DPP likely to receive files on police action
Wednesday May 08 2002
The DPP will decide whether criminal charges will be brought against any member of the Garda force arising out of an internal probe into the disturbances set up yesterday.
The files will not be completed for some time as 60 gardai, who were involved in policing the protests throughout Monday, have to prepare individual reports for the investigation team; while members of the public will also be interviewed.
But it was clear last night from information already gathered - mainly from video film - that a number of files will be sent to the DPP; while disciplinary measures are likely to be considered against other gardai.
Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne yesterday ordered an examination of the circumstances that led to the clashes; the attacks on gardai by a small group of protesters; and the decision by individual gardai to draw and use their batons.
A conference of senior officers from the force's centre city divisions was subsequently called by the Garda policing supremo in the capital, Assistant Commissioner Tony Hickey, and after a review it was decided to set up an investigation team.
The probe will be headed by a chief superintendent and detective superintendent from outside the inner city divisions, and will include personnel from the eastern and southern areas.
An overview will be prepared for the Commissioner and Justice Minister John O'Donoghue and, apart from focusing directly on the confrontation, the team will also look at the overall tactics deployed by the gardai and determine what lessons can be learnt.
Eyewitness reports suggest that the behaviour of between six to eight gardai will be the focus of the examination. The probe will also concentrate on their use of batons against protesters, and their treatment of innocent bystanders.
At least one garda is known to have removed his identity number from his shirt, although he had been wearing the number when he left his station.
Other gardai who rushed to the aid of their colleagues were in civilian clothes.
One senior garda officer said last night there were a number of individual incidents that warranted close investigation, but he pointed out there had been a lot of provocation of gardai earlier in the evening.
Several members of the force had been struck with missiles, including beer cans, and they had been spat on by a small section of the crowd who had earlier been drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis.
Twenty-one people were arrested, of whom 15 have already been charged, mainly with public order offences.
The rest are being dealt with either by summons or through the juvenile liaison scheme because they were under age, while one was released by gardai into the custody of a solicitor.
One garda officer said last night: "It is not in our interests to provoke confrontations. In this case the organisers made no attempt to tell us what they were doing. They erected posters saying 'no cars, no cops, a street party' and then suggested on their website that the demonstration had been cancelled."
- Tom Brady
