The Garda Public Order Unit – commonly known as the ''Garda Riot Squad'' – is a unit of the
Garda Síochána
(; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
's police force, that deals with
public disorder
Public security or public safety is the prevention of and protection from events that could endanger the safety and security of the public from significant danger, injury, or property damage. It is often conducted by a state government to ensure ...
, including
riot
A riot or mob violence is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The p ...
s and
protest
A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
s.
Staffing and training
All gardaí assigned to Public Order Units are standard uniformed members assigned to normal policing duties with specialist Public Order training. The unit is trained to use
riot control tactics to control, disperse, and arrest civilians that are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest.
Uniform
Gardaí assigned to Public Order Units typically wear black flame-retardant coveralls, standard issue stab-resistant vests and navy baseball caps with "GARDA" on both the front and back, and "PUBLIC ORDER" along the sides in yellow.
Where there is a heightened risk of violence or attack with burning projectiles, such as
Molotov cocktail
A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see '') is a hand-thrown incendiary weapon consisting of a frangible container filled with flammable substances and equipped with a Fuse (explosives), fuse (typically a glass bottle filled wit ...
s, stab vests are worn under the coveralls and navy blue
riot protection helmet
A riot protection helmet or riot helmet is a type of helmet designed for law enforcement and military use to protect the wearer's head, face and eyes from handheld melee weapons, and thrown projectiles such as bricks, as may be met in riot contro ...
s with face shields and protective gloves are worn.
For protection in violent situations, an additional layer of flame-retardant body armor designed for public order use, complete with shoulder pads may be worn along with shin and forearm protectors. In September 2018 the Garda Commissioner was obliged to issue a directive confirming that the Public Order Unit's flame retardant hoods were intended to be worn only when a helmet was also worn - when it was queried why some unit members had worn hoods during a public order policing incident in Dublin.
Equipment
As with ordinary uniformed members of the
Garda Síochána
(; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace") is the national police and security service of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards". The service is headed by the Garda Commissio ...
, the Public Order Unit do not routinely carry firearms, relying instead on conventional,
non-lethal weapon
Non-lethal weapons, also called nonlethal weapons, less-lethal weapons, less-than-lethal weapons, non-deadly weapons, compliance weapons, or pain-inducing weapons are weapons intended to be less likely to kill a living target than convention ...
s such as
pepper spray
Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, mace, or capsicum spray is a Tear gas, lachrymator (tear gas) product containing as its active ingredient the chemical compound capsaicin, which irritates the eyes with burning ...
and
batons. Members of the unit typically wear
body armour
Body armour, personal armour (also spelled ''armor''), armoured suit (''armored'') or coat of armour, among others, is armour for human body, a person's body: protective clothing or close-fitting hands-free shields designed to absorb or deflect ...
,
riot helmets, and carry
riot shield
A riot shield is a lightweight protection device, typically deployed by riot police and some military unit during protest, though also utilized by protestors. Riot shields are typically long enough to cover an average-sized person from the top of ...
s. Full-length
riot shield
A riot shield is a lightweight protection device, typically deployed by riot police and some military unit during protest, though also utilized by protestors. Riot shields are typically long enough to cover an average-sized person from the top of ...
s are also used during potentially violent confrontations where there is large hostile crowds, or the risk of thrown or flammable projectiles.
In 2016 it was reported that riot gear orders had included contracts for 26-inch batons, riot gloves and boots, and protective flame-retardant clothing.
If a situation escalates whereby an armed response is required, the
Garda Regional Support Unit
Armed Support Units (ASU) () are specialist regional firearms units of the ''Garda Síochána'', the national police force of Ireland. Based in all four Garda regions in the country, Gardaí attached to an ASU unit carry a combination of lethal ...
(RSU) or
Garda Emergency Response Unit
The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) () is the police tactical unit of the ''Garda Síochána'', Republic of Ireland, Ireland's national police and security service. The unit was a section of the forces' Special Detective Unit (SDU), under the Gar ...
(ERU) will be called in to assist.
Vehicles
The Public Order Unit does not operate any specialist armoured vehicles, instead relying on a fleet of refitted commercial vans.
These
Ford Transit
The Ford Transit is a family of light commercial vehicles manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1965, primarily as a panel van, cargo van, but also available in other configurations including a large passenger van (marketed as the Ford ...
vehicles typically are longer wheelbase versions of the standard Transit van used by gardaí for patrol and lacking a prisoner cage, with Public Order Unit markings.
