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Wikipedia

Garda Síochána

May 06, 2023

The Garda Síochána (Irish pronunciation: [ənˠ ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ˠə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə] (listen); meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (pronounced [ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ˠiː]; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are in Dublin's Phoenix Park.

Garda Síochána
Shield of the Garda Síochána
Common nameGardaí
MottoWorking with communities to protect and serve (Irish: Ag obair le Pobail chun iad a chosaint agus chun freastal orthu)[a]
Agency overview
Formed22 February 1922[1]
Preceding agencies
Employees
  • 18,052 (total as of 2022)
  • 14,695 sworn members
  • 3,357 civilian staff
  • 401 reserves[2]
Annual budget€2.062 billion (2022)[3]
Legal personalityPolice force
Jurisdictional structure
National agencyIreland
Operations jurisdictionIreland
Garda Síochána area of jurisdiction in dark blue
Size70,273 km2
Population5,011,500 (2021)[4]
Constituting instrument
  • Garda Síochána Act 2005
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersGarda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin
Officers14,695 incl. 401 reserves (2022)[2]
Civilians3,357 (2022)[2]
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
Regions
  • Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR)
  • North-Western
  • Eastern
  • Southern
Facilities
Stations564[6]
Vehicles2,815 (2017)[7]
BoatsGarda Water Unit
Aircraft
  • 2 helicopters
  • 1 fixed-wing surveillance aircraft
CaninesGarda Dog Unit
HorsesGarda Mounted Unit
Website
Official website
^ "Working with Communities to Protect and Serve" is described as a mission statement rather than formal motto

Since the formation of the Garda Síochána in 1923, it has been a predominantly unarmed force, and more than three-quarters of the force do not routinely carry firearms.[8] As of 31 December 2019, the police service had 14,708 sworn members (including 458 sworn Reserve members) and 2,944 civilian staff.[2] Operationally, the Garda Síochána is organised into four geographical regions: the East, North/West, South and Dublin Metropolitan regions.[5]

The force is the main law enforcement agency in the state, acting at local and national levels. Its roles include crime detection and prevention, drug enforcement, road traffic enforcement and accident investigation, diplomatic and witness protection responsibilities. It also provides a community policing service.

Terminology

 
Lamp with GS monogram in Gaelic type, Westmanstown Sports and Conference Centre

The service was originally named the Civic Guard in English,[9] but in 1923 it became the Garda Síochána in both English and Irish.[10][11] This title has been maintained in recent legislation.[12] This is usually translated as "the Guardians of the Peace".[13] Garda Síochána na hÉireann ("of Ireland", pronounced [ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ]) appears on its logo but is seldom used elsewhere. At that time, there was a vogue for naming the new institutions of the Irish Free State after counterparts in the French Third Republic; the term "guardians of the peace" (gardiens de la paix, literally 'peacekeepers') had been used since 1870 in French-speaking countries to designate civilian police forces as distinguished from the armed gendarmery, notably municipal police in France, communal guards in Belgium[14] and cantonal police in Switzerland.[15]

The full official title of the police service is rarely used in speech. How it is referred to depends on the register being used. It is variously known as An Garda Síochána; the Garda Síochána; the Garda; the Gardaí (plural); and it is popularly called "the guards".[16] Although Garda is singular, in these terms it is used as a collective noun, like police.

An individual officer is called a garda (plural gardaí), or less formally, a "guard", and is typically addressed as such by members of the public when on duty.[17][18] A police station is called a garda station. Garda is also the name of the lowest rank within the force (e.g. "Garda John Murphy", analogous to the British term "constable" or the American "officer", "deputy", "trooper", etc.). A female officer was once officially referred to as a bangharda (pronounced [ˈbˠanˠˌɣaːɾˠd̪ˠə]; "female guard"; plural banghardaí). This term was abolished in 1990,[19] but is still used colloquially in place of the gender-neutral garda.[18]

Colloquially, as a slang or derogatory term, they are sometimes referred to as "the shades".[20][21]

Organisation

The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner, whose immediate subordinates are two deputy commissioners – in charge of "Policing and Security" and "Governance & Strategy", respectively – and a Chief Administrative Officer with responsibility for resource management (personnel, finance, Information and Communications Technology, and accommodation). There is an assistant commissioner for each of the four geographical regions, along with a number dealing with other national support functions. The four geographical Garda regions, each overseen by an assistant commissioner, are:[5]

  1. Dublin Metropolitan Region
  2. North-Western
  3. Eastern
  4. Southern
Rank Irish name Number of members at rank
2014[22] 2015[23] 2016[24] 2021[25]
Commissioner Coimisinéir 1 1 1 1
Deputy Commissioner Leas-Choimisinéir 0 2 2 2
Assistant Commissioner Cúntóir-Choimisinéir 8 5 8 8
Chief Superintendent Ard-Cheannfort 41 42 39 47
Superintendent Ceannfort 140 160 163 165
Inspector Cigire 300 247 300 425
Sergeant Sáirsint 1,946 1,835 1,915 1,944
Garda Garda 10,459 10,524 10,696 11,870
Reserve Garda Garda Ionaid 1,112 - 627 459

At an equivalent or near-equivalent level to the assistant commissioners are the positions of Chief Medical Officer, executive director of Information and Communications Technology, and executive director of Finance.

 
A group of Gardaí

Directly subordinate to the assistant commissioners are approximately 40 chief superintendents, about half of whom supervise what are called divisions. Each division contains a number of districts, each commanded by a superintendent assisted by a team of inspectors. Each district contains a number of sub-districts, which are usually commanded by sergeants.

Typically each subdistrict contains only one Garda station. A different number of Gardaí are based at each station depending on its importance. Most of these stations employ the basic rank of Garda, which was referred to as the rank of Guard until 1972. The most junior members of the service are students, whose duties can vary depending on their training progress. They are often assigned clerical duties as part of their extracurricular studies.

The Garda organisation also has approximately 2,000 non-officer support staff[24] encompassing a range of areas such as human resources, occupational health services, finance and procurement, internal audit, IT and telecommunications, accommodation and fleet management, scenes-of-crime support, research and analysis, training and general administration. The figure also includes industrial staff such as traffic wardens, drivers and cleaners.

Reserve Gardaí

Main article: Garda Síochána Reserve

The Garda Síochána Act 2005 provided for the establishment of a Garda Reserve to assist the force in performing its functions, and supplement the work of members of the Garda Síochána.

The intent of the Garda Reserve is "to be a source of local strength and knowledge". Reserve members are to carry out duties defined by the Garda Commissioner and sanctioned by the Minister for Justice. With reduced training of 128 hours, these duties and powers must be executed under the supervision of regular members of the Service; they are also limited with respect to those of regular members.

The first batch of 36 Reserve Gardaí graduated on 15 December 2006 at the Garda College, in Templemore.[26] As of October 2016, there were 789 Garda Reserve members with further training scheduled for 2017.[27]

Departments

 
Garda Traffic Corps car
 
The two helicopters of the Garda Air Support Unit
 
Garda helicopter performing surveillance

Rank structure

Ranks of the Garda Síochána
Rank Commissioner Deputy
commissioner 		Assistant
commissioner 		Surgeon Chief
superintendent 		Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Garda Garda reserve Student Student reserve
Irish name Coimisinéir Leas
Choimisinéir 		Cúntóir-
Choimisinéir 		Máinlia Ard-Cheannfort Ceannfort Cigire Sáirsint Garda Ionaid Mac Léinn Gharda Mac Léinn Ionaid
Max number[28] 1 3 12 1[note 1] 53 191 390 2,460 12,500
Number as of end 2022[30] 1 2 8 0 46 168 466 2,074 11,411
Insignia[31]                      

A garda allocated to detective duties, up to and including the rank of chief superintendent, is a detective and the word detective (Irish: Bleachtaire) is prefixed to their rank (e.g. detective sergeant, bleachtaire sáirsint). The detective moniker is not a rank but rather a role identification, a detective Garda and a Garda are the same rank.[32][33][34] As of 31 December 2022, 2,401 Gardaí were on Detective duty, about one-sixth of the total.[35]

Equipment

Most uniformed members of the Garda Síochána do not routinely carry firearms. Individual gardaí have been issued ASP extendable batons and pepper spray as their standard issue weapons while handcuffs are provided as restraints.[36]

 
A member of the motorcycle unit of the Garda Síochána

The service, when originally created, was armed, but the Provisional Government reversed the decision and reconstituted the service as an unarmed police service. This was in contrast to the attitude of the British Dublin Castle administration, which refused appeals from the Royal Irish Constabulary that the service be disarmed.[37] In the words of first Commissioner, Michael Staines, TD, "the Garda Síochána will succeed not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people." This reflected the approach in the Dublin Metropolitan Police, which had also been unarmed, but did not extend to the CID detective branch, who were armed from the outset.

According to Tom Garvin such a decision gave the new force a cultural ace: "the taboo on killing unarmed men and women who could not reasonably be seen as spies and informers."[37]

Armed Gardaí

 
Garda Síochána Emergency Response Unit armed with an UZI submachine gun on duty in Dublin

The Gardaí is primarily an unarmed force; however, detectives and certain units such as the regional Armed Support Units (ASU) and the national Emergency Response Unit (ERU) are commissioned to carry firearms and do so. A website managed by the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa notes that there are "no specific legal provisions on use of firearms by the Gardai, which is predominantly an unarmed police service. Instead, the law provides an exemption from licensing requirements under the various Firearms Acts for a member of the Garda Síochána when on duty". [38]

The armed officers serve as a support to regular Gardaí. Armed units were established in response to a rise in the number of armed incidents dealt with by regular members.[39] To be issued with a firearm, or to carry a firearm whilst on duty, a member must be in possession of a valid gun card, and cannot wear a regular uniform.

Armed Gardaí carry Sig Sauer P226 and Walther P99C semi-automatic pistols. In addition to issued pistols, less-lethal weapons such as tasers and large pepper spray canisters are carried also by the ERU.[40]

In December 2018, Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan provided updated specifics.[41]

"Training is provided by Firearms Instructors attached to the Garda College and the Emergency Response Unit under the control of the Director of Training, Garda College. ... there are approximately 2700 personnel that are currently authorised to carry firearms. This can increase to approx. 3500 depending on operational requirements. ... Members attached to regular units and Detective units are trained in handguns only, namely Smith & Wesson revolver, Sig Sauer & Walther semi-automatic pistol. Specialist Units such as Emergency Response Unit and the Armed Support Unit are trained in Sig Pistol, H&K MP7 Sub-machine gun, Taser and 40mm direct impact munitions (Less Lethal options)".

