Traffic Corp Superintendent Arrested for Drunk Driving

Altreab

Just listening to the news on 2FM now and the headline story is that a Traffic Corp Superintendent has been Arrested for Drunk Driving in East Galway (Loughrea i THINK) He was in an unmarked squad car which was issued as part of his duties and was reported by a member of the public. He refused to take the required tests!! He is in the Job for just a month.
Anyone else hear about it?

testicle

Garda arrested on drink-driving suspicion
RTE - Friday, 30 March 2007 11:59


A Garda Superintendent in charge of a Regional Traffic Division has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Superintendent Jim Fitzgerald, who is less than a month in the job, was arrested in Galway last night.

He was driving an official unmarked garda car at the time.

He was taken to Loughrea Garda Station after he was reported by a member of the public, but it is understood he refused to take the test.

He was released but it is understood that proceedings will be taken against him.

Under the new Road Traffic Legislation refusing to take a test for drink-driving carries a disqualification of three years off the road.

peasant

Lovely ! :mad:

Mitch Connor

he better get the disqualification.

Stephen

Do you reckon he'll even get the sack for this? I don't. Fair play to whatever Garda actually had the balls to arrest him and bring him in.

FGR

This is one for the books.

Like Stephen said; fair play to the Guard who had the gutts to stick it to the Super.

seamus

ForegoneReality wrote:

Like Stephen said; fair play to the Guard who had the gutts to stick it to the Super.

Indeed. Gardai drink-driving is nothing new. Other Gardai actually arresting superior officers *is* new, and I'm happy to see it being done.

Bradidup

They should make an example of him particularly with all the road carnage. They are the authorities and are supposed to be giving us all example. If he gets away with it one might as well use the new edition of the rules of the road for toilet paper.

jhegarty

Tauren wrote:

he better get the disqualification.

If he keeps his job I can't see how anyone in the coutry can have trust in the system....

Mitch Connor

jhegarty wrote:

If he keeps his job I can't see how anyone in the coutry can have trust in the system....

a lot of people don't trust it when it comes to a gardai breaking the law as it is, this fella getting away with would be very annoyin, but not surprising.

Kinetic^

Friend of a friend was in Templemore on one of his training phases. Got caught drink driving. Got kicked out of Templemore.

ballooba

jhegarty wrote:

If he keeps his job I can't see how anyone in the coutry can have trust in the system....

ROFL.

The newspapers did the business on convictions on Gardai a few months back. In response Phoenix Park opted for a more open approach rather than let the papers make out they were hiding something. Now we are seeing stuff like this every other week.

Owen

Bradidup wrote:

They should make an example of him particularly with all the road carnage. They are the authorities and are supposed to be giving us all example. If he gets away with it one might as well use the new rules of the road for toilet paper.

Dead right. I had the misfortune of doing a few jobs in the Phoenix Park in Dublin about 5 years ago, and they have a subsidised pub there, where you could (at the time, granted) watch the Gardaí have a fair few pints and drive home.

Everyone needs to be tarred with the same brush on this.

unnameduser

I know of this man.Googling him will give you a little background info.

ned78 wrote:

Dead right. I had the misfortune of doing a few jobs in the Phoenix Park in Dublin about 5 years ago, and they have a subsidised pub there, where you could (at the time, granted) watch the Gardaí have a fair few pints and drive home.

Everyone needs to be tarred with the same brush on this.

It BeeMee

testicle wrote:

He was taken to Loughrea Garda Station after he was reported by a member of the public, but it is understood he refused to take the test.

Am I being very cynical to suggest this is why he was "done" ?
Would it be a differenct story if had been stopped for a random test by a checkpoint?

I hope not...

Fozzie Bear

Stephen wrote:

Do you reckon he'll even get the sack for this? I don't. Fair play to whatever Garda actually had the balls to arrest him and bring him in.

That may well have a lot to do with the fact that it was a member of the public who saw him getting into his car after leaving a pub and took his registration down and rang the Gardai to report him. (This person may well have recognised him as a high ranking Garda). There would have been a record made of the call so they had to act on it. Could you imagine the press reports if nothing had been done and this was leaked by the member of public who reported it?