Formerly, Transit vans were equipped with a raisable and removable windscreen protection cage and removable cages fitted over other windows, however vehicles ordered in 2015 to replace the severely aged 2007 fleet lack these features leaving them open to damage from projectiles.
The DMR South Central Division Public Order Unit, operating from
Pearse Street
Pearse Street () is a major street in Dublin. It runs from College Street in the west to MacMahon Bridge in the east, and is one of the city's longest streets. It has several different types of residential and commercial property along its le ...
Garda Station, operate a
Fiat Ducato
The Fiat Ducato is a light commercial vehicle jointly developed by FCA Italy and PSA Group (currently Stellantis), and mainly manufactured by Sevel, a joint venture between the two companies since 1981. It has also been sold as the Citroën C ...
van for patrol and public order incidents. This vehicle is used for weekend public order patrols.
Deployment
Typically the unit is only called up for riot situations or pre-planned situations such as major sporting events, protests or large-scale public events such as concerts,
St. Patrick's Day
Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick (), is a religious and cultural holiday held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
Saint Patrick's Day was made an official Chri ...
or
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
.
In some other cases the Public Order unit has been deployed on more frequent or recurring basis during times of increased risk of disturbances. Examples include the days preceding high-tension international football games,
or during the 2016 build-up to the 1916 Centenary celebrations.
Dublin
Two full serials patrol Dublin city centre on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, providing support to regular patrol Gardaí in situations such as pub brawls, disorderly crowds and excessively violent individuals. One vehicle operates from Pearse Street Garda station on the south side of the
River Liffey
The River Liffey (Irish language, Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major Tributary, tributaries include t ...
and one from the Bridewell Garda station, the latter being deployed in response to a violent attack on two uniformed gardaí in the area.
Similar resources are deployed across Dublin on
Halloween
Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
due to a spike in
anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviours, sometimes called dissocial behaviours, are actions which are considered to violate the rights of or otherwise harm others by committing crime or nuisance, such as stealing and physical attack or noncriminal behaviours s ...
, illegal bonfires, attacks against Gardaí and the
Dublin Fire Brigade
Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB; ) is the fire and rescue service and ambulance service for County Dublin, including Dublin city, in Ireland. It is a local authority service, operated by Dublin City Council on behalf of that council and those of Fi ...
and other related activity.
Notable operations
* In 1995, the unit dealt with rioting
English football hooligans (including many members of
Combat 18
Combat 18 (C18 or 318) is a neo-Nazi terrorist organisation that was founded in 1992. It originated in the United Kingdom with ties to movements in Canada and the United States. Since then, it has spread to other countries, including Germany. C ...
) during a friendly
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
match between the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...
and
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
in
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road Stadium (, ) was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) that was primarily used for rugby union and association football matches. The stadium was demolished in 2007 to make way for the Aviva Stadium on ...
.
* In 2006, the unit was involved in the
2006 Dublin riots
A series of riots in Dublin on 25 February 2006 was precipitated by a proposed march down O'Connell Street of a Unionists (Ireland), unionist demonstration. The disturbances began when members of the Garda Síochána attempted to disperse a g ...
, and were deployed to deal with rioters in
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
city centre. Some members of the unit were injured during the riots, which lasted several hours.
* In July 2008, members of the unit along with the
Air Support Unit and
Dog Unit assisted local Gardaí when a feud between two
Traveller families broke into a riot in Dalton Park,
Mullingar
Mullingar ( ; ) is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. It is the third most populous town in the Midland Region, Ireland, Midland Region, with a population of 22,667 in the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census.
The Counties of M ...
.
* In November 2014, the Public Order Unit were present during a
protest against water-charges in Jobstown, Tallaght in which protesters were later 'charged with falsely imprisoning then tánaiste Joan Burton'.
* In November 2023, the Public Order Unit were present during a
riot which followed a stabbing incident in Dublin city centre.
See also
*
Territorial Support Group
The Territorial Support Group (TSG) is a Met Operations unit of London's Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) which focuses on public order policing and other specialist areas. In 2012 it consisted of 793 officers and 29 support staff. The TSG ...
(
Metropolitan Police Service)
*
Emergency Management and Public Order Unit (
Toronto Police Services)
References
{{Garda Síochána
Public Order Unit