Garda. Off Duty Arrest in Another District.

Random · 12-03-2009 1:13am #1

so how does this work?

You're based in dublin. You're in mayo on holidays. You are required to step in as a garda to deal with a situation. You arrest someone.

Do you just use the local station?

opti76 · 12-03-2009 1:25am

yes

CharlieCroker · 12-03-2009 1:28am

Yup, basically.

Your a Garda wherever you go.

ScubaDave · 12-03-2009 5:36am

ne1 here ever do it?

Would ur super not be wondering why u lifted a fella for 4 + 6 POA, 2 hrs from ur district!?

This nearly happened to me but i persuaded the drunken yobs to kindly leave!

CharlieCroker · 12-03-2009 5:16pm

I dunno about POA but you'd certainly think about it if you came upon a S.3 assault or a robbery.

noel32 · 12-03-2009 5:48pm

agree minor public order walk away nothing worse than acting bravado, simple call to local gardai,as for more serious stuff would defo get involved if i was needed at that point in time

CLADA · 12-03-2009 6:17pm

Random wrote: »

so how does this work?

You're based in dublin. You're in mayo on holidays. You are required to step in as a garda to deal with a situation. You arrest someone.

Do you just use the local station?

Please provide a more realistic scenario.

Gardai based in Dublin don't go to Mayo on "holidays" it's called "going home":D

yayamark · 12-03-2009 9:57pm

I never get involved in anything unless i have to.

If i spot something that need to be dealt with quick ring into 11850 local station and pass on the call.

Obviously if someones life is in danger a member would always jump in and the ring the local station.

mcguiver · 13-03-2009 3:46pm

Words of advice. DONT!

Unless it's a life and death situation, it's best to phone in and be a good witness.
Here's my story: with a few edits to keep it safe.
Driving home one night still in uniform, civvie jacket on. Certain well known criminal's car comes sideways through a red light, skidding across a main dual carriageway. Car mounts path and stalls. It then gets going again, but its obvious he's very drunk. I call 999, off duty member, here's my loaction, heres bad guy+ cars details. I tell the dispatcher I'll try to follow, here's my mobile number.
So 20 minutes later 3 phone calls from 3 different stations, I'm still tailing, (at high speed) no cars nearby to assist. Eventually I end up in a countryside village, he crashes. I physically stop him from leaving his car, cuff him and arrest him while he goes mad, kicks off big time. etc.(Thank f### he didnt have knife/gun etc.) Local patrol car arrives.

We bring him to the nearest big station to be tested. Goes to court, lots of hasstle getting statements from local cops. Nothing but grief. Plus, to make matters worse serious threats are made against me. Bad guy now knows what I drive and figures out where I live. More grief, change car, change address.

There's another story about the off duty member who pulls a car for some silly traffic violation. Driver reverses at speed into Gardas own car and takes off....seems the car was stolen. His car is wrecked, insurance wont pay up as this isnt covered. Job dont want to know either.

Or how about the guy who was in the Garda Review a few years back.
Stops a drink driver off duty. Gardai arrive. He drives away. Meanwhile drunk kicks off, has to be pulled from car and gets injured. Drunk puts in a claim against gardai, including off duty guy who was gone home. Off duty guy ends up behind a desk for years while this is going through courts. Loses allowances/overtime, cant apply for courses or promotion. Eventually has to take the state to the high court to sort his career out.

Basically, you usually wont have baton/cuffs/radio off duty. You have no assistance. You dont know how the situation will develop etc.
I know we all do it, but really, unless life is at stake...DONT!!

Trojan911 · 13-03-2009 4:17pm

mcguiver wrote: »

I'm still tailing, (at high speed) no cars nearby to assist. Eventually I end up in a countryside village, he crashes.

Out of curiosity, should you have been driving your private vehicle in the manner you described above, no Blues & Two's etc. Who's authority were you acting on? Or is this allowed?

mcguiver wrote: »

His car is wrecked, insurance wont pay up as this isnt covered. Job dont want to know either.

I doubt yours would have as well if you had collided, caused a vicinity only collision etc & I suspect the Job would have had a major hand washing session as well.

Victor · 13-03-2009 4:43pm

Trojan911 wrote: »

Out of curiosity, should you have been driving your private vehicle in the manner you described above, no Blues & Two's etc. Who's authority were you acting on? Or is this allowed?

You can get signed in.

