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CRIMES ARE SLIPPING through the net, according to the President of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), John Parker, who said the public – and businesses in particular – are paying the price for poor policing resources in this country.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference yesterday evening ahead of the association’s annual conference, which begins later this morning, Parker said there had been some good results with large drug seizures recently.
“For every one of those, you can assume that there is equally the same size of shipments of drugs that are slipping the net,” he commented. “And we would say that that is because of the random policing – the spare capacity that we had out there over the last number of years where we had men out on rural roads, increased patrolling [is gone] – the hit and miss factor.”
Under-reporting of crimes
The latest crime figures showed a fall some areas like murder and sexual offences. Parker said some of this is because the force is being more pro-active and “some crime figures will reduce because we’re not there to witness them”.
You know, as they say, if a tree falls in the forest did it really fall?
“A large number of people engage in fights in the street,” he continued. “It disrupts other people but if they don’t ring in, if a guard doesn’t attend and make an arrest it never happened, and we have seen an increase in violent assaults on the street.”
He said “horrific stories” are now emerging in comment threads online of crimes that have not been reported.
Parker also said he would be concerned that businesses are paying the price of for the lack of resourcing with break-ins and vandalism resulting in higher insurance premiums.
It is expected that up to 300 new gardaí may be recruited, once An Garda Síochána makes its way through the 20,000 applications.
However Parker said this is not nearly enough to cover the numbers who have left the force in the last number of years and until real numbers are taken on, communities will suffer.
“When you’re 2,000 employees down, something has to give,” he added.
We’ll be bringing you the latest news from the conference in Killarney over the next couple of days so keep your eyes peeled. You can also follow @michellehtweet for updates throughout the day.
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I know I will get lots of red thumbs……but the average member does very little work, always a few good guys, but only a few, the rest just in a long term pensionable role for work only, no real interest.
No red thumb from me but how to you know that the average do very little work?
You must have been in contact with a lot of guards to draw that conclusion!
The present system is broken.
and the brass is now dirty
Is their anything shatter hasn’t contributed too, to make things worse in this county, and remarkably he’s still their
Why is it that when a public sector or governmental organisation is found to be ineffectual…. Their excuse is poor resources or not enough people?
There are great individuals on the gardi force that are doing a decent job and doing their best.
Unless they change their internal culture and utilize the best practices in ways of working found in other countries… Then the 300 new recruits will be a waste. They will fall into place and follow current norms and culture. If those ways are inefficient and ineffective. .. Then that’s what they’ll learn.
I’m sure your point is valid but since when did we start spelling with american english. Utilise not Utilize! To avoid this we could just agree to ‘utilise’ the word USE!
@Marie what difference does it make which dictionary I use? Really….
Answer me this… How well and often do you speak Irish? How often do you watch foriegn television programs (English, American, Canadian)? How often do you listen to foreign bands? How often do you go to McDonald’s, Burger King, Lidle or drink Coke or Sprite. Or use medical drugs for ailments that weren’t made by an Irish company?
My point…. I’m an American who lives in Ireland, pay Irish taxe and a citizen of this country. As long as I follow the law, am polite to my neighbors and support local businesses… I can use any method of spelling to convey my point as long as the word can be found in an English (British/American) dictionary.
Marlon.
From what I can see, they can blame lack of resources as a major issue. Three garda stations in north sligo had to share one garda car.they decided to close one of the stations but it still leaves two stations sharing a ford focus. So the gardai take turns going out in the car. If a crime is reported, the garda with the car returns it to the other garda for him to go do the call. If it was a serious call, could take the gardai 30 min or more. That is called lack of resources.
Fionn,
I agree with you in that many of the closings of gardai stations in small towns and communities were premature. Yes… It was needed. But the powers that be closed them without a plan in place.
From past experience, when something is taken away… Something have replace it. And this did not happen. A technology and policing plan should have been discussed nationally and specifically with those rural communities and then rolled out.
However sadly, time and time again, it’s been proven that our government is very good with planning and strategizing.
I would argue… The Gardi don’t have a problem with resources. .. Instead they have a problem with planning, lobbying and communication. If these things were done effectively they would have their resources. But their current culture doesn’t permit it.
Let’s pray that the current acting – commissioner can bring wise and new ways of working to our police force.
@marlon. Glad you mentioned Coke, Sprite, Mc Donalds and Burger King because they go hand in hand with the problem I have with relacing ‘s’ with ‘z’ American takeover! LOL and yet Marlon, if I lived in America, worked with Americans, did business with Americans, I’m possitive, (that’s 100%, not 110 or 120) I’m possive that I would begin to spell my words as the Americans do, neighbour and colour without the ‘u’ as well as replacing the ‘s’ with ‘z’s because that’s just polite, even if it killed me.
Marlon you can have all the police and technology plans you want, they are just words on paper or a computer screen. If you don’t have the basics like transport and people then a plan is useless.
If you have the basic resources then the plans will help, but the plans without resources are pointless.
@Fluich it
Technology does include the garda vehicle. Now a days, the vehicle has become a moving office. Computer systems, GPS, monitors, breath analysing systems, speed cameras, finger print and analysis systems, radar systems, secure weapon centres and a separation cage.
I don’t know where you’ve been but cities in the US, Germany and Norway issue all patrol cars with such equipment. In this way most officers don’t need to return to a building to process a criminal or information… This all can be done while on their beat.
For this reason…. The cities I mentioned have more manned modified equipped cars on the road than manning the building.
In truth, the building should only be used to hold criminals and for meetings. The crime is in the streets.
If they stopped spending time looking for people growing a vegetable, there would be more resources available for investigating crimes against people and property.
All I hear is Garda check points every where what else are they doing, you don’t see them on the street anymore
What do Garda checkpoints sound like?
You’re spot on John, its all Tax and NCT they have no interest in fighting real crime.
I don’t remember MacGarnagle using ‘lack of resources’ as an excuse.
Absolutely right. Mc Garnagle got RESULTS!
Lack of morale & general interest, one Sgt on whinge mode can affect the entire station as in any other business, if they can blitz drunken driving & mobile phone usage then they can keep those initiatives in place permanently, stop whinging and do your well paid/pensioned jobs.
If there is no Gardai on the streets in the first place there is a lot more collapsing than trees in empty forests.
too many garda in mayo protecting shell
have your say