Following allegations that a detective inadvertently left their official firearm in a Ted Baker clothing store in Dublin, Garda management has initiated a disciplinary inquiry. The detective, who is responsible for the protection of government officials and should have their handgun with them as part of their duties, allegedly left the weapon during a break on Monday.
While trying on clothes in the changing room, the detective supposedly left their firearm behind. A member of the clothing store’s staff discovered the discarded firearm and promptly reported it to local gardaí. The accused detective apparently realised their mistake minutes after leaving the shop and promptly returned to pick up their forgotten firearm. It is reported that the gun was out of the detective’s possession for less than five minutes.
Armed gardaí must adhere to stringent regulations regarding the safe keeping of their official firearms, both on and off duty. There’s no further information available as Garda headquarters confirmed that there’s an ongoing disciplinary investigation led by a senior garda officer into these allegation, but no further comments can be made at the moment.
As the investigation is underway, the detective is understood to have been assigned restricted duties. It has yet to be ascertained whether the Garda Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) is conducting a separate investigation into this incident.
There was a comparable incident in 2018 where a Garda Ombudsman began an investigation after a Garda submachine gun and ammunition were discovered on a Dublin street, having fallen out of a Garda armed support vehicle that had traversed a ramp. That investigation concluded with Gsoc determining the vehicle’s boot was faulty and no official reprimands were administered against the officers involved.
The detective involved in the current incident had been assigned to closely safeguard a Cabinet member, reflecting a recent ramping up of armed protection for senior Government officials in light of heightened threat levels.
Before the year 2022, exclusively the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Justice Minister, and the Attorney General were given armed security. Certain judiciary members and assorted officials would also garner the same provisions occasionally. However, this changed after a thorough examination was undertaken due to heightened risks towards politicians, leading to the expansion of protection cover to all members of the Cabinet. The officers assigned from the Garda for protection commonly serve double roles as the ministers’ chauffeur. Although, in a few instances, a protectee may have multiple officers assigned to them.