An Garda Siochana ( your views)

danger mouse

What do you think of the police force of ireland? Do you think there fair? affective, non biased. Or just corrupt?

Fast_Mover

corrupt. enough said imo..

nxbyveromdwjpg

****.

danger mouse

nm wrote:

****.

Why???

_Kaiser_

Like everywhere you'll get your good and your bad...

By and large though any I've had the misfortunate of dealing with in a certain Northside station are corrupt, unwiling to enforce the law on local scumbags and actively make things worse.

I could go on for pages (I've 18 years worth of examples to pick from) but I won't....

Reaver772

One of the laziest bunch of feckers in the country as about as usefull as tits on a bull!

Savman

Here we go again, another Gardai thread. I'm not a fan meself, too many examples to list so they dont get my vote of confidence.

toodles

GreenHell

Useless, completely useless.

Savman

GreenHell wrote:

Useless, completely useless.

well which is it?

danger mouse

Savman wrote:

Here we go again, another Gardai thread. I'm not a fan meself, too many examples to list so they dont get my vote of confidence.

toodles

I hope not.

Savman

danger mouse

Savman wrote:

Back too the Best Looking Bird On Boards threads for you sooooooo.

Kernel

They generally do a good job under difficult circumstances, and like any public service organisation there are good and bad employees. The organisation could be managed better IMO. Kinda like the health service.

I've seen some great ones though, and when you see that, you realise how they help keep communities safe - which is a vitally important service in any society.

Don't get me started on the Garda Reserve Farce though.

scojones

Well, there's more than one guard, so there's bound to be **** in the police force, and juding them by the acts of a minority of **** would be wrong.

I like them, I think they are fair, and any guards I've had to deal with have been grand and really nice people. But in saying that, several of my friends are guards so maybe I'm biased.

Savman

danger mouse wrote:

Back too the Best Looking Bird On Boards threads for you sooooooo.

what are u on about?

danger mouse

Savman wrote:

what are u on about?

Hold me???

Easily_Irritated

i was indiffernt until I witnessed my friend be carted off by the gardai for something they saw he didn't do and hold him in cells (whilst I had to wait for him for 7 hours) becaused they refused to believe me, my friend or a totally unbiast witness of what had really happened. Even tho, as I said 2 gardai saw everything and said nothing......

they also confiscated his phone and then didn't give it back saying he didn't have one!!! Not that Im saying the gardai need to steal phones of people but, i saw him hand it over and i saw them denying they ever got it! crazy!

Savman

danger mouse wrote:

Hold me???

I see from your previous posts that you're interested in joining the guards, you've got the right mentality so far; "how to answer a question without answering a question"

:rolleyes:

danger mouse

Savman wrote:

I see from your previous posts that you're interested in joining the guards, you've got the right mentality so far; "how to answer a question without answering a question"

:rolleyes:

I dont want too hijack this thread, as i'd rather just read posts about peeps opinions on the subject.

Savman

danger mouse wrote:

I dont want too hijack this thread, as i'd rather just read posts about peeps opinions on the subject.

I didn't know you could hijack a thread you started, surely that's a paradox

Anyway, I believe the Gardai are fairly efficient at traffic management, speeding traps etc etc. but when all hell breaks loose, which it does regularly, you won't see me standing around dialling 112 and waiting for "emergency response".

Kernel

Savman wrote:

Anyway, I believe the Gardai are fairly efficient at traffic management, speeding traps etc etc. but when all hell breaks loose, which it does regularly, you won't see me standing around dialling 112 and waiting for "emergency response".

Why not? What are you going to do, a Chuck Norris? I've seen very timely interventions from the Gardai. Helps if you know your local station number though.

Savman

Kernel wrote:

Why not? What are you going to do, a Chuck Norris? I've seen very timely interventions from the Gardai. Helps if you know your local station number though.

Depends on where you are I guess. I've seen riots happen within a 2 mile radius of a Garda station, knives & machetes being pulled yet it took the Gardai over an hour to arrive. When they did arrive it was in the form of 1 car, 1 jeep, 1 van and 1 unmarked special branch type vehicle.

Was anyone arrested? Nope. Was anyone cautioned? Nope. Was anyone removed from the scene? Nope. Did the cops hang around longer than 5 minutes? Nope. Did the cops have a laugh and joke with some local scumbags? Of course. Did the fighting erupt once the cops had left? Yep.

calm blue ocean....calm blue ocean....:mad:

riptide

Easily_Irritated wrote:

i was indiffernt until I witnessed my friend be carted off by the gardai for something they saw he didn't do and hold him in cells (whilst I had to wait for him for 7 hours) becaused they refused to believe me, my friend or a totally unbiast witness of what had really happened. Even tho, as I said 2 gardai saw everything and said nothing......

they also confiscated his phone and then didn't give it back saying he didn't have one!!! Not that Im saying the gardai need to steal phones of people but, i saw him hand it over and i saw them denying they ever got it! crazy!

