Hi °C | Lo °C Garda supervisors have come out in favour of arming specially trained groups of uniformed members of the force on a full-time basis.
The shock move, if adopted by the Irish authorities, would mean that the force would lose its traditional status as an unarmed force — a policy that has been in place since its foundation.
Gardai argued that members of the newly established regional support units (RSUs) should carry arms round the clock, rather than the existing guidelines where they remain in uniform on patrol until they are called to a critical incident, switch into tactical dress and take out weapons from the boot of their vehicle.
They said the current rules should be changed because of the increase in armed violence and the growing threat to gardai safety.