Com1186 · 13-03-2009 5:14pm

an off duty garda should not get involved in minor offences whilst off duty..... however if it is a major incident then i say it is the members duty to get invovled if there is no on duty gardai present.

bear in mind that a major incident...murder rape serious assault burglary robbery is an arrestable offence and a member of the public has a power of arrest (altough wouldnt recommend doin so unless no other alternative, i could pull yout tooth out with a pliers but wouldnt you perfer a dentist...)

Trojan911 · 13-03-2009 5:34pm

Victor wrote: »

You can get signed in.

Yes, I'm aware of that, i.e. book on.

But what about the insurance aspect of it and is it an acceptable practice for gardai to be involved in "high speed tailing/following" in their own private cars?

I doubt any insurance company would entertain a claim if one was to come out of a collision. Technically the driver would not be insured to engage in this type of activity and then there is also the legal aspect of it.

Cheers...

deadwood · 13-03-2009 5:41pm

Oh no.

If this thread continues like this, I can see insurance companies hiking up the premiums for gardai!

Com1186 · 13-03-2009 5:44pm

no you are not covered you crash it is on your head.....
the insurance company will not cover you and most definitly will be displined by management.
i would nt do it.....

Eru · 13-03-2009 11:15pm

Unless someone is in immediate risk of death and I do mean death, do not get involved.

The Garda in us wants to get involved but in todays world its a no no. State wont want to know, you will get a complaint thats very hard to fight and as said, your placing your own life in needless danger while also compromising your private details.

Happened to me, little boy racer doing doughnuts in local carpark. Bit my tongue until the idiot lost control and mounted the path beside the bus stop.

DPP directed no prosecution as I had no witnesses and was off duty, I got a complaint that I would have been disciplined for except driver and parents both acknowledged that their 17 year old son should not have been driving on a first provisional alone and decided to let it go based on dpp decision.

All this and it happened within 300 metres of my own front door so I see these lunatics every second day. Was a very big wake up call for me that the state and the people have made their decision and that decision is off duty is off duty.

Trojan,
Law stated 'in the execution of his duties'. There is no mention of what car your driving but your right, insurance will not want to know unless you have paid an additional premium for work related use which costs Gardai a lot.

villager · 13-03-2009 11:29pm

deadwood wrote: »

Oh no.

If this thread continues like this, I can see insurance companies hiking up the premiums for gardai!

they already do. a garda is one of the high risk catagories.

Thoie · 14-03-2009 2:12pm

Com1186 wrote: »

bear in mind that a major incident...murder rape serious assault burglary robbery is an arrestable offence and a member of the public has a power of arrest (altough wouldnt recommend doin so unless no other alternative, i could pull yout tooth out with a pliers but wouldnt you perfer a dentist...)

Member of the public here. So, say I see someone murder someone. The murderer then runs towards me, trips, falls, loses his weapon and is lying on the ground at my feet (i.e., I'm not going chasing after him, circumstances just put him in a position where I can detain him without any risk to myself). Can I just sit on him until the guards arrive? Do I have to mention that I'm arresting him for murder?

TheNog · 14-03-2009 3:16pm

Thoie wrote: »

Member of the public here. So, say I see someone murder someone. The murderer then runs towards me, trips, falls, loses his weapon and is lying on the ground at my feet (i.e., I'm not going chasing after him, circumstances just put him in a position where I can detain him without any risk to myself). Can I just sit on him until the guards arrive? Do I have to mention that I'm arresting him for murder?

There is nothing you need to say. Also dont sit on his chest cos he could stop breathing. I wouldnt be happy with you cos of the paperwork it would create!!:p

Thoie · 16-03-2009 5:16pm

TheNog wrote: »

There is nothing you need to say. Also dont sit on his chest cos he could stop breathing. I wouldnt be happy with you cos of the paperwork it would create!!:p

Honest Guard, he was that funny blue colour when I found him. Four cracked ribs? They were like that already too. Ass print on his chest? That's fierce funny, no idea how that happened - maybe he ran into me.

deadwood · 16-03-2009 7:39pm

Thoie wrote: »

Member of the public here. So, say I see someone murder someone. The murderer then runs towards me, trips, falls, loses his weapon and is lying on the ground at my feet. . . .

If you were a guard and this happened, it'd read a little different!

Alfasudcrazy · 03-10-2014 7:01pm

I once stopped a car off duty - a drunken driver all over the road but I called the local gardai and let them deal with it from there and was just a garda witness which is the best procedure.