Yep I'll second the Phone part.... a friend of mine same situation.... bring back the rioters.... well maybe not !

aphex™

A high number of cops are thick muck savages. Like the sly bastard you find down your local pub who won't give you a straight answer and thinks hes God.

These people get promotions quite easily and that means things are usually badly managed. They are always making the most basic mistakes and intimidate people who are smarter than them.

If you're at a big event eg. St. Patricks day parade they always roll out the trainees. Again, high proportion are muck savages who go besirk if you approach and ask them a question.

There are plenty of good, smart people in the force but they just don't get the promotions to be useful. Its a terrible career really.

cournioni

Haven't seen one in my town since Christmas... Says alot really.

danger mouse

Savman wrote:

I didn't know you could hijack a thread you started, surely that's a paradox

Anyway, I believe the Gardai are fairly efficient at traffic management, speeding traps etc etc. but when all hell breaks loose, which it does regularly, you won't see me standing around dialling 112 and waiting for "emergency response".

Sorry my other post was just a bit of banter. And the hijack part just means I wanted to hear other peoples views.

AnTaoiseach

My friend was out one night, and got kickied out of a pub, so he sat outside for a while untill the guards arrived. They arrested him for threatening behaviour and took the keys to his van (which belonged to his boss)
They released him about 3 or 4 hours later, and when he went to get his van, it was gone. they moved it about 4 miles away so he would have to tell his boss he lost the van.

*rseholes

I crashed a motorbike one night, around christmass a few years ago.
I was in a fairly bad way, my knee was ripped open. I was sitting on a wall waiting for the ambulance, with the bike on its side on the road.
Two guards in a car pull up and say: "what are you doing there?" (its too much to expect a "Are you alright?") I said "I crashed, the ambulance is on its way."
Guard say "Ok", rolls up his window and drives away.
Its a great service we have provided by our state.

Zebra3

Some good, some bad.

Those who are corrupt, seem to take far too long to root out. Why are they driving crooks like Charlie Haughey around the place? I don't see how this fits in with their role of guardians of the peace? A lot of them don't give a toss if someone from a 'poorer' area has been a victim of crime compared to a wealthier victim of a similar crime. And the Blue Flu Day didn't do much for their rep either.

But then again, you have to hand it to those who were on the frontline last Saturday. Fair fcks to them. There is no way I'd do a job like that. They were betrayed by their senior management and the GRA should be baying for McDowell's head on a plate.

el tel

An Garda Síochána: Making Chief Wiggum look good since 1989

Femelade

i've had a few run ins with a psycho ex, there are two local guards i have met a few times because of this, they are young, around the same age as myself (25) and they were very very helpful. it depends on the guard really i guess. but we have never had any problems with our locals guards.

muppetkiller

I'm going to actually go Pro Garda here...
Firstly the problem isn't the Gardai it's our crazy justice system that causes all the problems.

Why would risk getting hurt pulling appart two scumbags with knives when if you do and arrest them they'll be back on the streets in about a day and you'll have to do a 50 page report on the incident.

Protect the innocent and let the scumbags wipe each other out...
Bring back the Chain gangs that what i say..

connundrum

Local guards are generally a pile of arse, but in saying that I've had friends who've been let off with more things than I can remember (speeding, driving on a motorway without a full licence :rolleyes: , reckless driving, drink driving causing an accident, fighting, generally causing mayhem etc).

But because they let you off with a speeding ticket, they think they own you and should you be the victim of another crime ie. getting battered, then they have no interest in your story. You getting battered is just result of you speeding

Its amazing how Guards are still getting away with givin everyone a few digs when they're in custody, that 13 year old kid died in a cell from gettin kicked around the place. My 17 year old cousin was battered in the barracks for being caught underage drinking.. some guards seem to take the whole 'power trip' thing 120% over the limit, and nobody is there to tell em to stop
Maybe its frustration with the silly justice system that we have, I don't know..

moomoothegeek

were getting close here what is the point in having a police force if the court sentences do not reflect the crime. as far as I can see crime actually pays

I fought the law and the law won

Dilly1

They are poorly trained, under funded, and under staffed. But thats the way things are in Ireland, half done, half assed, thrown together.
We still dont have a motorway connecting even two cities in this country (even Portugal have this) Some of the Garda do a good job considering how little training or resources they have. I mean you wouldnt want to have to rely on them to catch a crook for you, but then again you dont want to be getting sick in this country either or your screwed, off to the morgue with ya. :eek:

bobbi

The gardai have a very difficult job i think they do the best they can and are pretty fair most of the time( There is always a few) but come on one of the garda got a bottle of piss thrown over him in the febuary riots they got a lot of ****, they work dreadful hours and days xmas etc, its not the highest paid job, and they put their lives on the line to protect irish people like in the riots.

