Gardaí Roads Policing Units Down 40% Since 2009, Dublin Halved
Gardaí in Roads Policing Units have decreased by nearly 40% since 2009, from 1,046 to 645, prompting concerns from road safety groups. Dublin's units saw a 45% reduction, while Limerick was the only county with an increase. An Garda Síochána stated all gardaí enforce traffic laws and denied a reduction policy, despite acknowledging no «significant uplift» in numbers.
The number of gardaí in Roads Policing Units has decreased by nearly 40% since 2009, from 1,046 to 645 by March this year. This reduction of 401 specialized gardaí was revealed in figures from the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána, released in response to parliamentary questions by Fine Gael TDs Michael Murphy and Emer Currie.
Dublin's units saw a 45% decrease, or 130 fewer personnel, with DMR South Central experiencing a 59% drop (16 fewer) over 17 years. Sligo/Leitrim also fell significantly from 34 gardaí in 2009 to 14 this year. Limerick was the only county to see an increase, with one more garda.
PARC founder Susan Gray called the decline «heartbreaking», stating that a former garda commissioner failed to address the issue. An Garda Síochána responded that all gardaí enforce road-traffic offences daily, with non-full-time personnel responsible for over 60% of DUI detections, 65% of vehicle detentions, and 80% of checkpoints last year. They denied a policy to reduce numbers, noting over 80 members were allocated to units in the last 18 months, the largest allocation to any specialist unit in 12 months. Deputy Garda Commissioner Shawna Coxon acknowledged last October that a «significant uplift» in numbers had not occurred.