Garda Taser Pilot Program Extended Six Months, Expanded to Limerick After 15 Uses
An Garda Síochána's taser pilot program, launched last December, will be extended for six months and expanded to Limerick. Tasers have been used 15 times since the program began, leading to seven arrests. Deputy Commissioner Paul Cleary praised tasers as effective de-escalation tools, enhancing officer protection.
A taser pilot program initiated by An Garda Síochána last December will be extended for an additional six months and expanded to include the Limerick division. This decision follows figures indicating tasers have been deployed 15 times since the program's inception.
The pilot, launched in late 2023, initially equipped frontline uniformed gardaí in Dublin's Store Street, Pearse Street, and Kevin Street stations, as well as in Waterford, with tasers. The expansion to Limerick and the six-month extension mark a significant continuation of the initiative.
To date, 167 gardaí have been issued tasers. An Garda Síochána reported that since December 2023, tasers were used 15 times. These uses included three discharges, five instances where the taser was drawn and armed, and seven cases where the taser's laser was pointed at an individual. Arrests and charges resulted in seven of these cases. One individual fled and was not apprehended, while three others were detained under the Mental Health Act. One person was transported to a hospital, though gardaí clarified this was unrelated to the use of Garda force.
In one notable incident, gardaí responded to a domestic violence report where a woman and her son had allegedly been assaulted and bitten by her former partner. The man became aggressive upon the arrival of gardaí but de-escalated after an officer drew a taser from its holster. He was subsequently arrested and charged.
Deputy Commissioner for Security, Strategy, and Governance, Paul Cleary, stated that the pilot program has «demonstrated the effectiveness of the taser as a de-escalation tool.» He added that the program has been «welcomed by gardaí and local garda management as providing additional protection to our personnel who have to deal with a wide variety of potentially violent situations on a daily basis.» All gardaí authorized to carry tasers complete a three-day training course, and tasers are only deployed when gardaí are also utilizing body cameras.