In early April 2019, the Garda Representative Association called for 24-hour armed support units in every division across Ireland. In response, Minister Flanagan noted that "gardaí have had armed support for a long number of years. One of the great attributes of the [Garda Síochána], is the fact that it is in the main an unarmed police service. I think that's good and I would be concerned at attempts to ensure that the arming of the gardaí becomes commonplace." He did not support the GRA demands on a country-wide basis: "I think there is merit in ensuring that at a regional level, there can be an armed response should the circumstances warrant. And I'm thinking particularly in Drogheda where currently we have an armed support unit on the street in order to meet head-on what is a particularly nasty challenge."[42]

Diplomatic protection

The Garda Special Detective Unit (SDU) are primarily responsible for providing armed close protection to senior officials in Ireland.[43] They provide full-time armed protection and transport for the President, Taoiseach, Tánaiste, Minister for Justice, Attorney General, Chief Justice, Director of Public Prosecutions, Ambassadors and Diplomats deemed 'at risk', as well as foreign dignitaries visiting Ireland and citizens deemed to require armed protection as designated so by the Garda Commissioner.[44] The Commissioner is also protected by the unit. All cabinet ministers are afforded armed protection at heightened levels of risk when deemed necessary by Garda Intelligence,[45] and their places of work and residences are monitored.[46] Former Presidents and Taoisigh are protected if their security is under threat, otherwise they only receive protection on formal state occasions.[47] The Emergency Response Unit (ERU), a section of the SDU, are deployed on more than 100 VIP protection duties per year.[48]

Vehicles

See also: List of vehicles used by the Garda Síochána
 
Garda Toyota Avensis

Garda patrol cars are white in colour, with a fluorescent yellow and blue-bordered horizontal strip, accompanied by the Garda crest as livery. Full or partial battenburg markings are used on traffic or roads policing vehicles. RSU/ASU vehicles also have Battenburg markings - as well as a red stripe denoting the fact that it is an armed unit. Unmarked patrol cars are also used in the course of regular, traffic and other duties. Specialist units, such as the ERU, use armoured vehicles for special operations.

The Garda Fleet management Section manages the vehicles, totalling approximately 2,750 in 2019, which are located in the various Garda Divisions and specialist units.[49]

History

 
Officers' Mess, Garda HQ
 
New Garda recruits salute the President of Ireland, An Tóstal, 1954

Prior to the creation of the Irish state, policing in Ireland had been undertaken by the quasi-military Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC), with a separate and unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). These were joined in 1919 by a parallel security force loyal to the provisional government, the Irish Republican Police. The early years of the new state saw a gradual process of incorporating these various pre-existing forces into a single centralised, nationwide and civilian organisation.

The Civic Guard was formed by the Provisional Government in February 1922 to take over the responsibility of policing the fledgeling Irish Free State. It replaced the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Irish Republican Police of 1919–22. In August 1922 the force accompanied Michael Collins when he met the Lord Lieutenant in Dublin Castle.[50]

 
Garda Traffic Corps in Dublin

The Garda Síochána (Temporary Provisions) Act 1923 enacted after the creation of the Irish Free State on 8 August 1923,[51] provided for the creation of "a force of police to be called and known as 'The Garda Síochána'".[52] Under section 22, The Civic Guard were deemed to have been established under and to be governed by the Act. The law therefore effectively renamed the existing force.

The seven-week Civic Guard Mutiny began in May 1922, when Garda recruits took over the Kildare Depot. It resulted in Michael Staines' resignation in September.

During the Civil War of 1922–23, the new Free State set up the Criminal Investigation Department as an armed, plain-clothed counter-insurgency unit. It was disbanded after the end of the war in October 1923 and elements of it were absorbed into the Dublin Metropolitan Police.

 
Garda directing traffic in Dublin during the 1960s

In Dublin, policing remained the responsibility of the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP, founded 1836) until it merged with the Garda Síochána in 1925. Since then, the Garda has been the only civil police service in the state now known as Ireland. Other police forces with limited powers are the Military Police within the Irish Defence Forces, the Airport Police Service, and Dublin Harbour Police and Dún Laoghaire Harbour Police forces.

 
R.I.C. Barracks near the Depot headquarters, Phoenix Park, c.1865-1914

The headquarters, the Phoenix Park Depot in Dublin, consists of a series of buildings; the first of these were occupied in 1839 by the new Constabulary. Over subsequent years, additional buildings were added, including a riding school, chapel, infirmary and cavalry barracks; all are now used for other purposes. The new Garda Síochána started to occupy the Depot in early 1923. The facility also included a training centre but that was moved to McCan Barracks, Templemore, County Tipperary in the 1960s; it is now the Garda Síochána College.[53]

Scott Medal

See also: List of Gardaí killed in the line of duty

First awarded in 1923, the Scott Medal for Bravery is the highest honour for bravery and valour awarded to a member of the Garda Síochána.[54] The first medals were funded by Colonel Walter Scott, an honorary Commissioner of the New York Police Department.[54] The first recipient of the Scott Medal was Garda James Mulroy.[55] Other notable recipients include Garda Patrick Malone of St. Luke's in Cork City who – as an unarmed Garda – disarmed Tomás Óg Mac Curtain (the son of Tomás Mac Curtain).

To mark the United States link, the American English spelling of valor is used on the medal. The Garda Commissioner chooses the recipients of the medal, which is presented by the Minister for Justice.

In 2000, Anne McCabe – the widow of Jerry McCabe, a garda who was killed by armed Provisional IRA bank robbers – accepted the Scott Medal for Bravery that had been awarded posthumously to her husband.[56]

The Irish Republican Police had at least one member killed by the RIC on 21 July 1920. The Civic Guard had one killed by accident 22 September 1922 and another was killed in March 1923 by Frank Teeling. Likewise 4 members of the Oriel House Criminal Investigation Department were killed or died of wounds during the Irish Civil War.[57] The Garda Roll of Honor lists 89 Garda members killed between 1922 and 2020.

Garda Commissioners

Main article: Garda Commissioner

Garda Commissioners
Name From Until Reason
Michael Staines February 1922 September 1922 resigned[a]
Eoin O'Duffy September 1922 February 1933 Dismissed[b]
Eamon Broy February 1933 June 1938 retired
Michael Kinnane June 1938 July 1952 died
Daniel Costigan July 1952 February 1965 resigned[c]
William P Quinn February 1965 March 1967 retired
Patrick Carroll March 1967 September 1968 retired
Michael Wymes September 1968 January 1973 retired
Patrick Malone January 1973 September 1975 retired
Edmund Garvey September 1975 January 1978 Replaced[d]
Patrick McLaughlin January 1978 January 1983 Retired[e]
Lawrence Wren February 1983 November 1987 retired
Eamonn Doherty November 1987 December 1988 retired
Eugene Crowley December 1988 January 1991 retired
Patrick Culligan January 1991 July 1996 retired
Patrick Byrne July 1996 July 2003 retired
Noel Conroy July 2003 November 2007 retired
Fachtna Murphy November 2007 December 2010 retired
Martin Callinan December 2010 March 2014 resigned[58][59]

[f]

Nóirín O'Sullivan March 2014(acting)
November 2014 (permanent)[60]		 September 2017 retired[61][g]
Dónall Ó Cualáin September 2017 (acting) September 2018
Drew Harris September 2018 -

The first Commissioner, Michael Staines, who was a Pro-Treaty member of Dáil Éireann, held office for only eight months. It was his successors, Eoin O'Duffy and Éamon Broy, who played a central role in the development of the service. O'Duffy was Commissioner in the early years of the service when to many people's surprise the viability of an unarmed police service was established. O'Duffy later became a short-lived political leader of the quasi-fascist Blueshirts before heading to Spain to fight alongside Francisco Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. Broy had greatly assisted the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during the Anglo-Irish War, while serving with the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP). Broy was depicted in the film Michael Collins as having been murdered by the British during the War of Independence, when in reality he lived till 1972 and headed the Garda Síochána from 1933 to 1938. Broy was followed by Commissioners Michael Kinnane (1938–52) and Daniel Costigan (1952–65). The first Commissioner to rise from the rank of ordinary Garda was William P. Quinn, who was appointed in February 1965.

One later Commissioner, Edmund Garvey, was sacked by the Fianna Fáil government of Jack Lynch in 1978 after it had lost confidence in him. Garvey won "unfair dismissal" legal proceedings against the government, which was upheld in the Irish Supreme Court.[62] This outcome required the passing of the Garda Síochána Act 1979 to retrospectively validate the actions of Garvey's successor since he had become Commissioner.[63] Garvey's successor, Patrick McLaughlin, was forced to resign along with his deputy in 1983 over his peripheral involvement in a political scandal.

On 25 November 2014 Nóirín O'Sullivan was appointed as Garda Commissioner, after acting as interim Commissioner since March 2014, following the unexpected retirement of Martin Callinan. It was noted that as a result most top justice posts in Ireland at the time were held by women.[64] The first female to hold the top rank, Commissioner O'Sullivan joined the force in 1981 and was among the first members of a plainclothes unit set up to tackle drug dealing in Dublin.

On 10 September 2017 Nóirín O'Sullivan announced her retirement from the force and, by extension, Garda Commissioner. Upon her retirement, Deputy Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin was appointed Acting Commissioner pending a permanent replacement.[65] In June 2018, Drew Harris was named as this replacement, and officially appointed in September 2018 following Ó Cualáin's retirement.[66][67][68]

Past reserve forces

During the Second World War (often referred to in Ireland as "the Emergency") there were two reserve forces to the Garda Síochána, An Taca Síochána and the Local Security Force.[69]

An Taca Síochána had the power of arrest and wore a uniform, and were allowed to leave the reserve or sign-up as full members of the Garda Síochána at the end of the war before the reserve was disbanded. The reserve was established by the Emergency Powers (Temporary Special Police Force) Order 1939.

The Local Security Force (LSF) did not have the power of arrest, and part of the reserve was soon incorporated into the Irish Army Reserve under the command of the Irish Army.[70]

Inter-jurisdiction co-operation

Northern Ireland

The Patten Report recommended that a programme of long-term personnel exchanges should be established between the Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). This recommendation was enacted in 2002 by an Inter-Governmental Agreement on Policing Cooperation, which set the basis for the exchange of officers between the two services. There are three levels of exchanges:

  • Personnel exchanges, for all ranks, without policing powers and for a term up to one year
  • Secondments: for ranks Sergeant to Chief Superintendent, with policing powers, for up to three years
  • Lateral entry by the permanent transfer of officers for ranks above Inspector and under Assistant Commissioner

The protocols for these movements of personnel were signed by both the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Garda Commissioner on 21 February 2005.[71]

Garda officers also co-operate with members of the PSNI to combat cross-border crime and can conduct joint raids on both jurisdictions. They have also accompanied politicians and officials from the Republic, such as the President, on visits to Northern Ireland.