But still it must have taken some guts to actually pull him over take him out of the car and arrest him. Fair dues to the Garda in question.

Owen

unnameduser wrote:

I know of this man.Googling him will give you a little background info.

Do you mean the Garda, or me?

unnameduser

ned78 wrote:

Do you mean the Garda, or me?

Jim Fitz of course!

Anan1

unnameduser wrote:

I know of this man.Googling him will give you a little background info.

Any chance of a little more detail, i've tried his name in Google and there's too much to trawl through. Just one keyword would be a great help!;)

unnameduser

Anan1 wrote:

Any chance of a little more detail, i've tried his name in Google and there's too much to trawl through. Just one keyword would be a great help!;)

http://www.unison.ie/search/frame_search.php3?span=web&words=kim%20fitzgerald

You must be logged in. Article is as follows:
Anonymous allegations against Nenagh Supt

ADVERTISEMENT






Supt. Jim Fitzgerald


The High Court in Dublin on Monday granted Nenagh’s Garda Superintendent James Fitzgerald (52) Brookville Green, Nenagh, permission to seek orders prohibiting his transfer from Nenagh to Garda headquarters in Dublin, and the carrying out of an investigation into allegations made against him.
Allegations in an anonymous letter in regard to Supt Fitzgerald’s behaviour in pubs and towards other people were denied by him and described in an affidavit as completely false.

He believed the letter may have emanated from a source who may have been affected “from” decisions he was required to make by virtue of his office.

Mr Justice McMenamin granted Superintendent Fitzgerald a stay in relation to any investigation until the High Court proceedings have concluded and he also granted a temporary injunction restraining the Garda Commissioner purporting to transfer him to Garda headquarters in Dublin.

He also made an order that Superintendent Fitzgerald's intended replacement in Nenagh, Superintendent Catherine Keogh be made a notice party to the proceedings.

Superintendent Fitzgerald who has responsibility for the Nenagh district for the past seven years said he met with Assistant Commissioners

Ignatius Rice and Noel Smith on March 15 last when they showed him a typed one-page letter containing allegations in relation to dealings with persons in Nenagh.

He did not get a copy of the letter but from memory it alleged he owed money to about twelve parties, some of whom were personal friends.

He did owe money to two parties, a garage proprietor and another party who did some tarmacadam work at his house. He had requested bills from both parties but had not received them.


The letter had said there were many fine Gardai in Nenagh but that Superintendent Fitzgerald was not one of them and that he “was scrounging drink and did not pay for these drinks”. It was also alleged he borrowed a motor car and brought it back soiled with a substantial amount of money missing. He admitted borrowing a car with a friend’s full consent and it was returned in perfect condition.

No complaint had even been made to him by the car owner either that the car was in any way damaged or that money was missing from the car. He did not take any money. It was absolutely untrue to say that when asked for payment for the tarmacadam work he (the Superintendent) said “something about drink driving.”

The letter concluded that the writer would not sign their name as Superintendent Fitzgerald “was a nasty piece of goods.”

Superintendent Fitzgerald said he was told his position in Nenagh was “untenable” by Assistant Commissioner Smith and that he should consider his position. Assistant Commissioner Rice said he believed the contents of the letter were substantially correct. He replied in writing on March 16 this year that it was not his intention to resign. As a result of the stress he was placed on sick leave.

On April 4 he was advised that on his return from sick leave he was to be transferred to Garda headquarters in Dublin and that a new superintendent was being appointed to Nenagh. On April 6 he learned his proposed transfer and replacement in Nenagh had been announced in The Guardian the local Nenagh newspaper.


He had no personal difficulty with Superintendent Kehoe who commenced duties on April 8 but her appointment undermined his position with the Garda force and his general reputation among the Nenagh public.

Anan1

unnameduser wrote:

http://www.unison.ie/search/frame_search.php3?span=web&words=kim%20fitzgerald

You must be logged in. Article is as follows:
Anonymous allegations against Nenagh Supt.

