Garda Superintendents have called for new laws to allow for fingerprints to be taken from everyone who is arrested and brought to a garda station.
President of the Association of Garda Superintendents Jim Smith told its annual conference in Dublin today that this would not only be of great help in the investigation of crime but also protect arrested persons.
The law at present only allows fingerprints to be taken from people arrested for certain serious offences.
The Association has also called for jury lists, which contain personal details of jury panel members, to be made available only to legal representatives to prevent intimidation of jurors.
While the Association, like all other representative associations, is concerned with pay and conditions it has recommended its members accept the Croke Park Agreement.
However, it has today called on the Government to introduce new measures to tackle crime.
Superintendents say too much of their time is spent on investigations for the Garda Ombudsman, which the Commission should carry out instead.
Supt Smith also says the Association believes all gangland crime trials should be held in the Special Criminal Court.
Ahern to review jury list regulations
The Minister for Justice has said he is examining ways to introduce tighter controls on how jury lists are made available.
Dermot Ahern said he was very concerned about recent incidents where the names, addresses and occupations of jurors were acquired by criminals.
Mr Ahern said the intimidation of jurors was a problem and that is why the new criminal justice legislation was brought in.
He also said he was looking at ways to change the composition of juries to make the members on them more representative of society as a whole.
Garda Commissioiner Fachtna Murphy said he supported any measure that would protect jurors and witnesses from intimidation.
