Posted by FEAR ON THE STREETS |
Garda shares harrowing insight into daily perils she and her colleagues face
“Nobody wants to get pricked by a needle when they’re working”
Today at 19:00
A young female garda will appear on TV tomorrow to give a harrowing insight into the daily perils she and her colleagues deal with.
Garda Shauna Naughton is attached to the community policing division of the Bridewell station in Dublin’s north inner city and has to contend with regular verbal abuse while she carries out the likes of on-the-spot searches for drugs.
During those searches she confirms that 99pc of the time drug users will tell her if they are carrying needles on their person, but she admits the thoughts of being pricked by a dirty needle is terrifying.
“Nobody wants to get pricked by a needle when they’re working,” she stresses.
Shauna opens up on her general routine.
“I suppose my day-to-day job would be working with the community, identifying vulnerable people, doing school talks, identifying stakeholders and residential groups in the area,” she says on Virgin Media’s Dublin After Dark.
She adds that many of the cases she deals with are due to intoxication caused by alcohol or drugs.
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“Arriving at the scene, we assess the situation, see if there’s any threat to us or any members of the public,” she explains.
“I suppose another part would be identifying people that would be able to provide relevant and appropriate information, assessing if anyone needs medical treatment or if an ambulance is required.
“Or if we need additional resources and need a dig out. In the event an arrest has to be made, then an arrest will be made,” she explains.
She acknowledges that CCTV cameras on the Luas trams are a help, as many people are reluctant to come forward to report anti-social behaviour.
“From being out on beat patrol and mobile patrol it is obvious that some areas are busier that others for anti-social behaviour and drug dealing and drug taking, so it’s just us trying to stamp out that behaviour that is taking place,” she says.
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