A Garda car was rammed tonight after officers responded to reports of dangerous driving in a Dublin suburb.
The incident took place shortly after 7:30 p.m. when gardaí was warned that several cars were driving dangerously in the Cherry Orchard area.
In a statement, Gardaí said when officers arrived they saw “two vehicles driving erratically”.
“Both vehicles failed to stop at gardaí’s request and one vehicle collided with an official garda vehicle.
“There were no injuries during the incident.”
Video footage of the incident has been widely shared on social media and shows a large number of people watching from the side of the road as two cars speed up and down a section of road.
Footage shows a car ramming the patrol vehicle twice before backing up.
Gardaí has called on all people who witnessed the incident to come forward. They are appealing to anyone traveling in the Cherry Orchard area at the time who has CCTV footage, including dashcam footage, to make it available for gardaí research.
Anyone for information is requested to contact the Ballyfermot Garda station on 01 666 7200, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
Gardaí said no arrests have been made and their investigation is ongoing.
Local politicians criticized what they described as scenes of “utter lawlessness”.
Fianna Fáil TD Cormac Devlin said: “Videos posted online tonight show scenes of utter lawlessness in a Dublin community.
“The clips posted online show cars driving erratically and ramming gardaí without any fear or thought of the gardaí on duty.
“This is proof of the shocking incidents that gardaí is dealing with, as a small fraction of the people terrorize an entire community.
“We need to act much harder against what is pure lawlessness in the capital, and support the gardaí with the means and legislation to deal with those who behave without respect for the law or life.
“My thoughts are with the gardaí dealing with those incidents tonight, as well as with the majority of the good people who are being terrorized by these criminals.”
Local Sinn Féin councilor Daithí Doolin said the cars involved in the incident were later found burnt out in the local park. He called the incident a “terrifying ordeal for local residents”.
Speaking to Independent.ie, he said “this didn’t come out of nowhere”, adding: “It was last night, last week, last month, last year.”
He said tonight’s incident underscores the need for more resources in the area to deal with antisocial behaviour, starting with more Garda resources.
And while a garda helicopter hovered over the area tonight and the emergency response team was called to the area tonight, he said only one garda car is available to patrol the entire Ballyfermot area, which he says is unacceptable.
“This wouldn’t be tolerated in Blackrock or Foxrock or Lucan,” he said.
“This happens every night and the residents are absolutely terrified.”
He said he hopes the videos of the car crash will culminate in a much-needed response from Gardaí, Dublin City Council and the government to address the issue.
“We need a plan for the area,” he said.
Cllr Doolin has previously spoken of neighborhoods “tumbling on the brink of lawlessness” and told a July City Council Joint Policing Committee meeting that residents live in constant fear and trauma.
“We’re not talking about individuals with trauma, but families and entire communities traumatized by intergenerational problems, perhaps caused by drug-related harassment, addiction, unemployment, mental health, violence, crime,” he told the meeting.
“When that happens over and over in a concentrated area, people are constantly living with trauma.
“They are constantly living with violence or the threat of violence and it manifests itself in very obvious ways.”
Earlier this month, he spoke of a spate of car robbery and burnout incidents in the area, causing “huge unrest” among residents, especially the elderly and parents of young children.
Commenting on the images tonight, Brendan O’Connor, president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), said: “These images may shock a large part of the public, but for this association this is a clear example of an all-too-known threat to the frontline members we represent.
“Unfortunately, we are all too aware of what we have seen as a diminishing ability to respond and deal with those who intend to wreak havoc on the streets.
“The issues are complex, but the common thread is a lack of recruitment, investment, adequate training, unworkable protocols and policies and the retention of experienced and valued gardaí.
“Our members feel besieged and abandoned, while lawbreakers and criminals seem to have power and courage.”