Other jurisdictions

Since 1989, the Garda Síochána has undertaken United Nations peace-keeping duties.[72] Its first such mission was a 50 strong contingent sent to Namibia. Since then the force has acted in Angola, Cambodia, Mozambique, South Africa, and the former Yugoslavia. More recently, Garda members have served in Cyprus with UNFICYP, and in Kosovo with EULEX Kosovo.[72] The force's first fatality whilst working abroad was Sergeant Paul M. Reid, who was fatally injured while on duty with the United Nations UNPROFOR at "Sniper's Alley" in Sarajevo on 18 May 1995.[73]

Members of the Garda Síochána also serve in the Embassies of Ireland in London, The Hague, Madrid and Paris. Members are also seconded to Europol in The Hague, in the Netherlands and Interpol in Lyon, France. There are also many members working directly for UN and European agencies such as the War Crimes Tribunal.

Under an agreement with the British Government and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Garda Síochána and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland are allowed to inspect the Sellafield nuclear facility in Cumbria, England.[74]

Controversy and allegations involving the police service

The Gardaí have faced complaints or allegations of discourtesy, harassment and perjury.[75] A total of 1,173 complaints were made against the Gardaí in 2005,[76] with over 2000 complaints made in 2017.[77]

Some such incidents have attracted broad attention and resulted in a number of reform initiatives—such as those relating to Garda whistleblowers or which led to the Morris and Barr Tribunals.[78]

Mishandling of cases and complaints

Main articles: Kerry Babies Tribunal, Sexual abuse scandal in Dublin archdiocese, and Grangegorman killings

The Kerry Babies case was one of the first public inquiries into the mishandling of a Garda investigation. Later, in the 1980s, the Ferns Report (an inquiry into allegations of clerical sexual abuse) described as "wholly inadequate" the handling of one of eight formal complaints made to Wexford gardaí, but noted that the remaining formal complaints were handled in an "effective, professional and sensitive" manner.[79]

The Gardaí were also criticised in the Murphy Report[80] in relation to the handing over of the case of Fr. Paul McGennis to Archbishop McQuaid by Commissioner Costigan.[81] Some very senior Gardaí were criticised for regarding priests as being outside their remit in 1960.[82] On 26 November 2009, then Commissioner Fachtna Murphy apologised for the failure of the Garda Síochána to protect victims of child abuse,[83] saying that inappropriate contact between gardaí and the Dublin Archdiocese had taken place at the time,[83] and later announced an examination into the report's findings.[84]

The Gardaí were criticised by the commission of investigation into the Dean Lyons case for their handling of the investigation into the Grangegorman killings. In his report, George Birmingham said that the Gardaí had used leading questions in their interviews with Lyons, and had failed to act on a suspicion that Lyons' confession was unreliable. For a period, the gardaí involved in the case failed to act on the knowledge that another man, Mark Nash, had confessed to the crime.[85]

Allegations resulting in Tribunals of Inquiry

Main articles: Morris Tribunal, Barr Tribunal, and Disclosures Tribunal

In the 1990s and early 2000s the Garda Síochána faced allegations of corrupt and dishonest policing in County Donegal. This became the subject of a Garda inquiry (the Carty inquiry) and subsequent judicial inquiry (the Morris Tribunal). The Morris Tribunal found that some gardaí based in County Donegal had invented a Provisional IRA informer, made bombs and claimed credit for locating them, and attempted to frame Raphoe publican Frank McBrearty Junior for murder – the latter case involving a €1.5m settlement with the State.[86] A similar case saw a €4.5m judgement,[87] after another Donegal publican was wrongly convicted based on "perjured Garda evidence" and "a conspiracy to concoct false evidence" by the same Donegal-based gardaí.[88][89][90]

On 20 April 2000, members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) shot dead 27-year-old John Carthy at the end of a 25-hour siege as he left his home in Abbeylara, County Longford with a loaded shotgun in his hands. There were allegations made of inappropriate handling of the situation and of the reliance on lethal force by the Gardaí. This led to a Garda inquiry, and subsequently, the Barr Tribunal. The official findings of the tribunal of inquiry, under Justice Robert Barr, were that the responsible sergeant had made 14 mistakes in his role as the negotiator during the siege, and failed to make real efforts to achieve resolution during the armed stand-off. It further stated however that the sergeant was limited by lack of experience and resources, and recommended a review of Garda command structures, and that the ERU be equipped with stun guns and other non-lethal options. The Barr tribunal further recommended a formal working arrangement between Gardaí and state psychologists, and improvements in Garda training.

During the mid-2010s, the Garda whistleblower scandal led to a tribunal of enquiry, and the resignations of two ministers for justice and two Garda commissioners.[91]

Allegations involving abuse of powers

One of the first charges of serious impropriety against the force rose out of the handling of the Sallins Train Robbery in 1976. This case eventually led to accusations that a "Heavy Gang" within the force intimidated and tortured the accused. This eventually led to a Presidential pardon for one of the accused.

In 2004, an RTÉ Prime Time documentary accused elements within the Garda of abusing their powers by physically assaulting people arrested. A retired Circuit Court judge (W. A. Murphy) suggested that some members of the force had committed perjury in criminal trials before him but later stated that he was misquoted, while Minister of State Dick Roche, accused Gardaí in one instance of "torture". The Garda Commissioner accused the television programme of lacking balance. The documentary followed the publication of footage by the Independent Media Centre showing scuffles between Gardaí and Reclaim the Streets demonstrators.[92] One Garda in the footage was later convicted of common assault, while several other Gardaí were acquitted.

In 2014, a debate arose relating to alleged abuse of process in cancelling penalty points (for traffic offences), and a subsequent controversy resulted in a number of resignations.[93]

In 2017, Dara Quigley, who lived with mental illness, was arrested for public nudity, an incident captured on CCTV. A garda went to the police station CCTV control room and recorded the incident on a phone, then shared it to a WhatsApp group including other Gardaí. The video was quickly shared to Facebook and went viral. Quigley took her own life several days later. The Garda elected not to charge the garda with a crime.[94]

Allegations involving cross-border policing and collusion with the IRA

The former head of intelligence of the Provisional IRA, Kieran Conway claimed that in 1974 the IRA were tipped off by "high-placed figures" within the Gardaí about a planned RUC Special Branch raid, which was intended to capture members of the IRA command. Asked if this was just a one-off example of individual Gardaí colluding with the IRA, Conway claimed: "It wasn't just in 1974 and it wasn't just concentrated in border areas like Dundalk, it was some individuals but it was more widespread."[95]

Following a recommendation from the Cory Collusion Inquiry, the Smithwick Tribunal investigated allegations of collusion following the 1989 killing of two Royal Ulster Constabulary officers by the Provisional IRA as they returned from a meeting with the Gardaí. The tribunal's report was published in December 2013,[96][97] and noted that, although there was no "smoking gun", Judge Smithwick was "satisfied there was collusion in the murders" and that "evidence points to the fact that there was someone within the Garda station assisting the IRA". The report was also critical of two earlier Garda investigations into the murders, which it described as "inadequate". Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter apologised "without reservation" for the failings identified in the report.[98][99]

The family of Eddie Fullerton, a Buncrana Sinn Féin councillor killed in 1991 by members of the Ulster Defence Association, criticised the subsequent Garda investigation,[100][101] and in 2006, the Minister for Justice considered a public inquiry into the case.[102]

Operational management and finances

See also: Policing of the Corrib gas protests
 
Gardaí at the site of the proposed Corrib gas refinery in Erris, County Mayo

Protests at the proposed Royal Dutch Shell Corrib gas refinery near Erris, County Mayo saw large Garda operations with up to 200 Gardaí involved.[103] By September 2008, the cost of the operation was €10 million, and by January 2009 estimated to have cost €13.5 million.[104] Some outlets compared this to the €20 million budgeted for operations targeting organised crime.[105] A section of road used by the protesters was allegedly dubbed "the Golden Mile" by Gardaí because of overtime opportunities.[106] Complaints were also made about Garda management and handling of the protests.[107][108]

In 2017, a number of reported operational issues (including handling of the Garda whistleblower scandal, falsified alcohol breath tests, and the finances of the Garda Training College) were referenced as contributors to the early retirement of then commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan.[109][110]

Reform initiatives

 
Blanchardstown Garda Station

Arising from some of the above incidents, the Garda Síochána underwent a number of reform initiatives in the early 21st century. The Morris Tribunal, in particular, recommended major changes to the organisation's management, discipline, promotion and accountability arrangements. Many of these recommendations were subsequently implemented under the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

The Tribunal has been staggered by the amount of indiscipline and insubordination it has found in the Garda force. There is a small, but disproportionately influential, core of mischief-making members who will not obey orders, who will not follow procedures, who will not tell the truth and who have no respect for their officers

— Justice Frederick Morris, Chairman and Sole Member of The Morris Tribunal, [111]

It was also stated by the tribunal chairman, Justice Morris, that the code of discipline was extremely complex and, at times, "cynically manipulated" to promote indiscipline across the force. Judicial reviews, for example, were cited as a means for delaying disciplinary action.

The fall-out from the Morris Tribunal was considerable. While fifteen members of the force were sacked between 2001 and 2006, and a further 42 resigned in lieu of dismissal in the same period, Commissioner Conroy stated that he was constrained in the responses available to deal with members whose misbehaviour is cited in public inquiries.[112]

Updated procedures and code of discipline

With strong support from opposition parties, and reflecting widespread political consensus, the Minister for Justice responded to many of these issues by announcing a new draft code of discipline on 17 August 2006. The new streamlined code[113] introduced new procedures to enable the Commissioner to summarily dismiss a Garda alleged to have brought the force into disrepute, abandoned duties, compromised the security of the State or unjustifiably infringed the rights of other persons.

 
Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin

In addition, a four-member "non-officer management advisory team" was appointed in August 2006 to advise on implementing change options and addressing management and leadership challenges facing the Gardaí. The advisers were also mandated to promote a culture of performance management, succession planning, recruitment of non-officers with specialist expertise, and improved training. The advisory team included Senator Maurice Hayes, Emer Daly (former director of strategic planning and risk management at Axa Insurance), Maurice Keane (former group chief executive at Bank of Ireland), Michael Flahive (Assistant Secretary at the Department of Justice and Dr Michael Mulreany (assistant director-general at the Institute of Public Administration).

Enhanced non-officer support

Clerical and administrative support has been significantly enhanced in recent times. In the two-year period from December 2006 to December 2008 whole-time equivalent, non-officer staffing levels were increased by over 60%, from under 1,300 to approximately 2,100, in furtherance of official policies to release more desk-bound Gardaí for operational duties and to bring the level of general support in line with international norms. A new tier of middle and senior non-officer management has also been introduced in a range of administrative and technical/professional support areas. A Chief Administrative Officer at Deputy Commissioner level was appointed in October 2007 to oversee many of these key support functions.

