Members of the Garda band are among a group of specialist, usually non-frontline, gardaí who have been deployed to public duties in a bid by senior Garda management to maintain the surge in personnel required for the Covid-19 policing operation.
In recent days, Garda Headquarters at the Phoenix Park in Dublin confirmed a range of measures aimed at enforcing the current Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions as the Government and health services try to manage the record increase in cases. Garda sources said the pandemic had affected the Garda, with some personnel contracting the virus or being forced to isolate because they were close contacts of others who tested positive for Covid-19. And in a bid to mitigate the contagious nature of the UK and South African strains of the virus Garda units have been broken up into smaller teams or bubbles.
While the Garda force has so far coped with the pandemic, a no-notice decision was taken by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on Friday to redeploy 76 personnel across the Garda on to frontline duties with immediate effect. Those Garda members – of inspector, sergeant and garda rank – were informed on Friday they were being redeployed to frontline duties from Monday, January 11th, until at least the end of the month. The group includes 25 members of the Garda band, all of whom are rank and file gardaí, expect one inspector.
Others being redeployed include members of the Roads Policing Unit, Garda Economic Crime Bureau, human resources, and other sections and specialist units. Personnel from the Garda College at Templemore in Co Tipperary, have also been redeployed to frontline duties and the college closed while gardaí, and Garda reservists, in training have been attested and deployed on to the streets to bolster the effort.
Checkpoints
This week, the Garda again began operating checkpoints nationwide to ensure people were not leaving home without a reasonable excusing or exercising outdoors any farther than 5km from home. Gardaí have also focussed on reaching out to those who are vulnerable and isolated, including older people, while those at risk of domestic violence have been assured they will be given highest priority and that the “5km from home” restriction does not apply to them.
The Garda Representative Association, which represents rank and file gardaí, and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, have called for Garda members to be given priority for the Covid-19 vaccine. Furthermore, in a bid to better protect Garda members on duty, Garda Headquarters has asked anyone on their way to a Covid-19 test not to roll down their car windows at Garda checkpoints. Instead, people should hold the notice of their test up to the window of their vehicle as proof of why they are on the roads.
