'Urgent action' needed to tackle escalating 'targeted' online abuse of Gardaí

Ellen O'Donoghue

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) has called for "urgent action" to tackle what it said is the "escalating", "targeted" and "vile" abuse of its members online.

The organisation said immediate steps must be taken, Newstalk reported.

The AGSI said that there has been a sharp rise in the number of Gardaí reaching out for support because of online abuse.

It said personal information like home addresses are being revealed on social media platforms, with members subject to online character assassinations and slurs.

The organisation also said that threats have been made against some members' families online, "simply because of the job they do".

It has called for Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly to issue a clear policy on how Gardaí should deal with the situation.

It would also like a taskforce to be set up to respond to the issue, and wants the Commissioner to work with social media platforms to ensure the quick removal of abusive content.