Garda Inspectorate

In accordance with Section 115 of the Garda Síochána Act, the Garda Síochána Inspectorate consists of three members who are appointed by the Irish Government. The functions of the Inspectorate, inter alia, are as follows:

  • Carry out, at the request or with the consent of the Minister, inspections or inquiries in relation to any particular aspects of the operation and administration of the Garda Síochána,
  • Submit to the Minister (1) a report on those inspections or inquiries, and (2) if required by the Minister, a report on the operation and administration of the Garda Síochána during a specified period and on any significant developments in that regard during that period, and any such reports must contain recommendations for any action the Inspectorate considers necessary.
  • provide advice to the Minister with regard to best-policing practice.

The first Chief Inspector (since July 2006), was former Commissioner of Boston Police, Kathleen M. O'Toole. She reported directly to the Minister for Justice.

From 2006 to 2009, O'Toole was supported by two other inspectors, Robert Olsen and Gwen M. Boniface. Olsen was Chief of Police for 8 years of the Minneapolis Police Department. Boniface is a former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and was one of 3 female police commissioners in Canada when appointed in May 1998. She suggested that rank and file Gardaí were not equipped to perform their duties or protect themselves properly. She also suggested that routine arming may become a reality but dismissed the suggestion that this was currently being considered.

In 2012, O'Toole was succeeded by Robert K. Olson.[114]

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission

Main article: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission

Over 2000 complaints were made against the organisation in 2009,[115] with a similar number of complaints by 2017.[77] The Garda Commissioner referred over 100 incidents where the conduct of a garda resulted in death or serious injury to the Ombudsman for investigation. Also newly instrumented, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (referred to colloquially as the Garda Ombudsman or simply abbreviated to GSOC) replaces the earlier system of complaints (the Garda Síochána Complaints Board). Becoming fully operational on 9 May 2007, the commission is empowered to:

  • Directly and independently investigate complaints against members of the Garda Síochána
  • Investigate any matter, even where no complaint has been made, where it appears that a Garda may have committed an offence or behaved in a way that justified disciplinary proceedings
  • Investigate any practice, policy or procedure of the Garda Síochána with a view to reducing the incidence of related complaints

The commission's first chairman was Kevin Haugh (a High Court Judge) who died in early 2009, shortly before his term of office was to conclude.[116]

Policing Authority

In the first week of November 2014, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald obtained the approval of the Irish Cabinet for the General Scheme[117] of the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2014, intended to create a new independent policing authority, in what she described as the 'most far-reaching reform’ of the Garda Síochána since the State was founded in 1922.[118] The draft bill proposed that state security would remain the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and outside the remit of the new authority.[119] The first chairperson-designate of the new authority was the outgoing Revenue Commissioners chairperson Josephine Feehily.[120]

Public attitudes to the Garda Síochána

The Garda Public Attitudes Survey 2017 found that 74% of respondents were satisfied with the Gardaí,[121] down from 81% in the 2008 survey.[122]

The 2017 survey (taken before revelations of false breath tests, wrongful convictions and the departure of the then commissioner)[123] also found that less than half of respondents believed that the Gardaí was a well managed or world-class police service.[121]

Labour disputes

Industrial action (including work-to-rule and withdrawal of labour) was threatened by Gardaí during 2016, arising out of a dispute on pay and conditions.[124]

Structural reform

In 2015, it was reported that the Garda had no active officers who are proficient in Arabic, forcing them to rely on assistance on Interpol.[125] There are calls to recruit Arabic-speaking recruits, especially those from the Irish Muslim community.[125]

In 2019, the European Network Against Racism Ireland submitted a paper calling for the Garda's Garda Racial, Intercultural, and Diversity Office to be disbanded and replaced with a specialist unit due to its limited manpower and resources to tackle hate crime cases.[126]

Garda Band

Main article: Garda Band

The Garda Band is a public relations branch of the Garda Síochána, and was formed shortly after the foundation of the force. It gave its first public performance on Dún Laoghaire Pier on Easter Monday 1923, and its first Bandmaster was Superintendent D.J. Delaney.[127] In 1938, the Dublin Metropolitan Garda Band (based at Kevin Street) and the Garda Band amalgamated and were based at Garda Headquarters in Phoenix Park.[127]

Besides providing music for official Garda functions (such as graduation ceremonies at the Garda College) the band also performs at schools, festivals and sporting events.[128][129][130]

Members of the band, none of whom are involved in policing duties, were paid an average of €58,985 in 2017.[131][132]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Due to Civic Guard Mutiny.
  2. ^ Dismissed for encouraging military coup
  3. ^ Pressured to resign by the Government.
  4. ^ Lost government confidence
  5. ^ phone tapping scandal
  6. ^ Penalty points controversy
  7. ^ whistleblower scandal & breath test scandal
  1. ^ The rank has been unused since 1994. A civilian Chief Medical Officer has fulfilled the role since 2000.[29]

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  125. ^ a b "Gardaí need to recruit Muslims to "win the war against radicalism"". Irishexaminer.com. 22 November 2015. from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  126. ^ "Call to policing body for Garda hate crimes unit". Irishexaminer.com. 28 August 2018. from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  127. ^ a b . Garda website. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017.
  128. ^ "Garda Band for Slane fundraising concert". Meath Chronicle. 13 April 2011. from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  129. ^ "Thousands at St Patrick's Day event". Irish Independent. 17 March 2013. from the original on 10 October 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  130. ^ "Garda band proposal to take part in Pride parade". Journal.ie. 23 May 2014. from the original on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  131. ^ "The Band of An Garda Síochána". Garda. from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  132. ^ "TheJournal.ie - The Garda Band has cost taxpayers €5.5 million over the past three years". www.thejournal.ie. 14 December 2017. from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2018.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garda Síochána.
  • Official website  
  • GRA.ie - Website of Garda Representative Association
  • Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission
  • Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin
  • Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors
  • Garda Síochána Act 2005
  • Garda Roll of Honour
  • Garda Review The Force Magazine since 1923