I would intervene off duty if I saw a Garda in trouble but I always avoided drunken brawls - just called them in.

A Garda in my class was sacked as he used to take things a little more seriously and put on his uniform to tackle the thugs in his home town. The authorities took a dim view of it.

pa990 · 03-10-2014 7:43pm

Thoie wrote: »

Member of the public here. So, say I see someone murder someone. The murderer then runs towards me, trips, falls, loses his weapon and is lying on the ground at my feet (i.e., I'm not going chasing after him, circumstances just put him in a position where I can detain him without any risk to myself). Can I just sit on him until the guards arrive? Do I have to mention that I'm arresting him for murder?

Well, firstly its not murder until the doc pronounces death.

No-one is dead until the Doc says so.

04-10-2014 12:30am

pa990 wrote: »

Well, firstly its not murder until the doc pronounces death.

No-one is dead until the Doc says so.

Except when it's perfectly obvious.

TallGlass · 04-10-2014 4:00am

As said just ring it in. Unless someone is in serious danger. Once had a gouger on a bike cycle by me waving a knife. Just rang it in.

Now if he had it pointed to someones neck might have been a different story even at that wide berth and common sense. Don't make it worse announcing your a Garda, people panic.

No need for the hero antics without proper equipment or support behind you. Training is designed for certain pieces of equipment to be present and other supports available.

If it dose turn life or death, grab a phone 999 location and off duty member need support quick.

Little CuChulainn · 05-10-2014 9:47am

As people have said, the best thing is to be a good witness. Do not rely on Garda management to back you up in court or financially And unless you are in a city, do not rely on there being backup near by. I know one guy who tried to follow a car after a robbery and ended up getting rammed and his car attacked with a golf club or something like that. Car ended up being a write off. Three years later he's still out of pocket even though he was the reason the lads were caught.

kub · 05-10-2014 10:03am

Well this thread certainly sums up how much respect this country, it's legal system and the Garda management have in the men and women who try to keep law and order in this society.

People moan about Gardai doing speed checks and raising revenue and the like, well from a Garda's perspective it is a lot less hassle and safer than to be dealing with scum bags who for one reason or another never get appropriate sentencing for the crimes they have committed.

I worry about the future.

Victor · 05-10-2014 10:16am

kub wrote: »

Well this thread certainly sums up how much respect this country, it's legal system and the Garda management have in the men and women who try to keep law and order in this society.

People moan about Gardai doing speed checks and raising revenue and the like, well from a Garda's perspective it is a lot less hassle and safer than to be dealing with scum bags who for one reason or another never get appropriate sentencing for the crimes they have committed.

I worry about the future.

Whut?

Markcheese · 06-10-2014 8:29pm

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

As people have said, the best thing is to be a good witness. Do not rely on Garda management to back you up in court or financially And unless you are in a city, do not rely on there being backup near by. I know one guy who tried to follow a car after a robbery and ended up getting rammed and his car attacked with a golf club or something like that. Car ended up being a write off. Three years later he's
still out of pocket even though he was the reason the lads were caught.

Would that not be covered under the uninsured drivers fund?? (Or what-ever it's called) same as if anyone driving gets hit by an uninsured driver...
Would this be something that should be taken up with the GRA to slogg out with Garda headquarters... Just a protocol/code of practice that's best followed when off duty and a situation arises... It'd be pretty much cost neutral anyway...

Little CuChulainn · 06-10-2014 8:45pm

Markcheese wrote: »

Would that not be covered under the uninsured drivers fund?? (Or what-ever it's called) same as if anyone driving gets hit by an uninsured driver...
Would this be something that should be taken up with the GRA to slogg out with Garda headquarters... Just a protocol/code of practice that's best followed when off duty and a situation arises... It'd be pretty much cost neutral anyway...

I presume MIBI would be expecting the State to pay for it as he was in the performance of his duty. Garda management policy to everything can be summed up pretty easily. You're not supposed to do it but you're expected to do it anyway. If it works out we'll support you, if it doesn't then you shouldn't have done it.

Potential-Monke · 07-10-2014 2:30pm

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

Garda management policy to everything can be summed up pretty easily. You're not supposed to do it but you're expected to do it anyway. If it works out we'll support you, if it doesn't then you shouldn't have done it.

My God, that just sums the job up in a nutshell.

Garda. Off Duty Arrest in Another District.

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