Thanks for that. Makes very interesting reading in the context of his arrest for drink-driving.

_Kaiser_

So there's the usual internal muppetry going on in the Gardai.. what else is new? :rolleyes: I personally don't see any relation between this, and the guy (rightly) being done for allegedly drink driving.

legs11

hang him.....

bloody alcos.

Anan1

Kaiser2000 wrote:

So there's the usual internal muppetry going on in the Gardai.. what else is new? :rolleyes: I personally don't see any relation between this, and the guy (rightly) being done for allegedly drink driving.

The relation is that the Gardaí may have had their own reasons for catching Fitzgerald. If this is so, we can no longer assume from the prosecution that Gardaí are being made accountable to the law.

_Kaiser_

Anan1 wrote:

The relation is that the Gardaí may have had their own reasons for catching Fitzgerald. If this is so, we can no longer assume from the prosecution that Gardaí are being made accountable to the law.

Well I agree that's a lot more serious alright. The "one rule for them" thread springs to mind.

Bradidup

That cop that pulled him should be premoted to his position.

Supercell

He sounds like a right peice of work, my quess is he pissed off one to many people and they were waiting for the opportunity to nab him, and rightly so it would appear.

ninty9er

He above anyone should have known the system and known give a sample unless you have something to hide!!!!

Should at least be demoted....damn public service job protection!!!

mikemac

Bradidup wrote:

That cop that pulled him should be premoted to his position.

Agreed. But my first reaction was the arresting garda has just destroyed his own career and any chance of future promotions.
Hopefully, he hasn't though, well done I say!

Altreab

It BeeMee wrote:

Am I being very cynical to suggest this is why he was "done" ?
Would it be a differenct story if had been stopped for a random test by a checkpoint?

I hope not...

I wonder if he was reported using TrafficWatch as mentioned in another thread or directly to the local station in Loughrea..... and fair play to the young Garda who did his/her job well.

G Luxel

It sounds like the garda who arrested him must have been given some New training in Templemore, probably on some report done by the independent ombudsman and now putting it into practice. Well done to him or her. It could have been worse if the offending Super had injured or killed others.

Stephen

ninty9er wrote:

He above anyone should have known the system and known give a sample unless you have something to hide!!!!

Should at least be demoted....damn public service job protection!!!

Demoted? Are you crazy? He should be f**king well sacked.

ninty9er

Stephen wrote:

Demoted? Are you crazy? He should be f**king well sacked.

our groupin on campus at UL are putting a petition of this nature together for McDowell, but liklihoods of a public servant getting sacked are very slim, especially with rumours that he was "done"

I agree though, what I said was at least

Seth Brundle

Stephen wrote:

Demoted? Are you crazy? He should be f**king well sacked.

Given that two members of FF were caught pissed behind the wheel (GV Wright & Jim McDaid) and nothing happened them then I doubt the political will exists to make his sacking inevitable.

RuggieBear

kbannon wrote:

Given that two members of FF were caught pissed behind the wheel (GV Wright & Jim McDaid) and nothing happened them then I doubt the political will exists to make his sacking inevitable.

Aye...tis a great little country we live in.

CrowdedHouse

I see he's going to 'retire'. Which probably means he'll keep his pension.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0331/fitzgeraldj.html

Dilbert75

It says here that he's resigned / resigning.

Traffic chief was appointed to post only three weeks ago

A SENIOR Garda traffic officer, who was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, has resigned from the force.

Garda Supt James Fitzgerald (54) told the authorities yesterday afternoon that he intended to quit, the Irish Independent can reveal.

The dramatic move came hours after it emerged that he had been arrested for alleged drink driving and taken to Loughrea garda station in county Galway.

It is understood that when his official car was stopped by local gardai at a roundabout outside Loughrea he claimed that he had been "set up" by the garda authorities.

But his arrest stemmed from a telephone call from a member of the public, who had been concerned about his well-being earlier at a filling station at Craughwell on the main Dublin-Galway road.

