Special teams of gardaí will also do spot-checks on gun-owners

1911

McDowell to unveil new plan for traffic corps
From:ireland.com
Tuesday, 9th November, 2004

A 1,000-officer traffic corps within the Garda is to be set up by the Minister for Justice in an effort to tackle road deaths.

Mr McDowell is finalising his plans for the new corps and intends to announce the details shortly.

He is in talks with the Garda Commissioner and the new head of the Garda Traffic Bureau, Chief Supt John Farrelly, on how the new corps would work and where its members would be deployed.

Around 500 of the 2,000 extra gardaí to be recruited in the lifetime of the Government will be deployed in the new corps, and these will be joined by around 600 existing members.

The Dublin Metropolitan Division already has a traffic unit and other Garda divisions are largely responsible for traffic in their own areas.

However, that will change under the new plans and policing of traffic across the State will become the responsibility of the new traffic corps under Chief Supt Farrelly.

It is intended that the corps officers will concentrate exclusively on policing traffic, and deal with other crimes only if they come across them in the course of their traffic duties.

Meanwhile, an extra €4 million has been made available by the Government for Garda overtime, some of which will be used to increase high-visibility policing on the roads.

Gardaí will mount patrols and checkpoints in the vicinity of licensed premises in a bid to deter drink-driving and detect those breaking the law between now and the New Year.

The Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, has also indicated that the funds will allow very targeted policing on roads in the early hours of weekend mornings, when serious traffic offences usually occur.

The funds will allow for 140,000 additional garda overtime hours in the next eight weeks.

Officers will also be deployed in housing estates on anti-burglary patrols and in public areas where public order problems are prevalent.

Following concerns over the increase in cash-in-transit robberies and firearms offences this year, more gardaí will also be made available for cash escorts in the run-up to Christmas.

Special teams of gardaí will also do spot-checks on gun-owners to ensure licensed weapons are being stored securely. Gardaí believe many guns now in circulation were stolen from gun-owners.

There will also be an increased emphasis on community policing patrols, which will involve visits to elderly and "vulnerable persons" living in remote locations.

High-visibility uniform patrols will be conducted on busy thoroughfares, particularly late at night, where large numbers of people gather following late-night entertainment, especially during the lead-up to Christmas.

Additional uniform and plain clothes patrols will go ahead at areas adjoining business and commercial areas of cities and large towns.

Irishglockfan

Hohumm.Nothing very new.Thats already in and been in the firearms acts since year dot.A garda can ask to inspect your gun serial no and liscense at any reasonable time[usually means working hours 9/5] at your premises.
Proably this will include the cabinet as well,but again this is an appointment situation.Not a pitch up at the hapless shooters door and come stamping in demanding to see gun and cabinet.Unless of course they want to make life "awkward" for you for some reason.
I dont think we need worry about a ERU/SWAT style wakeup call at oh dark hundred ...Just yet.
Again I see this whole article as the usual "good intentions" of what the Gardai will do.Doing them will be INMHO another matter.

civdef

As things stand, if they found a shotgun stored safely leaning against a wall behind the front door and loaded, could they do anything about it?

BlackDot

I read the article this morning in the Irish Times.
I'd just be a little concerned with the timing. The phrase "Gardai believe stolen guns are being used in crimes" is coming up very often at the moment. Is there any statistics to prove this, last time I checked up guns confiscated by the Gardai, most were un-licensable anyway. It sounds like a lot of propaganda. I mean why would a criminal go to the trouble of stealing a gun when they can get one into the country by post and they can get anything they want. Remember the NCAD student who got 2 AK-47's sent by post for an Art project! They had "guns" written on the outside and they still got through An Post. Any of you see the item on Sky News a while back about the ease of sourcing guns through the Internet.
The announcement just seems another red herring by the powers to persuade they are actually doing something about gun crime when in fact there not doing anything. Political propaganda I say. Its ironic that if they want to inspect legally held guns they can just show up all be it by appointment. But for one held by a criminal they need to get a search warrant. The rights of the criminal are better protected then us law abiding citizens.

(This one just might make some of you cringe and laugh but I saw a bee bee gun for sale in an Irish retail shop for €50 - and not a cheap plastic one) It's great how outdated and out of touch the whole firearms laws are here with reality and with Europe!)