May 06, 2023
garda, síochána, irish, pronunciation, ənˠ, ˈɡaːɾˠd, ˠə, ˈʃiːxaːn, ˠə, listen, meaning, guardian, peace, more, commonly, referred, gardaí, pronounced, ˈɡaːɾˠd, ˠiː, guardians, guards, national, police, service, ireland, service, headed, garda, commissioner, ap. The Garda Siochana Irish pronunciation enˠ ˈɡaːɾˠd ˠe ˈʃiːxaːn ˠe listen meaning the Guardian s of the Peace more commonly referred to as the Gardai pronounced ˈɡaːɾˠd ˠiː Guardians or the Guards is the national police service of Ireland The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government Its headquarters are in Dublin s Phoenix Park Garda SiochanaShield of the Garda SiochanaCommon nameGardaiMottoWorking with communities to protect and serve Irish Ag obair le Pobail chun iad a chosaint agus chun freastal orthu a Agency overviewFormed22 February 1922 1 Preceding agenciesRoyal Irish ConstabularyIrish Republican PoliceDublin Metropolitan Police in 1925 Employees18 052 total as of 2022 14 695 sworn members3 357 civilian staff401 reserves 2 Annual budget 2 062 billion 2022 3 Legal personalityPolice forceJurisdictional structureNational agencyIrelandOperations jurisdictionIrelandGarda Siochana area of jurisdiction in dark blueSize70 273 km2Population5 011 500 2021 4 Constituting instrumentGarda Siochana Act 2005General natureCivilian policeOperational structureHeadquartersGarda Headquarters Phoenix Park DublinOfficers14 695 incl 401 reserves 2022 2 Civilians3 357 2022 2 Elected officer responsibleSimon Harris TD Minister for JusticeAgency executiveDrew Harris Garda CommissionerRegions4 5 Dublin Metropolitan Region DMR North WesternEasternSouthernFacilitiesStations564 6 Vehicles2 815 2017 7 BoatsGarda Water UnitAircraft2 helicopters1 fixed wing surveillance aircraftCaninesGarda Dog UnitHorsesGarda Mounted UnitWebsiteOfficial website Working with Communities to Protect and Serve is described as a mission statement rather than formal mottoSince the formation of the Garda Siochana in 1923 it has been a predominantly unarmed force and more than three quarters of the force do not routinely carry firearms 8 As of 31 December 2019 the police service had 14 708 sworn members including 458 sworn Reserve members and 2 944 civilian staff 2 Operationally the Garda Siochana is organised into four geographical regions the East North West South and Dublin Metropolitan regions 5 The force is the main law enforcement agency in the state acting at local and national levels Its roles include crime detection and prevention drug enforcement road traffic enforcement and accident investigation diplomatic and witness protection responsibilities It also provides a community policing service Contents 1 Terminology 2 Organisation 2 1 Reserve Gardai 2 2 Departments 3 Rank structure 4 Equipment 4 1 Armed Gardai 5 Diplomatic protection 6 Vehicles 7 History 7 1 Scott Medal 7 2 Garda Commissioners 7 3 Past reserve forces 8 Inter jurisdiction co operation 8 1 Northern Ireland 8 2 Other jurisdictions 9 Controversy and allegations involving the police service 9 1 Mishandling of cases and complaints 9 2 Allegations resulting in Tribunals of Inquiry 9 3 Allegations involving abuse of powers 9 4 Allegations involving cross border policing and collusion with the IRA 9 5 Operational management and finances 10 Reform initiatives 10 1 Updated procedures and code of discipline 10 2 Enhanced non officer support 10 3 Garda Inspectorate 10 4 Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission 10 5 Policing Authority 10 6 Public attitudes to the Garda Siochana 10 7 Labour disputes 10 8 Structural reform 11 Garda Band 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 External linksTerminology Edit Lamp with GS monogram in Gaelic type Westmanstown Sports and Conference Centre The service was originally named the Civic Guard in English 9 but in 1923 it became the Garda Siochana in both English and Irish 10 11 This title has been maintained in recent legislation 12 This is usually translated as the Guardians of the Peace 13 Garda Siochana na hEireann of Ireland pronounced ˈɡaːɾˠd e ˈʃiːxaːn ˠe n ˠe ˈheːɾʲen ˠ appears on its logo but is seldom used elsewhere At that time there was a vogue for naming the new institutions of the Irish Free State after counterparts in the French Third Republic the term guardians of the peace gardiens de la paix literally peacekeepers had been used since 1870 in French speaking countries to designate civilian police forces as distinguished from the armed gendarmery notably municipal police in France communal guards in Belgium 14 and cantonal police in Switzerland 15 The full official title of the police service is rarely used in speech How it is referred to depends on the register being used It is variously known as An Garda Siochana the Garda Siochana the Garda the Gardai plural and it is popularly called the guards 16 Although Garda is singular in these terms it is used as a collective noun like police An individual officer is called a garda plural gardai or less formally a guard and is typically addressed as such by members of the public when on duty 17 18 A police station is called a garda station Garda is also the name of the lowest rank within the force e g Garda John Murphy analogous to the British term constable or the American officer deputy trooper etc A female officer was once officially referred to as a bangharda pronounced ˈbˠanˠˌɣaːɾˠd ˠe female guard plural banghardai This term was abolished in 1990 19 but is still used colloquially in place of the gender neutral garda 18 Colloquially as a slang or derogatory term they are sometimes referred to as the shades 20 21 Organisation EditThe service is headed by the Garda Commissioner whose immediate subordinates are two deputy commissioners in charge of Policing and Security and Governance amp Strategy respectively and a Chief Administrative Officer with responsibility for resource management personnel finance Information and Communications Technology and accommodation There is an assistant commissioner for each of the four geographical regions along with a number dealing with other national support functions The four geographical Garda regions each overseen by an assistant commissioner are 5 Dublin Metropolitan Region North Western Eastern SouthernRank Irish name Number of members at rank2014 22 2015 23 2016 24 2021 25 Commissioner Coimisineir 1 1 1 1Deputy Commissioner Leas Choimisineir 0 2 2 2Assistant Commissioner Cuntoir Choimisineir 8 5 8 8Chief Superintendent Ard Cheannfort 41 42 39 47Superintendent Ceannfort 140 160 163 165Inspector Cigire 300 247 300 425Sergeant Sairsint 1 946 1 835 1 915 1 944Garda Garda 10 459 10 524 10 696 11 870Reserve Garda Garda Ionaid 1 112 627 459At an equivalent or near equivalent level to the assistant commissioners are the positions of Chief Medical Officer executive director of Information and Communications Technology and executive director of Finance A group of Gardai Directly subordinate to the assistant commissioners are approximately 40 chief superintendents about half of whom supervise what are called divisions Each division contains a number of districts each commanded by a superintendent assisted by a team of inspectors Each district contains a number of sub districts which are usually commanded by sergeants Typically each subdistrict contains only one Garda station A different number of Gardai are based at each station depending on its importance Most of these stations employ the basic rank of Garda which was referred to as the rank of Guard until 1972 The most junior members of the service are students whose duties can vary depending on their training progress They are often assigned clerical duties as part of their extracurricular studies The Garda organisation also has approximately 2 000 non officer support staff 24 encompassing a range of areas such as human resources occupational health services finance and procurement internal audit IT and telecommunications accommodation and fleet management scenes of crime support research and analysis training and general administration The figure also includes industrial staff such as traffic wardens drivers and cleaners Reserve Gardai Edit Main article Garda Siochana Reserve The Garda Siochana Act 2005 provided for the establishment of a Garda Reserve to assist the force in performing its functions and supplement the work of members of the Garda Siochana The intent of the Garda Reserve is to be a source of local strength and knowledge Reserve members are to carry out duties defined by the Garda Commissioner and sanctioned by the Minister for Justice With reduced training of 128 hours these duties and powers must be executed under the supervision of regular members of the Service they are also limited with respect to those of regular members The first batch of 36 Reserve Gardai graduated on 15 December 2006 at the Garda College in Templemore 26 As of October 2016 there were 789 Garda Reserve members with further training scheduled for 2017 27 Departments Edit Garda Traffic Corps car The two helicopters of the Garda Air Support Unit Garda helicopter performing surveillance Organised amp Serious Crime consists of Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau Garda National Economic Crime Bureau Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau Garda National Immigration Bureau Garda National Protective Services Bureau Technical Bureau Special Tactics amp Operations Command Emergency Response Unit Armed Support Units Crime amp Security Intelligence Service consists of Special Detective Unit National Surveillance Unit Roads Policing amp Community Engagement consists of Garda National Roads Policing Bureau Operational Support Services that consists of Air Support Unit Water Unit Dog Unit Mounted Unit Public Order Unit Central Vetting Unit Garda Information Services Centre Community Relations Unit Garda Siochana College Garda Siochana ReserveRank structure EditRanks of the Garda Siochana Rank Commissioner Deputycommissioner Assistantcommissioner Surgeon Chiefsuperintendent Superintendent Inspector Sergeant Garda Garda reserve Student Student reserveIrish name Coimisineir LeasChoimisineir Cuntoir Choimisineir Mainlia Ard Cheannfort Ceannfort Cigire Sairsint Garda Ionaid Mac Leinn Gharda Mac Leinn IonaidMax number 28 1 3 12 1 note 1 53 191 390 2 460 12 500Number as of end 2022 30 1 2 8 0 46 168 466 2 074 11 411Insignia 31 A garda allocated to detective duties up to and including the rank of chief superintendent is a detective and the word detective Irish Bleachtaire is prefixed to their rank e g detective sergeant bleachtaire sairsint The detective moniker is not a rank but rather a role identification a detective Garda and a Garda are the same rank 32 33 34 As of 31 December 2022 2 401 Gardai were on Detective duty about one sixth of the total 35 Equipment EditMost uniformed members of the Garda Siochana do not routinely carry firearms Individual gardai have been issued ASP extendable batons and pepper spray as their standard issue weapons while handcuffs are provided as restraints 36 A member of the motorcycle unit of the Garda Siochana The service when originally created was armed but the Provisional Government reversed the decision and reconstituted the service as an unarmed police service This was in contrast to the attitude of the British Dublin Castle administration which refused appeals from the Royal Irish Constabulary that the service be disarmed 37 In the words of first Commissioner Michael Staines TD the Garda Siochana will succeed not by force of arms or numbers but on their moral authority as servants of the people This reflected the approach in the Dublin Metropolitan Police which had also been unarmed but did not extend to the CID detective branch who were armed from the outset According to Tom Garvin such a decision gave the new force a cultural ace the taboo on killing unarmed men and women who could not reasonably be seen as spies and informers 37 Armed Gardai Edit Garda Siochana Emergency Response Unit armed with an UZI submachine gun on duty in Dublin The Gardai is primarily an unarmed force however detectives and certain units such as the regional Armed Support Units ASU and the national Emergency Response Unit ERU are commissioned to carry firearms and do so A website managed by the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa notes that there are no specific legal provisions on use of firearms by the Gardai which is predominantly an unarmed police service Instead the law provides an exemption from licensing requirements under the various Firearms Acts for a member of the Garda Siochana when on duty 38 The armed officers serve as a support to regular Gardai Armed units were established in response to a rise in the number of armed incidents dealt with by regular members 39 To be issued with a firearm or to carry a firearm whilst on duty a member must be in possession of a valid gun card and cannot wear a regular uniform Armed Gardai carry Sig Sauer P226 and Walther P99C semi automatic pistols In addition to issued pistols less lethal weapons such as tasers and large pepper spray canisters are carried also by the ERU 40 In December 2018 Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan provided updated specifics 41 Training is provided by Firearms Instructors attached to the Garda College and the Emergency Response Unit under the control of the Director of Training Garda College there are approximately 2700 personnel that are currently authorised to carry firearms This can increase to approx 3500 depending on operational requirements Members attached to regular units and Detective units are trained in handguns only namely Smith amp Wesson revolver Sig Sauer amp Walther semi automatic pistol Specialist Units such as Emergency Response Unit and the Armed Support Unit are trained in Sig Pistol H amp K MP7 Sub machine gun Taser and 40mm direct impact munitions Less Lethal options In early April 2019 the Garda Representative Association called for 24 hour armed support units in every division across Ireland In