Pigman II

They're like bouncers in that just becuase they are impinging on your ability to be a dickhead whenever you feel like it they are automatically classified as ****.

If you find you're the kind of person who has issue with either or both of the aforementioned groups then I'd suggest that it is you who are the wanker etc.

The_Minister

Zebra3 wrote:

Why are they driving crooks like Charlie Haughey around the place? I don't see how this fits in with their role of guardians of the peace?

Maybe because he is an ex-taoiseach and they have to protect him?

AnTaoiseach

Putting bad experiences aside, I think the guards really are improving.
Looking back ten or fifteen years they have come a long way and can now be considered a proper police force (aside from the fact they don't carry guns). I think one of the big problems with the older guards is that up untill a few years ago, most lads joined the guards when they were about 17, and it was because their family were guards and it was a steady job in an unsteady economy. This leads to the problem of young impressionable lads going out to work with practised guards and learning all their bad habits.
The guards in general do a good job, but what you have to remember when dealing with any guard is that he/she is in work, and all he/she wants to do is go home and put his/her feet up.
Dealing with the public is not a pleasant job and I'm sure its even worse when its the worst elements of the public that you deal with on a regular basis.

LegacyUser

I think its the same as any other profession or organisation in the country, a few bad eggs give the entire force a bad name.
I know that some of the Gardai could quite reasonably be described as nothing but ****, I wont arugue with that, BUT, there are a lot of hardworking, good natured, law obeyding/inforcing men and women who serve valiantly, and as is the way, go unnoticed.
It is fair to say that in general, bad behaviour receives more column inches then honourable behaviour.

RoundyMooney

sillysausage wrote:

I think its the same as any other profession or organisation in the country, a few bad eggs give the entire force a bad name.
I know that some of the Gardai could quite reasonably be described as nothing but ****, I wont arugue with that, BUT, there are a lot of hardworking, good natured, law obeyding/inforcing men and women who serve valiantly, and as is the way, go unnoticed.
It is fair to say that in general, bad behaviour receives more column inches then honourable behaviour.

Nail, head, on,...

kellxor.1337

Exactly, I see some good and have heard about some bad,
I've never had a bad expierence myself, I've been pulled by a few in the past after a few fights"Which i didnt start, self defence" and they've basically been pretty good to me,

Guess i'm just lucky lol



Kellxor

Binomate

I've only ever had good experiences with them.

cheeky_guy

lol you all badmouth them, yet you would be the first to go running to them when something goes wrong.



Thank god for the pigs!:D

LegacyUser

cheeky_guy wrote:

lol you all badmouth them, yet you would be the first to go running to them when something goes wrong.



Thank god for the pigs!:D

Not everyone is bad mouthing them though, and yes, most people would go them immediately if 'something goes wrong' because thats what they are there for, and the only other option available to you, apart from the assistance of the gardai, is to take the law into your own hands - which is never really a very good idea.

jdwals

In my own personal experiences with the Gardaí I have mixed views from them. I think about 75% positive but 25% negitive which is quiet a high proportion of negitive experiences.
I also know people directly who have had some bad experiences with the Gardaí.
I think the most depressing thing for me is when I think back to two times where I was mugged and had my car broken into which I reported to the Gardaí and the glazed look to their eyes and obvious lack of interest. This, I think says more about the state of the justice system than the individual Gardaí.
But I do want to take a second to take my hat off to the Gardaí who policed the riots last Saturday and tell them that they did a great job under the circumstances and that it is disgusting how the average Garda was left so dangerously open and exposed by politicians and senior Gardaí.
One plus, as I witnesed going to the Ireland match on Wednesday - they do have some stunning looking female members!;)

Savman

cheeky_guy wrote:

lol you all badmouth them, yet you would be the first to go running to them when something goes wrong.

show me an Option B and I'll take it.

StupidLikeAFox

The guards are like referees, they can never win. Just say theres two guards on the beat, and a fight breaks out, someone will say "Why werent the two guys locked up straight away". If the guards arrest them, that means bringing them to the station, doin paperwork etc and theres NO guards on the beat in all that time. So then there will be complaints that there arent any guards around. Also if some guy starts on you, and you're both locked up, then they're bastards again!

How do ya please everyone?

cheeky_guy

Well, ive had a few run ins with them up until a couple of years ago, ive gonnen raps of fists, batons and maglite torches mostly for giving them cheek lol but i still believe in them even though id never really go to them if something went wrong.

I just dont like the way people would call them over a robbery or something and then as soon as they are out the door, start sniggering about them behind their back. I know from my own experiences they have a tough job ansd to be honest the high majority of them do the best they can.

