Gardai to 'refocus towards visibility on the streets' says Commissioner

THE Garda Commissioner has told members of the Oireachtas there may need to be a change in how gardai police certain events and public order incidents in the wake of last week's riots in Dublin.

Drew Harris made his comments this Wednesday while appearing before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice.

He said there have been more than 11,000 arrests for low-level criminality in Dublin city centre so far this year but that "we are not going to be able to arrest and prosecute our way out of this problem."

Mr Harris also told committee members that all members of the Garda Public Order Unit are to be issued with tasers and that gardaí will also begin to wear body cameras from the middle of next year.

All frontline gardaí will also be issued with stronger defensive sprays and more personal safety equipment.

The Garda Commissioner also told committee members that An Garda Síochána has already begun making changes to operational policing in the wake of last week's violent scenes.