response Minister Flanagan noted that gardai have had armed support for a long number of years One of the great attributes of the Garda Siochana is the fact that it is in the main an unarmed police service I think that s good and I would be concerned at attempts to ensure that the arming of the gardai becomes commonplace He did not support the GRA demands on a country wide basis I think there is merit in ensuring that at a regional level there can be an armed response should the circumstances warrant And I m thinking particularly in Drogheda where currently we have an armed support unit on the street in order to meet head on what is a particularly nasty challenge 42 Diplomatic protection EditThe Garda Special Detective Unit SDU are primarily responsible for providing armed close protection to senior officials in Ireland 43 They provide full time armed protection and transport for the President Taoiseach Tanaiste Minister for Justice Attorney General Chief Justice Director of Public Prosecutions Ambassadors and Diplomats deemed at risk as well as foreign dignitaries visiting Ireland and citizens deemed to require armed protection as designated so by the Garda Commissioner 44 The Commissioner is also protected by the unit All cabinet ministers are afforded armed protection at heightened levels of risk when deemed necessary by Garda Intelligence 45 and their places of work and residences are monitored 46 Former Presidents and Taoisigh are protected if their security is under threat otherwise they only receive protection on formal state occasions 47 The Emergency Response Unit ERU a section of the SDU are deployed on more than 100 VIP protection duties per year 48 Vehicles EditSee also List of vehicles used by the Garda Siochana Garda Toyota Avensis Garda patrol cars are white in colour with a fluorescent yellow and blue bordered horizontal strip accompanied by the Garda crest as livery Full or partial battenburg markings are used on traffic or roads policing vehicles RSU ASU vehicles also have Battenburg markings as well as a red stripe denoting the fact that it is an armed unit Unmarked patrol cars are also used in the course of regular traffic and other duties Specialist units such as the ERU use armoured vehicles for special operations The Garda Fleet management Section manages the vehicles totalling approximately 2 750 in 2019 which are located in the various Garda Divisions and specialist units 49 History Edit Officers Mess Garda HQ New Garda recruits salute the President of Ireland An Tostal 1954 Prior to the creation of the Irish state policing in Ireland had been undertaken by the quasi military Royal Irish Constabulary RIC with a separate and unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police DMP These were joined in 1919 by a parallel security force loyal to the provisional government the Irish Republican Police The early years of the new state saw a gradual process of incorporating these various pre existing forces into a single centralised nationwide and civilian organisation The Civic Guard was formed by the Provisional Government in February 1922 to take over the responsibility of policing the fledgeling Irish Free State It replaced the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Irish Republican Police of 1919 22 In August 1922 the force accompanied Michael Collins when he met the Lord Lieutenant in Dublin Castle 50 Garda Traffic Corps in Dublin The Garda Siochana Temporary Provisions Act 1923 enacted after the creation of the Irish Free State on 8 August 1923 51 provided for the creation of a force of police to be called and known as The Garda Siochana 52 Under section 22 The Civic Guard were deemed to have been established under and to be governed by the Act The law therefore effectively renamed the existing force The seven week Civic Guard Mutiny began in May 1922 when Garda recruits took over the Kildare Depot It resulted in Michael Staines resignation in September During the Civil War of 1922 23 the new Free State set up the Criminal Investigation Department as an armed plain clothed counter insurgency unit It was disbanded after the end of the war in October 1923 and elements of it were absorbed into the Dublin Metropolitan Police Garda directing traffic in Dublin during the 1960s In Dublin policing remained the responsibility of the Dublin Metropolitan Police DMP founded 1836 until it merged with the Garda Siochana in 1925 Since then the Garda has been the only civil police service in the state now known as Ireland Other police forces with limited powers are the Military Police within the Irish Defence Forces the Airport Police Service and Dublin Harbour Police and Dun Laoghaire Harbour Police forces R I C Barracks near the Depot headquarters Phoenix Park c 1865 1914 The headquarters the Phoenix Park Depot in Dublin consists of a series of buildings the first of these were occupied in 1839 by the new Constabulary Over subsequent years additional buildings were added including a riding school chapel infirmary and cavalry barracks all are now used for other purposes The new Garda Siochana started to occupy the Depot in early 1923 The facility also included a training centre but that was moved to McCan Barracks Templemore County Tipperary in the 1960s it is now the Garda Siochana College 53 Scott Medal Edit See also List of Gardai killed in the line of duty First awarded in 1923 the Scott Medal for Bravery is the highest honour for bravery and valour awarded to a member of the Garda Siochana 54 The first medals were funded by Colonel Walter Scott an honorary Commissioner of the New York Police Department 54 The first recipient of the Scott Medal was Garda James Mulroy 55 Other notable recipients include Garda Patrick Malone of St Luke s in Cork City who as an unarmed Garda disarmed Tomas og Mac Curtain the son of Tomas Mac Curtain To mark the United States link the American English spelling of valor is used on the medal The Garda Commissioner chooses the recipients of the medal which is presented by the Minister for Justice In 2000 Anne McCabe the widow of Jerry McCabe a garda who was killed by armed Provisional IRA bank robbers accepted the Scott Medal for Bravery that had been awarded posthumously to her husband 56 The Irish Republican Police had at least one member killed by the RIC on 21 July 1920 The Civic Guard had one killed by accident 22 September 1922 and another was killed in March 1923 by Frank Teeling Likewise 4 members of the Oriel House Criminal Investigation Department were killed or died of wounds during the Irish Civil War 57 The Garda Roll of Honor lists 89 Garda members killed between 1922 and 2020 Garda Commissioners Edit Main article Garda Commissioner Garda Commissioners Name From Until ReasonMichael Staines February 1922 September 1922 resigned a Eoin O Duffy September 1922 February 1933 Dismissed b Eamon Broy February 1933 June 1938 retiredMichael Kinnane June 1938 July 1952 diedDaniel Costigan July 1952 February 1965 resigned c William P Quinn February 1965 March 1967 retiredPatrick Carroll March 1967 September 1968 retiredMichael Wymes September 1968 January 1973 retiredPatrick Malone January 1973 September 1975 retiredEdmund Garvey September 1975 January 1978 Replaced d Patrick McLaughlin January 1978 January 1983 Retired e Lawrence Wren February 1983 November 1987 retiredEamonn Doherty November 1987 December 1988 retiredEugene Crowley December 1988 January 1991 retiredPatrick Culligan January 1991 July 1996 retiredPatrick Byrne July 1996 July 2003 retiredNoel Conroy July 2003 November 2007 retiredFachtna Murphy November 2007 December 2010 retiredMartin Callinan December 2010 March 2014 resigned 58 59 f Noirin O Sullivan March 2014 acting November 2014 permanent 60 September 2017 retired 61 g Donall o Cualain September 2017 acting September 2018Drew Harris September 2018 The first Commissioner Michael Staines who was a Pro Treaty member of Dail Eireann held office for only eight months It was his successors Eoin O Duffy and Eamon Broy who played a central role in the development of the service O Duffy was Commissioner in the early years of the service when to many people s surprise the viability of an unarmed police service was established O Duffy later became a short lived political leader of the quasi fascist Blueshirts before heading to Spain to fight alongside Francisco Franco s Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War Broy had greatly assisted the Irish Republican Army IRA during the Anglo Irish War while serving with the Dublin Metropolitan Police DMP Broy was depicted in the film Michael Collins as having been murdered by the British during the War of Independence when in reality he lived till 1972 and headed the Garda Siochana from 1933 to 1938 Broy was followed by Commissioners Michael Kinnane 1938 52 and Daniel Costigan 1952 65 The first Commissioner to rise from the rank of ordinary Garda was William P Quinn who was appointed in February 1965 One later Commissioner Edmund Garvey was sacked by the Fianna Fail government of Jack Lynch in 1978 after it had lost confidence in him Garvey won unfair dismissal legal proceedings against the government which was upheld in the Irish Supreme Court 62 This outcome required the passing of the Garda Siochana Act 1979 to retrospectively validate the actions of Garvey s successor since he had become Commissioner 63 Garvey s successor Patrick McLaughlin was forced to resign along with his deputy in 1983 over his peripheral involvement in a political scandal On 25 November 2014 Noirin O Sullivan was appointed as Garda Commissioner after acting as interim Commissioner since March 2014 following the unexpected retirement of Martin Callinan It was noted that as a result most top justice posts in Ireland at the time were held by women 64 The first female to hold the top rank Commissioner O Sullivan joined the force in 1981 and was among the first members of a plainclothes unit set up to tackle drug dealing in Dublin On 10 September 2017 Noirin O Sullivan announced her retirement from the force and by extension Garda Commissioner Upon her retirement Deputy Commissioner Donall o Cualain was appointed Acting Commissioner pending a permanent replacement 65 In June 2018 Drew Harris was named as this replacement and officially appointed in September 2018 following o Cualain s retirement 66 67 68 Past reserve forces Edit During the Second World War often referred to in Ireland as the Emergency there were two reserve forces to the Garda Siochana An Taca Siochana and the Local Security Force 69 An Taca Siochana had the power of arrest and wore a uniform and were allowed to leave the reserve or sign up as full members of the Garda Siochana at the end of the war before the reserve was disbanded The reserve was established by the Emergency Powers Temporary Special Police Force Order 1939 The Local Security Force LSF did not have the power of arrest and part of the reserve was soon incorporated into the Irish Army Reserve under the command of the Irish Army 70 Inter jurisdiction co operation EditNorthern Ireland Edit The Patten Report recommended that a programme of long term personnel exchanges should be established between the Garda Siochana and the Police Service of Northern Ireland PSNI This recommendation was enacted in 2002 by an Inter Governmental Agreement on Policing Cooperation which set the basis for the exchange of officers between the two services There are three levels of exchanges Personnel exchanges for all ranks without policing powers and for a term up to one year Secondments for ranks Sergeant to Chief Superintendent with policing powers for up to three years Lateral entry by the permanent transfer of officers for ranks above Inspector and under Assistant CommissionerThe protocols for these movements of personnel were signed by both the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Garda Commissioner on 21 February 2005 71 Garda officers also co operate with members of the PSNI to combat cross border crime and can conduct joint raids on both jurisdictions They have also accompanied politicians and officials from the Republic such as the President on visits to Northern Ireland Other jurisdictions Edit Since 1989 the Garda Siochana has undertaken United Nations peace keeping duties 72 Its first such mission was a 50 strong contingent sent to Namibia Since then the force has acted in Angola Cambodia Mozambique South Africa and the former Yugoslavia More recently Garda members have served in Cyprus with UNFICYP and in Kosovo with EULEX Kosovo 72 The force s first fatality whilst working abroad was Sergeant Paul M Reid who was fatally injured while on duty with the United Nations UNPROFOR at Sniper s Alley in Sarajevo on 18 May 1995 73 Members of the Garda Siochana also serve in the Embassies of Ireland in London The Hague Madrid and Paris Members are also seconded to Europol in The Hague in the Netherlands and Interpol in Lyon France There are also many members working directly for UN and European agencies such as the War Crimes Tribunal Under an agreement with the British Government and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea the Garda Siochana and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland are allowed to inspect the Sellafield nuclear facility in Cumbria England 74 Controversy and allegations involving the police service EditThe Gardai have faced complaints or allegations of discourtesy harassment and perjury 75 A total of 1 173 complaints were made against the Gardai in 2005 76 with over 2000 complaints made in 2017 77 Some such incidents have attracted broad attention and resulted in a number of reform initiatives such as those relating to Garda whistleblowers or which led to the Morris and Barr Tribunals 78 Mishandling of cases and complaints Edit Main articles Kerry Babies Tribunal Sexual abuse scandal in Dublin archdiocese and Grangegorman killings The Kerry Babies case was one of the first public inquiries into the mishandling of a Garda investigation Later in the 1980s the Ferns Report an inquiry into