But their still pigs though. Especially Andy Hayes!!

Savman

ColHol wrote:

The guards are like referees, they can never win. Just say theres two guards on the beat, and a fight breaks out, someone will say "Why werent the two guys locked up straight away". If the guards arrest them, that means bringing them to the station, doin paperwork etc and theres NO guards on the beat in all that time. So then there will be complaints that there arent any guards around. Also if some guy starts on you, and you're both locked up, then they're bastards again!

How do ya please everyone?

That's not for us to decide, they have to please everyone. Its not like there's crime happening 24/7 so I'm sick of hearing the argument of "there's too much paperwork to arrest petty criminals" - bulls***. Speeding fines = paperwork yet they lash them out when they feel like it.

They are understaffed for most situations but that's not our frickin problem, we can only cut them so much slack. I'm sure the decent Gardai get pished off having such inadequate facilities in which to work, but if they think that's bad let them try and live in a disadvantaged area where the Gardai won't patrol. That's a bigger nightmare so any sympathy people have for the "poor Gardai" sickens me - they get paid for a tough job but they can walk away at any point and at the end of the day they clock out and they're outta there.

Spare a thought for the "poor people" who dont have the option to quit at the end of a long day and have to face bare faced thuggery on their doorstep week after week, regular car theft, open drug dealing, joyriding, muggings, stabbings, rioting, assaults, the list goes on. But hey, I'm sure there's too much paperwork involved to do anything about it :rolleyes:

Megatron

I've had some good dealings with them .

1 bad one .... guy was power tripping big time .


So i dont' have a problem with them as a whole , just 1 or 2 of em.


Esp my little brother who's a trainee garda ( a Pigglet )

_Kaiser_

Oh ok then... *WARNING: LONG RANT*

As anyone who caught the PrimeTime special on anti-social behaviour a few months back will have seen, my mam lives in Coolock and has been the victim of a sustained campaign of harassment and intimidation by local scumbags for the past 18 years!! Not ONCE has ANYONE ever been charged or even questioned about it!

The local cops are by and large WORSE than these scumbags.. why?

EXAMPLE 1:
Junkie scumbag next door kicks the front door in one morning. Cops are called. Yer one is screaming in her driveway at him: "yea I f*ckin did it!!". Garda response: "I don't want to go down the road of charging her!" - and he didn't.

EXAMPLE 2:
Another neighbour starts banging on the front door one night with just my mam in the house. Rings the local staton..no response. She rings me - I'm in Cavan at the time with no way home - and I ring them.. as usual there's no inspector availanle (despite a legal requirement that every station must have a inspector or higher at all times!).

I then ring the district station. Get a guy whose initally very helpful and promises to see what's happening. He put the phone down (not on hold - his mistake!) and I can hear him LAUGHING about it on the phone with the lads in Coolock. Then he comes back to me with an attitude. After shouting at this P*ick I get his inspector on the phone who promises to send a car.

45 minutes later a van turns up and goes to said scumbag's house (as he's gone in at this stage thankfully). His girlfrien answers the door and says "yea he's sorry - he's in bed now" (admission of guilt btw!). Cops arrive at our door and refuse to even take him in for question saying "we don't want to get him out of his bed!"


EXAMPLE 3:
Having had the front of the house pelted with stones for about 20 mins, a garda sargeant tells me on the phone he's noone in the area. As he says this, 2 of his officers turn up - sent by the crowd we were ringing about in the first place.
I ask them to wait while I talk to their sargeant. THey don't! I ask the sargeant what they wanted and he tells me he doesn't know. I offer to hold while he finds out... "I've no way of contacting them" he says.
"Right then" I reply "so you've Guards driving around with no radio or mobile??" "Uh yea.." is his answer... not just lies but STUPID lies!!


EXAMPLE 4:
When scumbag in example #1's car is stolen, a Garda car shows up at the door within 5 minutes and her car is back in an hour!! THEN 2 cars AND a van show up to make sure she's happy (and one of the Guards is caught on our surveilence camera making the smart-assed remark "sure maybe Norma (my mam) got it on tape!").
When this same scumbag clipped my wing mirror 2 months ago after tearing up the road, leaning on the horn, and FAILING TO STOP (hit and run btw), the local cops refused to charge her despite the whole incident being captured on camera and a copy of the tape and statement being presented by me. Why? There's no evidence to show anything happened. A inspector down there remarked to my mam that I'd "wasted an hour of his time on a incident that didn't happen" - thus calling me a liar!!

The Gardai in this backwater half-assed country (and I take no pleasure in saying that) are rotten to the core from top to bottom with no independent oversight or accountability. It's the EXCEPTION rather than the rule that you meet a decent one!

Btw.. if any mods wish to verify any of this feel free to PM me..
To everyone else, sorry for the rant but thanks for reading this far!