2 days ago
New safety rules introduced for checkpoints after death of Garda Kevin Flatley
Fewer than one-fifth of gardaí who are enrolled have completed new requirements successfully
Two gardaí must man speed checkpoints from now on in wake of death of Garda Kevin Flatley
A detailed risk assessment of the location of a speed checkpoint must be now carried out if a garda is to conduct one alone.
An Garda Síochána has also directed all gardaí, up to the rank of inspector, to undergo a new 'out-of-vehicle' safety course, which trains officers on what to do when they leave their vehicles.
The new safety measures come after a review of road safety was carried out following the death of Garda Kevin Flatley, who was struck by a motorbike while conducting a speed checkpoint in Lanestown, north Co Dublin, on May 11.
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His tragic death followed previous incidents where on-duty gardaí were seriously injured while manning checkpoints alone.
Speaking at the time, the then-garda commissioner Drew Harris said: 'This is a regular occurrence. The dangers our members are facing is just extraordinary.'
Gda Flatley was on his own when he was performing roadside speed checks and was in the process of trying to stop motorcyclist Izzet Can Berber when he was struck. Mr Berber, who was in his 30s, died from his injuries a number of weeks later in Beaumont Hospital.
Garda Kevin Flatley, who died after being struck by a motorbike at checkpoint in May this year. Photo: PA
A garda spokesman said the new measures would 'ensure the safety of gardaí at checkpoints'.
'As part of this, long planned updated out-of-car training was introduced online and made compulsory for all of garda, sergeant and inspector ranks,' the spokesman added.
'The course reflects current learnings from police services in France, Germany and the Netherlands, and informs gardaí of what is required when setting up a checkpoint or stopping a vehicle.'
The spokesman said gardaí can continue to conduct road safety checks alone 'as long as their location has been risk-assessed to ensure it is safe and the check is then conducted in line with the safety recommendations in the training'.
However the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents rank-and-file gardaí, said the new training 'fails to address the ongoing crisis in resources to properly implement such policies'.
Outgoing Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Photo: PA
Introduced in June, to date, less than one-fifth of gardaí who are enrolled to undertake the new safety requirements have completed it successfully.
GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin said: 'I think it's fair to say that the OVST [Out of Vehicle Safety Training] videos that have been posted on the garda portal have caused some serious confusion among our members over the last number of weeks.
'While I totally agree that there is genuine merit in posting additional safety messages to all members in roads policing and across the organisation following the tragic death of our colleague, it fails to address the ongoing crisis in resources to properly implement such policies.
'Certain areas of the country simply would not have the manpower, required patrol cars or equipment to set up such checkpoints as instructed under this OVST and as a result, many members would be unable to conduct roadside checks to the standard required while protecting their safety and that of the road users.
'These videos certainly show the correct procedures in an ideal environment where you have the adequate numbers and resources in roads policing units across the country, but sadly that is not the case.
'To safely follow these vital recommended directives, we would require a substantial increase in gardaí assigned to roads policing, which is currently suffering shortages similar to other units right across the country.'
Ronan Slevin, general secretary of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) Photo: PA
It is understood that the new measures have caused 'serious confusion' among rank-and-file members.
'There are a large number of gardaí who are of the firm belief that one-garda checkpoints have been disbanded but this is actually not the case,' a source said.
They have also created 'very serious resource pressures' in some districts, such as Longford and in the Mayo/Longford/Roscommon divisions.
'The bigger issue is that even if gardaí were to adhere to what is contained on the course, there are simply not enough gardaí to carry out checkpoints in accordance with its delivery,' the source added.
A critical report of roads policing, aired at a Policing and Community Safety Authority meeting last week, highlighted how some gardaí working in roads policing units (RPUs) showed 'blatant disregard' for their job and were 'openly hostile' to it.
Commenting after the report was released, Mr Slevin said: 'Members of the RPU are dedicated members who conscientiously enforce the road traffic acts on a daily basis.
'It is without doubt that they are under-resourced and lack appropriate modern equipment that's required to effectively carry out their role.
'Despite promises to the Justice Committee to allocate 150 members to the RPU by 2025, the commissioner has failed to honour those and all RPU units throughout the country remain undervalued and under-resourced.'
Garda checkpoint. Stock image
A garda spokesman said numbers in road policing are expected to increase in the coming months.
Twenty-three garda members were allocated to roads policing units during the second half of 2024.
A further 26 officers were deployed to units in June in Sligo/Leitrim, Donegal, Louth/Cavan/Monaghan, Galway, Wexford/Wicklow, Kildare/Carlow, Laois/Offaly and Waterford/Kilkenny, the spokesman said.
'There are 32 roads policing gardaí in the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Division and this is expected to increase in the coming months,' he added.
The spokesman said all frontline gardaí also conduct 30 minutes of high-visibility roads policing operations during each tour of duty.
'The number of people who have died on the country's roads to date is 98, which is down 10 from this time last year,' he said.
