Gardaí very poorly prepared for recent extreme weather

The Garda was very poorly prepared for the recent extreme weather events, with no clear policy or even advice to members on duty about how they should approach the conditions, according to the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi).

Some of its members have used the association annual conference in Tullow, Co Carlow, to highlight what they say was a haphazard approached to storms Emma and Ophelia in recent months.

Sgt Adrian Brennan, from the Garda's Kerry division, said when the weather alerts were issued there was an announcement that all schools, crèches, universities were to close.

Public transport ceased and public services were restricted, with only frontline personnel, including Garda members, required to work. He told delegates the National Emergency Co-ordination Group advised people to remain indoors and stay safe but he was still unclear what the Garda response to the storms had been.

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“Our experience was that it varied from division to division and there was no national strategy or policy in place in advance of these events,” he said. “We received emails telling us about the weather warnings and their severity but little detail on what actions we were to take. There was a lot of confusion during these events and more clarity is needed.”

He said the Garda issue equipment and vehicles were not fit for purpose and he called on Garda Headquarters to evaluate the kit available for extreme weather incidents. He believed the Garda was lucky that none of its members was seriously injured or killed during the storms, which involved very high winds and deep snow.

Snow spikes

"An Garda Síochána needs to urgently review its response and formulate guidelines for all its staff," he said, of preparing better for extreme weather events into the future.

“We also feel it is necessary to evaluate the standard equipment and transport we currently have and their effectiveness in these events.

“A supply of hard hats and snow spikes for tyres should be provided for each District in advance of these events depending on the type of weather.”

Garda sources have told The Irish Times the arrangements were not clear during Storm Emma and that in some divisions accommodation was booked for personnel to stay in hotels close to their stations so they could report to work without any difficulty. But in other places no accommodation was arranged and when the snow hit earlier this month many gardaí were unable to travel to their station. It meant in some locations resources were skeletal.

In Tallaght, Dublin, looting took place at a Lidl store and the shop was partially demolished by a looter using a stolen digger. It was used to break down a section of the shop's walls and roof and a large safe was then taken out of a cash room using the digger. The safe was put on the ground and the scoop of the digger was driven into it repeatedly in an effort to break it open, though the safe was not breached.

Sources said one of the main reasons the Garda had such difficulty getting into the area in numbers where the looting was taking place was because even the new vehicles available proved unsuitable in the snow. Audi Q7s were used but the wheels were unsuitable, the vehicles were not four-wheel drive and they were also automatic, which limited their manoeuvrability. The Garda was forced to call in the Defence Forces who supplied a large Scania truck that usually carries large equipment but was used to bring Garda personnel into the area around the Lidl story, where order was restored and arrests were made.