GUNS GALORE
Anger at PSNI decision to arm 700 prison wardens with high-powered Glock pistols
Ciarán Barnes
A PSNI decision to arm almost 700 prison wardens with high-powered pistols was called into question last night.
Responding to a written parliamentary question earlier in the week, direct-rule minister Paul Goggins confirmed 867 people in the North are in possession of PSNI loaned personal protection weapons. He said that as of May 12 there were 688 guns on loan to prison officers and 217 to British army personnel.
There are currently 1,668 wardens employed by the Prison Service meaning more than a third of its staff currently have a loaned PSNI Glock pistol at home.
Sinn Féin MLA Fra McCann accused the PSNI of arming those with an “anti-republican and anti-nationalist agenda”.
He said: “Serious questions need to be asked about why these weapons have been loaned out to British forces, many of whom have abused the human rights of nationalists over many years.
“This shows the PSNI and their predecessors in the RUC are hell-bent on arming those with an anti-republican and anti-nationalist agenda.”
SDLP assembly member Alban Maginness said that while the on-loan gun figure seems high there is a rationale for prison wardens keeping weapons.
“The biggest current threat to prison officers is from loyalist paramilitaries, who they are vulnerable to attack from because of the communities in which they live,” said Mr Maginness.
“I know that each individual application for a personal protection weapon is scrutinised to see if there is a real risk to the applicant.
“In the current circumstances, it is not unreasonable for prison officers to be in possession of these weapons.”
Last month Daily Ireland revealed the PSNI had lost nine weapons during the last six years.
A spokesman refused to say if these guns were loaned out for personal protection.
He would not comment on how the weapons went missing, whether disciplinary action was taken against the officers in possession of the guns and if the firearms had been used for crime.
The spokesman also refused to comment on whether the lost weapons were reported to the Police Ombudsman.