Three weeks ago Supt Fitzgerald was one of five members of his rank to be appointed to the new posts of full-time traffic superintendents in the regions outside Dublin.

He was placed in charge of traffic duties in the Western region and was based in Galway city.

Two years ago he was granted an injunction by the High Court blocking his transfer from Nenagh to Garda headquarters and stopping an official investigation into anonymous allegations that he had been regularly drunk and owed money - accusations which he strongly denied.

But the injunction against the transfer was later lifted by the court on the application of the Garda authorities and about a year ago he was moved to Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.

Supt Fitzgerald recently withdrew his outstanding court actions and then sought a transfer to Galway.

His new post as a dedicated traffic superintendent in the west meant he was to work full time in co-ordinating traffic operations between regions and enforcing the policies laid down by the Garda Commissioner.

Around 7.30pm on Thursday a member of the public saw Supt Fitzgerald drive his unmarked official car into the forecourt of a garage in the village of Craughwell on the main Dublin-Galway road.

The officer bought a cup of coffee in the garage shop and was drinking it in his official car when the person decided to contact a garda in Gort station and tell him about his concerns over the driver's well-being.

Supt Fitzgerald then drove out of the garage in the direction of Loughrea. The garda in Gort relayed the information to Loughrea and the local district car intercepted Supt Fitzgerald's car at the roundabout outside the town. A young garda spoke to Supt Fitzgerald, who produced his official identity and a pass to Garda headquarters.

The garda told the traffic superintendent he had formed the opinion he had been drinking and told him he was being arrested and taken to Loughrea garda station.

At that stage it is believed that Supt Fitzgerald made his remarks about being set up by the authorities.

It is understood that his first evidential breath test on the intoxilyser showed his alcohol levels to be above the legal limit.

As part of the process, he was then asked to take a second test. He attempted to take the second test twice but on each occasion failed to produce sufficient breath and this was deemed to be a refusal. Supt Fitzgerald was then released from custody.

Under the new road traffic legislation conviction for refusing to take a breath test can result in disqualification from the roads for up to three years and a fine.

Tom Brady

Seth Brundle

ideally his resignation should be refused and he then receives his cards but as we all know, this will never happen.

patrickc

again as in another thread, one rule for us one rule for them, lets hope I'm proved wrong though and he gets sacked like anyone else would and goes through our wonderful court system:rolleyes:

Altreab

kbannon wrote:

Given that two members of FF were caught pissed behind the wheel (GV Wright & Jim McDaid) and nothing happened them then I doubt the political will exists to make his sacking inevitable.

Jim McDaid was banned from driving .....as was GV Wright (correct me if im wrong on that one)

Guy:Incognito

patrickc2006 wrote:

again as in another thread, one rule for us one rule for them, lets hope I'm proved wrong though and he gets sacked like anyone else would and goes through our wonderful court system:rolleyes:

Set aside the fact he is a gard.
Assuming your job doesnt involve drivign, would you be happy if you were sacked for being caught drink driving. It may well be policy to sack him but if it isnt I dotn see why he should be sacke danymore than you should in similar circumstances.

The fact he is part of the traffic corps is really relevant either, I mean a gard in the drug squad shouldnt be treated any different to a gard in any other division if he is found in posetion of drugs.

patrickc

Stekelly wrote:

Set aside the fact he is a gard.
Assuming your job doesnt involve drivign, would you be happy if you were sacked for being caught drink driving. It may well be policy to sack him but if it isnt I dotn see why he should be sacke danymore than you should in similar circumstances.

The fact he is part of the traffic corps is really relevant either, I mean a gard in the drug squad shouldnt be treated any different to a gard in any other division if he is found in posetion of drugs.

what about leading by example?

CLADA

Stekelly wrote:

Set aside the fact he is a gard.
Assuming your job doesnt involve drivign, would you be happy if you were sacked for being caught drink driving. It may well be policy to sack him but if it isnt I dotn see why he should be sacke danymore than you should in similar circumstances.