allegations of clerical sexual abuse described as wholly inadequate the handling of one of eight formal complaints made to Wexford gardai but noted that the remaining formal complaints were handled in an effective professional and sensitive manner 79 The Gardai were also criticised in the Murphy Report 80 in relation to the handing over of the case of Fr Paul McGennis to Archbishop McQuaid by Commissioner Costigan 81 Some very senior Gardai were criticised for regarding priests as being outside their remit in 1960 82 On 26 November 2009 then Commissioner Fachtna Murphy apologised for the failure of the Garda Siochana to protect victims of child abuse 83 saying that inappropriate contact between gardai and the Dublin Archdiocese had taken place at the time 83 and later announced an examination into the report s findings 84 The Gardai were criticised by the commission of investigation into the Dean Lyons case for their handling of the investigation into the Grangegorman killings In his report George Birmingham said that the Gardai had used leading questions in their interviews with Lyons and had failed to act on a suspicion that Lyons confession was unreliable For a period the gardai involved in the case failed to act on the knowledge that another man Mark Nash had confessed to the crime 85 Allegations resulting in Tribunals of Inquiry Edit Main articles Morris Tribunal Barr Tribunal and Disclosures Tribunal In the 1990s and early 2000s the Garda Siochana faced allegations of corrupt and dishonest policing in County Donegal This became the subject of a Garda inquiry the Carty inquiry and subsequent judicial inquiry the Morris Tribunal The Morris Tribunal found that some gardai based in County Donegal had invented a Provisional IRA informer made bombs and claimed credit for locating them and attempted to frame Raphoe publican Frank McBrearty Junior for murder the latter case involving a 1 5m settlement with the State 86 A similar case saw a 4 5m judgement 87 after another Donegal publican was wrongly convicted based on perjured Garda evidence and a conspiracy to concoct false evidence by the same Donegal based gardai 88 89 90 On 20 April 2000 members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit ERU shot dead 27 year old John Carthy at the end of a 25 hour siege as he left his home in Abbeylara County Longford with a loaded shotgun in his hands There were allegations made of inappropriate handling of the situation and of the reliance on lethal force by the Gardai This led to a Garda inquiry and subsequently the Barr Tribunal The official findings of the tribunal of inquiry under Justice Robert Barr were that the responsible sergeant had made 14 mistakes in his role as the negotiator during the siege and failed to make real efforts to achieve resolution during the armed stand off It further stated however that the sergeant was limited by lack of experience and resources and recommended a review of Garda command structures and that the ERU be equipped with stun guns and other non lethal options The Barr tribunal further recommended a formal working arrangement between Gardai and state psychologists and improvements in Garda training During the mid 2010s the Garda whistleblower scandal led to a tribunal of enquiry and the resignations of two ministers for justice and two Garda commissioners 91 Allegations involving abuse of powers Edit One of the first charges of serious impropriety against the force rose out of the handling of the Sallins Train Robbery in 1976 This case eventually led to accusations that a Heavy Gang within the force intimidated and tortured the accused This eventually led to a Presidential pardon for one of the accused In 2004 an RTE Prime Time documentary accused elements within the Garda of abusing their powers by physically assaulting people arrested A retired Circuit Court judge W A Murphy suggested that some members of the force had committed perjury in criminal trials before him but later stated that he was misquoted while Minister of State Dick Roche accused Gardai in one instance of torture The Garda Commissioner accused the television programme of lacking balance The documentary followed the publication of footage by the Independent Media Centre showing scuffles between Gardai and Reclaim the Streets demonstrators 92 One Garda in the footage was later convicted of common assault while several other Gardai were acquitted In 2014 a debate arose relating to alleged abuse of process in cancelling penalty points for traffic offences and a subsequent controversy resulted in a number of resignations 93 In 2017 Dara Quigley who lived with mental illness was arrested for public nudity an incident captured on CCTV A garda went to the police station CCTV control room and recorded the incident on a phone then shared it to a WhatsApp group including other Gardai The video was quickly shared to Facebook and went viral Quigley took her own life several days later The Garda elected not to charge the garda with a crime 94 Allegations involving cross border policing and collusion with the IRA Edit The former head of intelligence of the Provisional IRA Kieran Conway claimed that in 1974 the IRA were tipped off by high placed figures within the Gardai about a planned RUC Special Branch raid which was intended to capture members of the IRA command Asked if this was just a one off example of individual Gardai colluding with the IRA Conway claimed It wasn t just in 1974 and it wasn t just concentrated in border areas like Dundalk it was some individuals but it was more widespread 95 Following a recommendation from the Cory Collusion Inquiry the Smithwick Tribunal investigated allegations of collusion following the 1989 killing of two Royal Ulster Constabulary officers by the Provisional IRA as they returned from a meeting with the Gardai The tribunal s report was published in December 2013 96 97 and noted that although there was no smoking gun Judge Smithwick was satisfied there was collusion in the murders and that evidence points to the fact that there was someone within the Garda station assisting the IRA The report was also critical of two earlier Garda investigations into the murders which it described as inadequate Irish Justice Minister Alan Shatter apologised without reservation for the failings identified in the report 98 99 The family of Eddie Fullerton a Buncrana Sinn Fein councillor killed in 1991 by members of the Ulster Defence Association criticised the subsequent Garda investigation 100 101 and in 2006 the Minister for Justice considered a public inquiry into the case 102 Operational management and finances Edit See also Policing of the Corrib gas protests Gardai at the site of the proposed Corrib gas refinery in Erris County Mayo Protests at the proposed Royal Dutch Shell Corrib gas refinery near Erris County Mayo saw large Garda operations with up to 200 Gardai involved 103 By September 2008 the cost of the operation was 10 million and by January 2009 estimated to have cost 13 5 million 104 Some outlets compared this to the 20 million budgeted for operations targeting organised crime 105 A section of road used by the protesters was allegedly dubbed the Golden Mile by Gardai because of overtime opportunities 106 Complaints were also made about Garda management and handling of the protests 107 108 In 2017 a number of reported operational issues including handling of the Garda whistleblower scandal falsified alcohol breath tests and the finances of the Garda Training College were referenced as contributors to the early retirement of then commissioner Noirin O Sullivan 109 110 Reform initiatives Edit Blanchardstown Garda Station Arising from some of the above incidents the Garda Siochana underwent a number of reform initiatives in the early 21st century The Morris Tribunal in particular recommended major changes to the organisation s management discipline promotion and accountability arrangements Many of these recommendations were subsequently implemented under the Garda Siochana Act 2005 The Tribunal has been staggered by the amount of indiscipline and insubordination it has found in the Garda force There is a small but disproportionately influential core of mischief making members who will not obey orders who will not follow procedures who will not tell the truth and who have no respect for their officers Justice Frederick Morris Chairman and Sole Member of The Morris Tribunal 111 It was also stated by the tribunal chairman Justice Morris that the code of discipline was extremely complex and at times cynically manipulated to promote indiscipline across the force Judicial reviews for example were cited as a means for delaying disciplinary action The fall out from the Morris Tribunal was considerable While fifteen members of the force were sacked between 2001 and 2006 and a further 42 resigned in lieu of dismissal in the same period Commissioner Conroy stated that he was constrained in the responses available to deal with members whose misbehaviour is cited in public inquiries 112 Updated procedures and code of discipline Edit With strong support from opposition parties and reflecting widespread political consensus the Minister for Justice responded to many of these issues by announcing a new draft code of discipline on 17 August 2006 The new streamlined code 113 introduced new procedures to enable the Commissioner to summarily dismiss a Garda alleged to have brought the force into disrepute abandoned duties compromised the security of the State or unjustifiably infringed the rights of other persons Garda Headquarters Phoenix Park Dublin In addition a four member non officer management advisory team was appointed in August 2006 to advise on implementing change options and addressing management and leadership challenges facing the Gardai The advisers were also mandated to promote a culture of performance management succession planning recruitment of non officers with specialist expertise and improved training The advisory team included Senator Maurice Hayes Emer Daly former director of strategic planning and risk management at Axa Insurance Maurice Keane former group chief executive at Bank of Ireland Michael Flahive Assistant Secretary at the Department of Justice and Dr Michael Mulreany assistant director general at the Institute of Public Administration Enhanced non officer support Edit Clerical and administrative support has been significantly enhanced in recent times In the two year period from December 2006 to December 2008 whole time equivalent non officer staffing levels were increased by over 60 from under 1 300 to approximately 2 100 in furtherance of official policies to release more desk bound Gardai for operational duties and to bring the level of general support in line with international norms A new tier of middle and senior non officer management has also been introduced in a range of administrative and technical professional support areas A Chief Administrative Officer at Deputy Commissioner level was appointed in October 2007 to oversee many of these key support functions Garda Inspectorate Edit In accordance with Section 115 of the Garda Siochana Act the Garda Siochana Inspectorate consists of three members who are appointed by the Irish Government The functions of the Inspectorate inter alia are as follows Carry out at the request or with the consent of the Minister inspections or inquiries in relation to any particular aspects of the operation and administration of the Garda Siochana Submit to the Minister 1 a report on those inspections or inquiries and 2 if required by the Minister a report on the operation and administration of the Garda Siochana during a specified period and on any significant developments in that regard during that period and any such reports must contain recommendations for any action the Inspectorate considers necessary provide advice to the Minister with regard to best policing practice The first Chief Inspector since July 2006 was former Commissioner of Boston Police Kathleen M O Toole She reported directly to the Minister for Justice From 2006 to 2009 O Toole was supported by two other inspectors Robert Olsen and Gwen M Boniface Olsen was Chief of Police for 8 years of the Minneapolis Police Department Boniface is a former Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police and was one of 3 female police commissioners in Canada when appointed in May 1998 She suggested that rank and file Gardai were not equipped to perform their duties or protect themselves properly She also suggested that routine arming may become a reality but dismissed the suggestion that this was currently being considered In 2012 O Toole was succeeded by Robert K Olson 114 Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission Edit Main article Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission Over 2000 complaints were made against the organisation in 2009 115 with a similar number of complaints by 2017 77 The Garda Commissioner referred over 100 incidents where the conduct of a garda resulted in death or serious injury to the Ombudsman for investigation Also newly instrumented the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission referred to colloquially as the Garda Ombudsman or simply abbreviated to GSOC replaces the earlier system of complaints the Garda Siochana Complaints Board Becoming fully operational on 9 May 2007 the commission is empowered to Directly and independently investigate complaints against members of the Garda Siochana Investigate any matter even where no complaint has been made where it appears that a Garda may have committed an offence or behaved in a way that justified disciplinary proceedings Investigate any practice policy or procedure of the Garda Siochana with a view to reducing the incidence of related complaintsThe commission s first chairman was Kevin Haugh a High Court Judge who died in early 2009 shortly before his term of office was to conclude 116 Policing Authority Edit In the first week of November 2014 Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald