss of life than investigating the loss of life,” he told reporters.
O’Driscoll said the more-than 30 situations where gardaí prevented the loss of life were “not just ordinary run-of-the-mill interventions and the handing of forms to people and giving them notification of the fact that their life is in danger”.
In many of those circumstances the intervention has involved discovering people who are so ready to conduct or to implement the actions that they intend in terms of murdering that they have guns in hand, weapons in hand, and they are dressed for the occasion in balaclavas or whatever and that clearly has provided us with a significant challenge.
He said there were a number of occasions in which the same individual’s life was threatened.
“It is down to the dedication and the professionalism of the members concerned that such a number of interventions have been made,” he added.
So far this year, three assault rifles, two submachine guns, six semi-automatic pistols, 10 revolvers and two shotguns have been seized in operations involving the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.
The assistant commissioner said there is a growing number of charges before the courts relating to conspiracy to murder, a charge that has not been as common throughout the force’s history of dealing with crime.
Though O’Driscoll noted there had been “significant impacts” on An Garda Siochána throughout the recession, he said it has now “turned a corner”.
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And it only cost 1.9million per criminals life saved. I’d rather see that money invested in hospitals to care for decent people.
@Michael Geraghty: Some of those could be innocents.
@Michael Geraghty: aren’t we very grateful that it’s not people with your mentality that’s running the country
@Michael Geraghty: Aye sure just let criminals fight it out in Dublin streets and hope no one gets caught in the crossfire.
Sounds like a plan!
@Michael Geraghty: can you share your maths please? I’m sure everyone would love to hear how you worked that out?
It would be better if the Gardaí arranged a rural venue somewhere for them to have one big shootout. Last man standing is allowed walk away to start a new life with any past criminal record quashed.
@Martin Flood: good idea
@Martin Flood: I’ve been saying that years a warehouse plenty ammo only last one standing one garda go in and arrest that one simple . Takes what one car and two garda .
@Martin Flood: or lifetime member of fianna fail, just so he doesn’t have to completely leave he’s criminal Career behind!
Lots of cases before the courts, but how many of the perpetrators have actually been convicted and put behind bars? I’m guessing a low number.
@David Knight: not really, we’ve a very high conviction rate for murder in Ireland. It’s very hard to get gangland murderers to court but when the gardai do its generally a conviction
@David Knight: They each incremented their previous conviction count by one. I hear Stabber broke the 300 mark the other day, what a lad.
Blowing there own trumpet no Garda commissioner just assistant. It’s easy for them say quotes as above but how much is true ? The problem I have is ive no confidence in our Garda force nor in justice department. What about the amount innocent people who have lost their lives due to gangland crimes what about the family’s of innocent killed ?gardai are no well enough trained trained . God help us if we ever do get attacked they’ll standing with their hands in pockets thinking what do I do next . Garda force needs total overhaul total restructuring & not till then will I have faith in them
@Keith Boland: Load of nonsense. ERU and RSU some of the best trained and equipped in the world. More armchair anecdotes from another clueless begrudger.
@Keith Boland: that’s just an anti-garda rant Keith. You say “what about the amount of innocent people killed?” Well through these interventions mentioned in the article many innocent people may have been saved. Sub machine guns were seized. Very inaccurate and sprays bullets in an untrained hand. Exactly the type of weapon to take innocents lives when trying to riddle some other bloke. Why not give credit where it’s due? People are very quick to criticise their errors so then it becomes hypocritical to not praise when some of the things people say they want are done, does it not? However, given your stance, I doubt you will take any notice of anything I have to say.
@Jimmy Ireland: Don’t keep sitting in that armchair, Oh, and don’t be such of a begrudger.
@Keith Boland: Oh god this was hard to read. Your grammar is awful.
Well if you blanket the city with checkpoints you’re bound to catch a few baddies while also inconveniencing the general public and potentially violating civil rights.
@Tommy Duke:
Lol
@Tommy Duke: list the violations there?
are they sure its 30 , not known for the accuracy of their numbers…..
Another case of the police inconveniencing everyone for no good reason
@Justin Cullen:
Lol
@Justin Cullen: What would be a good reason? Because if catching scrotes with firearms isn’t a good reason I’m thinking you have impossible standards.
Why?
Waste of resources.
Should of let them waste each other
You never hear of gangsters using silencers when they engage in scallywag behaviour involving firearms does anyone know is there a valid reason for this?
@Dave Hogan: there is.
Garda statistics, it never happened.
Arm the two sides and have a mass organised shoot out in a field somewhere.
They’re all brainless types and no loss to society. And we could get Paddy Power involved. Win win
@Kevin Slater: be a big earner on Sky Box Office
@Kevin Slater: so many immature comments here
Seems like a waste of time and money preventing them from killing each other.
That’s a pity.
Are there 30 people(minimum) in jail then for attempted murder?
How much money was seized in all the raids.? And were does it go..?
Why stop the killings, leave them off
have your say