BD

Terrier

BlackDot wrote:

I read the article this morning in the Irish Times.
I'd just be a little concerned with the timing. The phrase "Gardai believe stolen guns are being used in crimes"

Yes we all have police issue tactical shotguns like the one seized in Dublin

Irishglockfan

Oh yes the trusty SPAS 2 [12]as described the security corrospondent in the Indo.[Along with such other intresting weapons as double barrel pump action shotguns,not to mind the AK15]
Hmmm .....AFAIK not ONE special forces uses this lunk for anything.
It is heavy[8lbs unloaded],inefficent and awkward to use in the pump mode,swings and handles like a ton of bricks.Awkward to fieldstrip and maintain Fires eight shots.[so do most modified sporting shotguns].Was already very old hat in the mid eighties
Only advantage it looks nasty.
Most SF units use Benelli ,Remington,or Mossberg.
If you want a point saturation weapon which is what any box or mag loaded shotgun is;try the SPAS15,[10shots]the Saiga[AK47 on steroids 8shots]or the DAWEO USAS12[12 rnd stick or 20 rnd drum 15lb weight!!!]
All too heavy for a SF unit,except maybe one in a Hollywood movie lot.
More press sensationilsm.Doesnt anyone have a copy in our newspapers of JANES weapons?

Sparks

I thought the GIGN used the SPAS?

Gun Shy

"Gardaí believe many guns now in circulation were stolen from gun-owners."

Careful now! can see the obvious infulence of the highly paid spin doctors at work here and more to come.

Its been suprising that there has been very little by way of media coverage since july considering what has been discussed here on the board "licences for handguns" no less (first time in 32 years)

Orcherstated Scare mongering stories will begin to appear shortly have no doubt
WATCH THIS SPACE

Sparks

That's pretty much what we were expecting GunShy, and why some of the arguments that have cropped up here have been taken so seriously by all concerned.

Gun Shy

Agree 100%
Have heard a few rumours but the board not the place for hear say.
Have to seperate the fact from the fiction.

Irishglockfan

GIGN and SPAS possibly.The French do march to their own drum on certain things.Only special police force apart from PSNI that still use revolvers,albeit exellent ones,Manhurin[sic?]
I am sure there is one or two in pretty much every SF or police armoury.When you are SF you can pretty much choose what weapon suits you the best,depending on mission parameters and your job on the team.However,I reckon after humping 8lbs of shotgun and revelant kit and ammo around all day on a forced march you will be inclined to a lighter gun.Especially if you are dealing with a close range weapon.

Spin?In this case sensationalism.However to be fair there alot of nicked formerly legally held weapons being recoverd .However it would be intresting to see how it is stacking up with drug deal imported weapons,Ex subversive weapons,the already existing pool of illegal weapons.There really needs to be a clear breakdown of these figures and clear definations need to be made.

mcguiver

Back to the origional thread.....

Gardai to visit..
I'd welcome them anytime... trigger locks on, hidden gun cabinet well locked up, and ammo stored seperately in secure metal cash type box. Bolts etc. stored away from firearms....

The only problem I would see is how the Gardai would do spot checks .. most people can be hard to catch at home these days.

I think it would only serve to strenghten Irish shooters reputations as being well behaved responsible people.

civdef

Any chance of decent sentences for those convicted of illegal possession of firearms?

Cases where criminals get suspended sentences for having stolen guns in their possession hardly sets much of a deterrent.

Irishglockfan

Gardai to visit..
I'd welcome them anytime...

At a time tha suits YOU remember .Not vise versa


The only problem I would see is how the Gardai would do spot checks .. most people can be hard to catch at home these days.

Why do you think they have on the lics application your mobile phne no ,and landline phne no ???

GreenGun

Have had 3 visits in the last month!
One for to look at something I imported.
Another because the local guys were told to check 20% of all the guns in the area at renewal.
(Understandable, a visit to my place would significantly reduce the number they had to visit!)
And yet another from no less than the area Super!
(This I’m putting down to a pistol application) :rolleyes:

If I get many more visits I’m going to start a B&B!

I’m not getting at the Gards here. They get a directive from on high to check guns and they do what they are told. My problem is that this seems to be a political motivated exercise which sends the boys in blue out to “keep an eye” on law abiding gun owners.
How about harassing some drug dealers instead.

I am NOT a criminal!!!!

GreenGun

fiacha

friend of mine in South Dublin had a visit on Sunday evening. Garda wanted to inspect his shotguns and see how they were stored.

anyone else had a visit lately ?