Online threats against officers puts policing operations at risk, GRA says

Ellen O'Donoghue

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said that online threats against officers puts policing operations at risk.

It follows accusations that the home addresses of gardaí were published on social media following the recent fuel protests.

The issue is to be discussed at the GRA's annual conference in Co Mayo.

Incoming president Niall Hodgins told Newstalk that an official policy is needed to tackle direct and online threats against gardaí.

"Exposing their personal details not only places them and their families and their children at risk, but it also, there’s a bigger thing here, it also seriously undermines the integrity and the effectiveness of policing our nation as a whole," he said.

The group, which represents rank-and-file gardaí, is calling for urgent action to deal with the threats.

The GRA has said that a policy is needed to tackle direct and personal online threats against gardaí.

Hodgins said that personal attacks against officers' families are completely unacceptable.

"We have no issue whatsoever where you attack a member of An Garda Síochána because he may be wearing a uniform, we’re big boys and we’re big girls, we’re well able to deal with that because that’s in our training, but where you start attacking our members and their families and the whole lot, well then we have to draw the line."

Pay, pensions and working conditions are among other items on the agenda at the conference.

Several urgent motions will also be put on the table, including calls to review suspension rules after recent controversies, to expand pursuit driver training, and tackle online threats against members.

The Garda Representative Association are also to highlight some of the unique pressures and challenges members face daily, and say they want a response from management.