The fact he is part of the traffic corps is really relevant either, I mean a gard in the drug squad shouldnt be treated any different to a gard in any other division if he is found in posetion of drugs.

A good point Stekelly, drink driving is not a sackable offence in any non driving job. so why should it be for him?

You could argue:
(A) The Gardai should lead by example, so sack him.
(B) As Regional Traffic Supt he should be more accountable than the ordinary punter, so sack him.

or

(A) If a Garda is the only occupation where you can be sacked for drink driving, is that not one rule for them and another for us?
(B) The man has resigned, his career is over. Is that punishment enough?

It was one stupid thing to do and I honestly believe that the managerial positions in the guards are occupied by a lot of the old brigade who are preaching the political correctness etc.. but don't seem to be able to practice it themselves.

Mitch Connor

if a guard can't abide by the law like they are entrusted to force everyone else too, they should not have the job.

patrickc

Tauren wrote:

if a guard can't abide by the law like they are entrusted to force everyone else too, they should not have the job.

agreed

I've worked in a number of jobs (where driving is not my job) and drink driving is a sackable offence

CLADA

So should he be allowed to resign before the case is dealt with?

Mitch Connor

CLADA wrote:

So should he be allowed to resign before the case is dealt with?

yes - but he should still be banned from driving.

CLADA

Theres no disputing the ban, but my mistake in saying resign, he has applied to retire. Remember that you retire on full pension, you get sacked with nothing.

So do they let him go with his pension or gut him?

Fey!

patrickc2006 wrote:

I've worked in a number of jobs (where driving is not my job) and drink driving is a sackable offence

Name 3 where it is distinctly drink driving as opposed to having gained a criminal record.

Stekelly - very valid point.

To a few others on here - drink driving is not a sackable offence, IIRC, even if the internet lawyers/internet civil-rights-activists/internet I've-never-done-wrong-people on here believe it should be. If you were a clerical worker and you got fired for drink driving, wouldn't you be bringing your former employer to the labour court and moaning to us all on here? Of course you would. Why? Because a large element of the people on here would rather gouge out their eyes than say anything positive about anything.

Yes, this superintendent should not be placed in a position of trust again, but after the governments exposure to a certain judge with filthy pictures last year, can you see them blocking this idiots retiring so that they can sack him? And to those political animals amongst you, it'd be the same no matter who was in power. Severe lack of backbone backed by our constitution and a good solicitor.

All I can say is good work to the garda who arrested him and charged him when they could easily have smudged things enough to let him off despite the report from a member of the public; test results didn't have to become public knowledge. A lot of people will say that that gardas career is now over, but s/he may have done more for PR for the force in one night than their press office has in 5 years.

Boards motors section will continue to Garda bash as people can do so anonymously; 99% of you wouldn't have the guts to bitch and snipe so much in a public non-internet forum. The thing is, despite your moaning, this is actually one of the few threads on here where a garda has done the right thing.

Golferx

Fey! wrote:

................................. The thing is, despite your moaning, this is actually one of the few threads on here where a garda has done the right thing.

Done the Right thing? Are you joking?

What this man has done is nothing more than damage limitation.

1. It appears he was driving while drunk.

2. In a State Car

and

3. He refused to give the necessary samples.


Now, instead of standing up like a man and taking his medicine, as a member of the Garda Siochana, he is trying to run away with his pension intact.



Doing the right thing. Fey!, you should be ashamed of yourself, defending such an individual.

This Garda should be sacked , without pension. His actions and behaviour have been deplorable.

Thank God he didn't kill some poor innocent..

patrickc

Fey! wrote:

Name 3 where it is distinctly drink driving as opposed to having gained a criminal record.

ok maybe it's more the criminal record, but he still has done wrong, in his job with his power and authority he should be setting a good example, he therefore should be sacked and not resigning with his full pension.. (half of it maybe)

we might bitch and moan about Gardai on boards, but look at the praise the Garda that arrested him is getting, if someone has done wrong, they deserve to suffer the consequences.
and he clearly has done wrong, (whatever about even being in his own car, and not a state owned car he might have some leeway)