obtained the approval of the Irish Cabinet for the General Scheme 117 of the Garda Siochana Amendment Bill 2014 intended to create a new independent policing authority in what she described as the most far reaching reform of the Garda Siochana since the State was founded in 1922 118 The draft bill proposed that state security would remain the responsibility of the Minister for Justice and outside the remit of the new authority 119 The first chairperson designate of the new authority was the outgoing Revenue Commissioners chairperson Josephine Feehily 120 Public attitudes to the Garda Siochana Edit The Garda Public Attitudes Survey 2017 found that 74 of respondents were satisfied with the Gardai 121 down from 81 in the 2008 survey 122 The 2017 survey taken before revelations of false breath tests wrongful convictions and the departure of the then commissioner 123 also found that less than half of respondents believed that the Gardai was a well managed or world class police service 121 Labour disputes Edit Industrial action including work to rule and withdrawal of labour was threatened by Gardai during 2016 arising out of a dispute on pay and conditions 124 Structural reform Edit In 2015 it was reported that the Garda had no active officers who are proficient in Arabic forcing them to rely on assistance on Interpol 125 There are calls to recruit Arabic speaking recruits especially those from the Irish Muslim community 125 In 2019 the European Network Against Racism Ireland submitted a paper calling for the Garda s Garda Racial Intercultural and Diversity Office to be disbanded and replaced with a specialist unit due to its limited manpower and resources to tackle hate crime cases 126 Garda Band EditMain article Garda Band The Garda Band is a public relations branch of the Garda Siochana and was formed shortly after the foundation of the force It gave its first public performance on Dun Laoghaire Pier on Easter Monday 1923 and its first Bandmaster was Superintendent D J Delaney 127 In 1938 the Dublin Metropolitan Garda Band based at Kevin Street and the Garda Band amalgamated and were based at Garda Headquarters in Phoenix Park 127 Besides providing music for official Garda functions such as graduation ceremonies at the Garda College the band also performs at schools festivals and sporting events 128 129 130 Members of the band none of whom are involved in policing duties were paid an average of 58 985 in 2017 131 132 See also EditGarda Museum List of Garda districts Criminal Assets Bureau Irish law enforcement agencyNotes Edit Due to Civic Guard Mutiny Dismissed for encouraging military coup Pressured to resign by the Government Lost government confidence phone tapping scandal Penalty points controversy whistleblower scandal amp breath test scandal The rank has been unused since 1994 A civilian Chief Medical Officer has fulfilled the role since 2000 29 References Edit McNiffe Liam 1997 A History of the Garda Siochana Dublin Wolfhound Press p 11 ISBN 0863275818 The Provisional Government of the Irish Free State set up a committee to organise a new police force The committee first met in the Gresham Hotel Dublin on Thursday 9 February 1922 The first recruit was officially attested on 21 February 1922 and he had been joined by ninety eight others by the end of that month a b c d Managing our people Garda Siochana Retrieved 19 June 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Part 2 Expenditure allocations PDF Budget 2022 Department of Finance p 85 Archived PDF from the original on 25 January 2023 Retrieved 19 June 2022 Population and Migration Estimates April 2021 Archived from the original on 31 August 2021 Retrieved 19 June 2022 a b c Organisational structure Garda ie Garda Siochana Archived from the original on 24 October 2017 Retrieved 25 December 2019 The reasons for the selection of Garda Stations to be closed Dept of Justice and Equality Archived from the original on 26 June 2015 Retrieved 26 June 2015 Department of Justice and Equality Garda Transport Data Oireachtas 2 March 2017 Archived from the original on 25 January 2023 Retrieved 25 January 2023 Uniformed gardai will remain unarmed Commissioner Irish Times 29 April 2008 Archived from the original on 9 August 2018 Retrieved 27 October 2017 The Commissioner told delegates there were 3 500 armed members almost a quarter of the force and that his focus was on giving them the best training Dolan Terence Patrick 2004 A Dictionary of Hiberno English the Irish use of English Gill amp Macmillan Ltd p 103 ISBN 0 7171 3535 7 Archived from the original on 25 January 2023 Retrieved 17 October 2020 Garda Siochana Temporary Provisions Act 1923 s 2 Power to Executive Council to raise Garda Siochana No 37 of 1923 s 2 Enacted on 8 August 1923 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book The Garda Siochana Act 1924 s 1 Power to Executive Council to maintain Garda Siochana No 25 of 1924 s 1 Enacted on 17 July 1924 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book Garda Siochana Act 2005 s 6 Continuation of Garda Siochana No 20 of 2005 s 6 Enacted on 10 July 2005 Act of the Oireachtas Retrieved from Irish Statute Book Short History of An Garda Siochana Garda Siochana Archived from the original on 1 September 2006 Retrieved 17 December 2006 the Garda Siochana meaning in English The Guardians of the Peace Gardiens de la paix Police Comines Warneton in French Retrieved 5 October 2019 permanent dead link Christian Chevandier Policiers dans la ville Une histoire des gardiens de la paix Paris Gallimard 2012 Frank A Biletz 2013 Historical Dictionary of Ireland Historical Dictionaries of Europe Scarecrow Press p 162 ISBN 9780810870918 Archived from the original on 25 January 2023 Retrieved 13 May 2014 Garda Siochana Guardians of the Peace The national Police force of the Irish Republic In 1925 the force was renamed the Garda Siochana na hEireann Guard of the Peace of Ireland Popularly called the guards the force is divided into six geographical regions Elizabeth Albertson 2009 Ireland For Dummies John Wiley amp Sons p 455 ISBN 9780470465080 a law enforcement officer is called a garda or guard a b Gardai share brilliant tweet on how to talk to female members of the force her ie 6 February 2018 Archived from the original on 25 January 2023 Retrieved 12 October 2019 the only way you should ever refer to a female Garda is by calling her Garda or Guard Garda Titles Volume 404 No 6 Dail Eireann 5 February 1991 Archived from the original on 25 January 2023 Retrieved 25 January 2023 Healy Ann 31 May 2016 Man who brandished knife at cops is jailed Connacht Tribune Archived from the original on 9 April 2018 Retrieved 24 April 2018 Pic Jamie Heaslip and the Six Nations trophy were paid a visit by An Garda Siochana SportsJOE ie Archived from the original on 9 April 2018 Retrieved 24 April 2018 Garda Promotions 4 Nov 2014 Written answers KildareStreet com Archived from the 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A Welfare Focus PDF Communique Garda Siochana 31 35 31 ISSN 1393 0974 Retrieved 4 January 2019 Garda Numbers by Division and Station Breakdown Garda Garda Uniform and Badges Retrieved 23 January 2021 Bleachtaire Corpas na Gaeilge Comhaimseartha Grupa taighde Gaois Archived from the original on 25 January 2021 Retrieved 25 January 2021 Maritime Analysis Operations Centre Narcotics Award Detective Superintendent Sean Healy garda ie November 2019 Archived from the original on 30 January 2021 Retrieved 26 January 2021 Statement from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on the fatal shooting of Detective Garda Colm Horkan garda ie June 2020 Archived from the original on 30 January 2021 Retrieved 26 January 2021 Garda Numbers by Division and Station Breakdown Garda Mike Dwane Gardai had to pepper spray disgruntled bidder at auction Limerick Leader Archived from the original on 19 June 2013 Retrieved 13 June 2013 a b Garvin Tom 2005 1922 The Birth of Irish Democracy 3rd ed Gill and Macmillan p 111 ISBN 0 312 16477 7 Ireland Police Use of Force Worldwide Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa 1 June 2018 Archived from the original on 11 July 2019 Retrieved 11 July 2019 Anne Sheridan 3 September 2008 New armed garda unit deployed in Limerick Limerick Leader Archived from the original on 2 June 2009 Retrieved 4 May 2009 Garda College Yearbook listing weapons training on page 66 PDF Archived from the original PDF on 24 January 2014 The Guards And The Gun Broadsheet 4 December 2018 Archived from the original on 11 July 2019 Retrieved 11 July 2019 Flanagan has said he has concerns about arming all gardai Breaking News 4 April 2019 Archived from the original on 11 July 2019 Retrieved 11 July 2019 O Keeffe Cormac 20 November 2014 The problems of trying to get policing and national security to walk the line The Irish Examiner Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 23 November 2014 Griffin Dan 21 November 2014 Ministerial transport costs more than 14m since 2011 The Irish Times Archived from the original on 21 November 2014 Retrieved 23 November 2014 Williams Paul Sheehan Fionnan O Connor Niall 21 November 2014 Armed gardai to shadow ministers amid safety fears Irish Independent Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 23 November 2014 Williams Paul Sheehan Fionnan O Connor Niall 18 November 2014 Beefed up security for ministers as family water bills now down to 160 Irish Independent Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 23 November 2014 Ministerial Transport cuts and staffing reductions MerrionStreet ie Irish Government Archived from the original on 22 December 2014 Retrieved 23 November 2014 Brady Tom 17 April 2013 ERU on alert for G8 terrorist threat Irish Independent Archived from the original on 3 May 2014 Retrieved 5 December 2014 Purchase of vehicles garda ie Archived from the original on 11 July 2019 Retrieved 11 July 2019 McNiffe Liam 1997 A History of the Garda Siochana Dublin Wolfhound Press p 24 ISBN 0863275818 On 17 August 1922 three small companies of the Civic Guard from Newbridge took a special train to Kingsbridge from where they marched to Dame Street and halted in front of the gates of Dublin Castle Led by Collins and Staines they marched in and the last of the British army and the RIC marched out Garda Siochana Temporary Provisions Act 1923 Archived from the original on 8 February 2007 Retrieved 29 March 2006 www corkdesign com Garda Siochana Historical Society PoliceHistory com www policehistory com Archived from the original on 23 September 2017 Retrieved 17 July 2017 History of Garda Headquarters Garda ie 1 March 2014 Archived from the original on 11 July 2019 Retrieved 11 July 2019 a b Our History The Scott Medal Garda ie Archived from the original on 31 July 2020 Retrieved 4 June 2020 List of Scott Medal Recipients to End 2017 PDF Garda ie Archived PDF from the original on 31 July 2020 Retrieved 4 June 2020 Murdered garda hero honoured Irish Examiner 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institutions of the State but not including lawful advocacy protest or dissent unless carried on in conjunction with any of those acts and acts of foreign interference If a dispute arises as to whether something is a security matter the Minister will make the decision There s a pretty clear divide in the Scheme of the Bill when something relates to security it falls to the Minister when it relates to policing it falls to the Authority Tom Brady 13 November 2014 Government appoints outgoing Revenue Commissioners chairman head of new independent policing authority Irish Independent Archived from the original on 1 April 2015 Retrieved 12 January 2015 Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald announced this afternoon that Ms Josephine Feehily would bring a wealth of experience and competences to her new role She will be chairperson designate until legislation establishing the authority has been fully enacted a b An Garda Siochana Public Attitudes Survey Q1 2017 PDF An Garda Siochana 2017 Archived PDF from the original on 27 October 2017 Retrieved 27 October 2017 Most happy with gardai but want improvement survey The Irish Times 12 October 2008 Garda survey finds doubts about how force is managed RTE 26 July 2017 Archived from the original on 27 October 2017 Retrieved 27 October 2017 Garda strike Here s the deal that s being offered to gardai Journal ie 4 November 2016 Archived from the original on 5 November 2016 Retrieved 4 November 2016 a b Gardai need to recruit Muslims to win the war against radicalism Irishexaminer com 22 November 2015 Archived from the original on 3 November 2018 Retrieved 31 May 2021 Call to policing body for Garda hate crimes unit Irishexaminer com 28 August 2018 Archived from the original on 27 February 2019 Retrieved 31 May 2021 a b The Band of An Garda Siochana Garda website Archived from the original on 18 March 2017 Garda Band for Slane fundraising concert Meath Chronicle 13 April 2011 Archived from the original on 10 October 2017 Retrieved 29 June 2017 Thousands at St Patrick s Day event Irish Independent 17 March 2013 Archived from the original on 10 October 2017 Retrieved 29 June 2017 Garda band proposal to take part in Pride parade Journal ie 23 May 2014 Archived from the original on 16 May 2017 Retrieved 29 June 2017 The Band of An Garda Siochana Garda Archived from the original on 6 April 2018 Retrieved 5 April 2018 TheJournal ie The Garda Band has cost taxpayers 5 5 million over the past three years www thejournal ie 14 December 2017 Archived from the original on 9 December 2018 Retrieved 7 December 2018 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garda Siochana Official website GRA ie Website of Garda Representative Association Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission Garda Headquarters Phoenix Park Dublin Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors Garda Siochana Act 2005 Garda Roll of Honour Garda Review The Force Magazine since 1923 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 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