A disciplinary proceeding has been initiated by the Garda management due to accusations that a detective misplaced their official gun in a clothes store in Dublin. The incident, recognised as a severe contravention of Garda firearm policies, allegedly took place in a city centre store’s changing room.
A notification has been issued by the Garda headquarters about an ongoing scrutiny guided by a senior officer. However, the headquarters abstained from providing further comments. Meanwhile, the detective in question has been subject to limited duties during the inquiry.
The allegations suggest that the detective was performing a personal task during their break while being on duty. The detective visited the store, used the fitting room, and seems to have unintentionally abandoned their handgun while exiting. A shop assistant discovered the weapon and alerted the gardaí. After realising their firearm was missing, the detective rushed back to the shop.
Armed gardaí are held to stringent guidelines regarding their weapon storage, regardless of whether they are on or off duty. This case follows a 2018 incident when an inquiry was launched by the Garda Ombudsman, following the discovery of a submachine gun on a Dublin street that had slipped from a Garda armed support vehicle.