“There has to be changes to the law to provide for the Guards to stop and search.”
Former Garda detective Pat Marry has said that he would like to see a “stop and search” strategy implemented in Ireland to help tackle knife crime.
Marry also suggested implementing a “knife amnesty”, which would see anyone caught with a knife having to take a “knife awareness course”.
“Knife crime has always existed, and I know in my time as a Guard there was many’s a case of stabbings,” he told Newstalk Breakfast on Thursday.
“But it appears now, and especially from media, that there’s a lot more knife crime and a lot more people dying as a result of the use of knives.
“And like any problem in society it should be addressed and looked at, and if we don’t do that it’ll just continue on the same path”.
Marry was speaking following the death of a 25-year-old man in Dublin on Tuesday due to a fatal stabbing.
He added that he would like to see the strategy put in place to deter young people “from maybe 18 to 24 years of age”, who he says are both the most frequent perpetrators and victims of knife crime.
“You have to get young people talking about this and the consequences and dangers of carrying knives,” he said.
“I believe that, initially, there should be a policy of stop and search”.
Stop and search, which has already been implemented in the UK, means Gardaí would be able to stop and question people at any time as long as they’re in uniform or can show identification.
Marry said that the searches would be “difficult” as they can only be done with “reasonable cause”.
“But if there is a situation that has arisen that knife crime is a big part of crime at the moment, there has to be changes to the law to provide for the Guards to stop and search,” he added.
Main Image: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie.
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