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Irish Independent
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
New policing model is ‘unmitigated disaster' breaking links between gardaí and communities, garda bodies warn
They also say that new regulations on conduct and performance will 'do little' to dispel fears among their members over an 'excessive use of discipline and suspension'. The Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) appeared before the Justice Committee this afternoon to discuss a range of issues including recruitment and retention, pursuit policy, and discipline within the force. A significant emphasis was placed on the new Garda operating policing model which has moved the organisation from a local district model to a larger divisional one. The GRA's General Secretary, Ronan Slevin, described it as an 'unmitigated disaster' which is 'not fit for purpose'. 'This has created super-sized divisions that span across many counties and has starved communities of local stations and local policing. In many ways, division is the key word here as that is exactly what this model has caused between our trusted, dedicated members and the public and communities that they serve,' Mr Slevin said. AGSI General Secretary, Ronan Clogher, told the committee that an overarching problem with the operating model is the issue of resources. He pointed to the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford division, saying it is a 'geographical area that is completely unpoliceable' and that it is 'impossible to manage a division of that size' which stretches from Blacksod on the west coast to Granard in Longford. He said that resources are being dragged away from smaller towns to provide cover for main towns that act as satellite hubs for the rest of the division. Mr Clogher added that this is 'breaking a link' between gardaí and the communities they police. 'People do not know their guards, the guards do not know their people'. He also said 'silos' were being created within the force between plain clothed and uniformed personnel and that, for a small police for like the Garda, 'that is a very risky thing to happen, particularly in the rural areas'. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more The Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, defended the operating model at the committee last week, saying the old model was unsustainable with changes introduce to 'enhance the service we provide to the public'. Mr Slevin today said that little action is being taken to address the issue of morale while there is ongoing concern about the suspension policy. He added that the excessive use of discipline and suspension has resulted in members being in fear of receiving any form of complaint as there is little trust in the discipline process. He also said that that the recently enacted Conduct, Performance and Standards of Professional Behaviour Regulations 'will do little to dispel this fear'. 'The now infamous bicycle case not only highlighted the excessive use of suspension, but highlights the lack of understanding of how community policing works by senior gardaí. The more recent case in Limerick where a member was cleared of all 22 charges after a near seven-year investigation while languishing on suspension further highlights the fears members face when the perform their duty and complaints and investigations are launched,' Mr Slevin said. There are currently around 90 gardaí suspended for a range of reasons including domestic violence, sexual assault, and drink driving. In relation to garda pursuits, Ronan Slevin said that a recent policy created an issue whereby gardaí can't engage unless they are pursuit trained, but added that there is no pursuit training within An Garda Síochána. 'It leaves our members in the control room and the drivers themselves to make a snap decision on whether you're going to allow a pursuit to continue. 'Your decision is made in a split second and analysed as slowly as possible if there's an error made, and that is causing some serious concern to our members.' He said that if gardaí do not have the power to pursue, then criminals will get away by simply exceeding the speed limit, knowing that the guards can't follow.' The GRA also said that some 17,000 gardaí are needed with the recruitment and retention crisis ongoing for the past five years.
The Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Garda group to say that little action has been taken to solve 'massive issue' of poor morale
A 'MASSIVE ISSUE' remains in An Garda Síochána with poor morale and little action has been taken to address the issue, a Garda union will tell politicians today. The Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) are due to appear before the Oireachtas Justice committee this afternoon. In their opening remarks, the GRA will launch criticise work by the Government to resolve the problems associated with a new policing management system, and claim that overbearing discipline has forced gardaí to be afraid to act. Ronan Slevin, the GRA General Secretary, will tell TDs and Senators that the issues have been long identified, but that no action has been taken to ease them. 'There remains a massive issue with morale within the ranks of An Garda Síochána, with little action being taken to address the issue. 'The continuous issuing of policies and procedures which members must comply with, and the excessive use of discipline and suspension has resulted in members being in fear of receiving any form of complaint as there is little trust in the discipline process. 'Sadly, the recently enacted Conduct, Performance and Standards of Professional Behaviour Regulations will do little to dispel that fear,' he will say. Suspensions Slevin will raise the issue of the suspension of a Garda for giving a bicycle to an elderly man, and that of another garda in Limerick who was suspended for seven years but who was recently been cleared of any wrongdoing. He will say that the bicycle case demonstrates how senior gardaí showed a 'lack of understanding of how community policing works'. Slevin will go on to say that staff retention and recruitment targets are being missed because of a failure to implement measures to stop the issue. 'It was once the situation that the best recruiter for a career in the AGS [An Garda Síochána], were the gardaí themselves. Sadly this is no longer the case. 'Exit interviews carried out by the GRA clearly show serious areas of concern among members who have decided to leave the organisation. Advertisement 'These issues in conjunction with the overall feelings of low morale led recently to a vote of no confidence in the Garda Commissioner. Sadly, little has changed since. Denial of low morale and associated issues continue,' he will say. In its opening remarks, the AGSI will outline failures to address retention and recruitment issues, community policing, road traffic deaths and the new divisional policing model. It will also comment on the problems of keeping gardaí and hiring new recruits. 'An Garda Síochána is now entrenched within a cycle of continuous failures to meet recruitment targets year-on-year. 'This failure has not been sufficiently recognised by Government or Garda management with the Government in recent years attributing this to covid, full employment and lifestyle choices,' the group's opening statement will say. The AGSI will say that there is a broad failure to recognise the actual 'fundamental root causes'. It will also highlight pay and pensions disparity, social media commentary, excessive oversight and bureaucracy, change fatigue, workload and work related stress. It will also cite industrial relations processes for the poor morale among senior gardaí. 'Radical' The AGSI statement will also say that a number of initiatives have been implemented, but that these are 'short remedies' and are not 'radical' enough to solve the problem. It will strongly criticise the Divisional and Operation Model that was introduced recently, stating that it has negatively impacted the Garda's relationship with the public. The model essentially redraws the garda command map across the country, and rather than specific units and areas being led by officers with sole operational command, it places them under an umbrella management system. AGSI will also claim that international police forces who adopted the model previously have scrapped it and moved back to the more traditional command structures. 'The model has been adapted from Similar policing models internationally, but a fundamental and fatal flaw is that the architects of the Irish version failed to take account of the unique policing and geographical requirements within the jurisdiction. 'The AGSI are now of the view that the current operating model has negatively affected interactive community policing in this country,' the AGSI opening statement adds. Commissioner Drew Harris appeared last week at the Justice Committee and defended the model, which was criticised by a number of TDs and senators. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
