ALMOST NINE IN ten middle-ranking gardaí want spit hoods to remain as part of part of garda kit when the Covid-19 pandemic is over, according to the new survey.

The survey by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) also found that interactions with the public have been mostly positive during the pandemic but that garda management could have done more to protect gardaí.

The AGSI represents almost 2,500 middle-ranking gardaí and has been critical of the lack of priority testing for gardaí.

In the survey, 94% of respondents said members should have access to priority testing for Covid-19 and also priority test results. Other management issues were identified, with 44% saying that the welfare of members was not prioritised by the wider garda organisation.

There was overwhelming positivity relating to dealings with the public, with 97% reporting positive interactions with the public during the emergency regulation.

There was concern however about the latter period of restrictions, with 94% saying the easing of restrictions made it more difficult to enforce emergency regulations.

“We were left without adequate guidance and training and relied on the media to ask questions about how Gardaí would police Covid-19 regulations,” said AGSI general secretary Antoinette Cunningham.

The initial guidance for policing experienced an unacceptable delay. Confusion still reins on whether it is liquor licensing laws or health regulations that are to be enforced by our members. 

In relation to personal protection equipment (PPE), 68% reported inadequate PPE for members and 61% said members should wear masks when physical distancing was not possible.

An overwhelming  87% welcomed the introduction of spit hoods as an additional layer of PPE to protect members and 86% said they should be retained after the conclusion of the pandemic.

Spit hoods cover the heads of individuals who have been arrested in order to prevent them from spitting or coughing at police.

From the beginning of April until the middle of last month, there had been 100 incidents of people spitting or coughing on garda members. 

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) wrote to the garda commissioner at the beginning of the pandemic urging the force not to adopt spit hoods, labelling them as “dangerous degrading and unjustified”.