'Concerning' misinformation online after attack on garda, says assistant Commissioner
Vivienne Clarke
Assistant Garda Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan area, Paul Cleary, has urged the public to get their news from credible sources in the wake of inaccurate reports following the stabbing of a garda in Dublin’s Capel Street on Monday.
“Unfortunately we see it every day, and we have some people with their own agenda trying to use incidents like this to inflame situations for their own ends. We would always say to people to make sure that they get their information from credible media sources.
"Very inaccurate misinformation and disinformation went out online after this incident very quickly. So it is concerning and we would ask people to make sure that the source of their information is credible,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Mr Cleary commended both members of the force involved in the incident for their courage and professionalism “in the face of such an unprovoked attack.
"The garda did receive a wound to his upper right arm in the tricep area. His official issue stab vest sustained some stab impact damage. So that's a good job.
“I've appointed a senior investigating officer. It's crucial that, in addition to gathering the evidence to bring the offender responsible to justice, we also want to understand the motivation behind the attack and any learnings we can take from the investigation of the attack.
"I'll ensure that we consider those learnings in our future planning and policing operations.”
Mr Cleary said that assaults on members of the force would never be accepted or tolerated. Welfare supports were available to any member at any time and he had listened to concerns expressed by representative bodies.
“I will meet again with the representative bodies.I have introduced in the last few months a new high visibility strategy in the city and I've been able to get 174 new guards for this high visibility strategy to provide reassurance to the communities in the cities and the business communities and people visiting and socialising in the city and basically it takes the form of members on high visibility patrols in areas of the city where we have identified from crime location data and from feedback that they need to be.
“So we have received positive feedback for this initiative. It's a permanent high visibility strategy and we will be adding to it and we'll be expanding it.
"We have more guards coming out from Templemore in August and as the year goes on we'll expand it and including out to the suburbs. So we are moving in the right direction.”
Pay and conditions
The vice president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), Niall Hodgins has said that the attack on a garda in Capel Street in Dublin on Monday was a reminder of why garda pay and conditions had to reflect the dangers and uniqueness of their role.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr Hodgins extended well wishes to the injured garda and wished him a speedy recovery.
The attack served as a reminder of the dangers that are faced by Gardai each and every day, he said. “But this is not just Dublin North Central. This could be any village across the country because, unfortunately, the precedence of attacks on our members is occurring on a daily basis. There's an increased amount of violence being perpetrated against our members daily.”
The issue needed to be addressed “by all facets of the State” he added. That included the judiciary and the government with regard to legislation and penalties.
“There's a myriad of issues and remember these attacks lessen the morale yet again when we don't see that our members are getting support.
"What I'd also say there now, this attack is a reminder that the pay and conditions have to reflect the dangers and the uniqueness of the guards, of being a member of the force.”
