THE FACT OF THE MATTER
BY PAUL HOPKINS
There was a time when every Irish mother wanted a ‘good job’ for their blue-eyed boy. A ‘job for life’ but one that commanded respect in the community, so the mammy could hold her head high. If the priesthood was not the calling, and the education not earned for the son to become a GP or the local school teacher, then an Garda Siochana was the next best thing.
A garda who could one day become the sergeant in the village – now there was a job that commanded respect, what with its air of authority.
Today, you may well ask, who’d be a guard? It’s not exactly well paid and there can be a strong element of danger to the job. Which led to the tragic killing of Garda Kevin Flatley, a family man, and a committed member of the force, his funeral Mass heard.The 49-year-old, who lived in Balbriggan, was killed on the road while operating a speed identification near Blake’s Cross on what was once the road to Belfast.
Who wants to put up with all the criticism and scrutiny, the terrorism and the drugs cartels for €35,332 a year. The scale rises to €53,848 after eight years and at 19 years to €57,947. All this, and outdated training and “medieval” working conditions like those cited by Navan Garda station, where, allegedly, officers are still being impeded by the lack of proper facilities in a building that is “just not fit for purpose”.
Since the foundation of the State, 90 guards have died in the line of duty. At least 23 serving Gardaí have been killed by individuals or groups associated with the Republican paramilitaries, this being the most common cause of death apart from accidents. In the past years, two guards and a detective have died in the line of duty.
Gardai are often the butt of criticism, of scrutiny and investigation, at the centre of controversy after controversy over alleged corruption within the force, and apparent unwillingness to co-operate in matters of transparency and accountability. Almost 20 years on from the Morris Tribunal – the public inquiry to address allegations of corrupt policing in Donegal – Garda chiefs have still not overhauled the force.
The Garda Ombudsman (GSOC), set up as a result of that long-running inquiry, has said shortcomings flagged up have yet to be fixed. The ombudsman has also claimed that officers are suffering “a huge shock to the system” from being asked to account for themselves.
The riots on the Dublin streets were, in a large part, over whether a garda in the course of his or her duty should be allowed be photographed or not and published on social media, only further heightens the anger about accountability.
Complaints about alleged wrongdoing by officers are dealt with by GSOC. Some years, though, the ombudsman has referred more than half of the complaints back to the force for investigation. Self-policing, however, brings its own inadequacies and obvious criticism.
Figures released through a Freedom of Information request, show there were 19 complaints last year deemed “frivolous or vexatious”. Six of these complaints alleged abuse of authority and seven related to falsehood and prevarication.
Commissioner Drew, who is not long for his commissioner role, has said: “An Garda Siochana’s focus on community policing has created strong bonds with the people.”
Permit me to be the devil’s advocate. I say there is little community policing, as it once were. We need a return to the beat. To a visible presence. Too many stations have been closed without due consideration for communities.
The commissioner has repeated: “I will be particularly focused on ensuring that we do all we can to protect the vulnerable.” There are many – pensioners in rural Ireland, those living alone in remote areas – still vulnerable to marauding gangs and lone opportunists. And the closure of post offices and the consequence for pension payments does not help.
That said, commitment, dedication and sacrifice has been made by An Gardai in securing the State, particularly from the threat of terrorism and violent drugs wars.
We all need to move quickly to adapt to a changing society to ensure that we are strongly positioned to protect the State, if the lives of its law enforcers like Garda Flatley are to mean anything in our communities.
In the final analysis, if we want a force we can trust and respect, we must ensure they have adequate training and decent pay and conditions.
That they have our respect…
