A change in “tone” among gardaí towards people has been one of the most striking elements of the policing operation run during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Policing Authority has said. Having previously praised the Garda for its response to domestic violence during the lockdown, the authority said some gardaí remained reluctant to take action against those inflicting domestic violence or breaking safety orders. In its latest report, published on Friday, the authority said there was “huge positivity” for the work the Garda was doing to address domestic violence. However, a number of community groups had told it that some gardaí were “culturally not there yet” when it came to responding to domestic violence. More broadly, domestic violence groups “described an increased alertness, empathy and appreciation of the situation in which the interaction with victims is taking place”.

Source: The Irish Times June 05, 2020 14:15 UTC