Question for the Gardai: Community Policing

eroo

I was just wondering about Community Policing in AGS, and how individual Gardai get into it. It's an area of policing that really interests me, and I've seen it making a great impact in Limerick.

So, are Gardai chosen for it if they are seen to have a flare for it? Or are they assigned to it without choice? Or do individual Gardai apply for it like most other positions?

Also, how much service would a Garda need before he/she could apply to join the local Community Policing team? When I do eventually get to apply, and all went well, it's an area I would love to get involved in. So, I'd appreciate any info ye could give me!:)

brayblue24

More often than not you just fall into it but usually you need to be outgoing and be prepared to do and listen to what your colleagues don't want to!! It's a very rewarding field though.

eroo

I will add more tomorrow when I have a bit more time.

TheNog

I am a Community Liason Garda for an estate in my town. I do like doing it but tbh I really don't have the time for it along with my own work and that our unit numbers is quite low.

I was assigned this estate by my I/C who said I had a good flare for community policing. I had only 1yr service at the time and the I/C built me with such flattery that he totally forgot to tell me about the major problems within the estate!!!!!!!!!!

All in all it is brilliant but you do need to have the time to do it or be fully assigned to it.

eroo

Thanks Nog, it's interesting to see how it works in smaller areas as well as city estates.

vasch_ro

it depends where you are normally the positions are advertised, sometimes phase 4's are automatically attached as com pol ,
the best part of my career was as community garda, out on the mt bike meeting people who actually know you , it was the way i though the job would be !!!!

vasch_ro

I agree with Nog it is generally a full time role, (or should be !)

Random

"mt bike" = motorbike or mountain bike? Are the community guys mainly the guys going round on the bicycles?

vasch_ro

sorry mountain bike, normally the community lads are trained up on the bikes

eroo

vasch_ro wrote: »

sorry mountain bike, normally the community lads are trained up on the bikes

Ya I've seen them out and about. Great way to get out and talk to people I suppose!

Random

vasch_ro wrote: »

sorry mountain bike, normally the community lads are trained up on the bikes

"trained up on the bikes" - you need much training for a bike? as a Gda (serious question!)

eroo wrote: »

Ya I've seen them out and about. Great way to get out and talk to people I suppose!

Not the 2 I saw the last day .. poor sods .. the 2 of them got off the bike and popped into the shop to grab a bottle of water each. Came back out and it was absolutely bucketing down. Duty obviously got the better of them though and they pedaled off .. but holy crap .. it did not look inviting outside as I was sat in the warm car eating my lunch !

TheNog

Random wrote: »

"mt bike" = motorbike or mountain bike? Are the community gheys mainly the gheys going round on the bicycles?

Random

Careful who you slag off :D:D

eroo

TheNog wrote: »

Random

Careful who you slag off :D:D

You just can't pull off the tight shorts!:D

Thanks for the posts so far lads and lassies!:)

Eru

Compol is my area have their own assigned areas but the problem with it they are given all the calls for that area not just the stuff that can be handled in a compol manner. Defeats the main purpose of compol

brayblue24

[QUOTE=Random;57963928Not the 2 I saw the last day .. poor sods .. the 2 of them got off the bike and popped into the shop to grab a bottle of water each. Came back out and it was absolutely bucketing down. Duty obviously got the better of them though and they pedaled off .. but holy crap .. it did not look inviting outside as I was sat in the warm car eating my lunch ![/QUOTE]

You take the rough with the smooth. The other side of that is when (if) it is sweltering in the summer there are worse ways to make money than to cycle around in shorts while others sit in offices. You kinda become immune anyway-just ask any postman.

Eroo, now that I have a minute, compol includes the better bits in my belief, as an earlier poster says, it is what you thought it was all about when you joined. School visits under the SPHE programme are part of it too. They can be great crack, particularly with the kids in the less well off areas as they have a tendency to tell it like it is and sometimes their level of knowledge would make your jaw drop.

I have heard, as Karlitosway says, of everything from you patch being dumped on the compol man. In my area they tried that once but it doesn't happen anymore. To be fair I have more than enough of my own work to be getting on with as it is.

For me the main difference with it and the regular is that when somebody rings you it is not necessarily with a problem-often it's just for a chat. Now where's that kettle?

deadwood

Agree with posters above. Compol (:cool:) can be frustrating and rewarding in equal measure. You'll find, after a while, certain people on your beat will talk to you and welcome you into their homes but they might run a mile from other members.

People want a guard they can call by name. It's reassuring when a familiar guard calls to your door as he/she will know your background.

Years ago, Compol (:cool::cool:) used to be called, oh what was it again....oh yes - Policing!

i-digress

TheNog wrote: »

I was assigned this estate by my I/C who said I had a good flare for community policing.

Sorry, excuse my ignorance but what is an I/C? Inspector Something?

TheNog

i-digress wrote: »

Sorry, excuse my ignorance but what is an I/C? Inspector Something?

I/C means In Charge

There is a Sergeant I/C who works days looking after the day to day running of the station. He/she would also be a little higher up a Unit Sergeant.

There is also the Member I/C. In the country stations this is the guard you meet at the reception desk. He/she is also responsible for prisoners.

i-digress

Thanks for that! I feel very cool and with it now! :cool:

Dave!

Community policing sounds great I'd say it's great to be able to go around the area and not feel as though you're supposed to be cracking heads! I can imagine it fosters a better community relationship with the Gardaí too.

brayblue24

Dave! wrote: »

Community policing sounds great I'd say it's great to be able to go around the area and not feel as though you're supposed to be cracking heads! I can imagine it fosters a better community relationship with the Gardaí too.

In a nutshell. Great way to find out how a community works and interacts at all levels. You'd be amazed the places you'd get respect, albeit sometimes begrudgingly, if you show a bit yourself.

Dave!

Quick question actually: if you're doing some community policing , and you're chatting away with a couple of young lads, and one of them (say) takes out a joint and start puffing away... what would ye do then? Say something lighthearted about it and leave it at that? Actually make them throw it out?

I would have thought that you would let something like that go so as to not inject hostility into the relationship/situation, thus it remains a positive interaction with a Garda. On the other hand, if you let someone break the law right in front of your face, what's the point of you being there? :pac:

Eru

Dave! wrote: »

Quick question actually: if you're doing some community policing , and you're chatting away with a couple of young lads, and one of them (say) takes out a joint and start puffing away... what would ye do then? Say something lighthearted about it and leave it at that? Actually make them throw it out?

I would have thought that you would let something like that go so as to not inject hostility into the relationship/situation, thus it remains a positive interaction with a Garda. On the other hand, if you let someone break the law right in front of your face, what's the point of you being there? :pac:

Well this is it isnt it? Your still a Garda and someone lighting up a spliff in front of you, hardly showing respect is it?

Compol Gardai still have and use their powers of arrest. The difference is they arent sent out to enforce the law but instead use it when need be. Besdies, common sense always was a part of policing in this country. Sadly some would like that to change and only worry about stats and arrests but for the moment we are still allowed use it.

brayblue24

Yeah, the bottom line is you're still a Garda and that has to be put across. Once the rules are laid you find they won't pull yhose stunts in front of you-of course they might do it in the next room but....

donvito99

Jerrys my local guard, in his late fifties I'm guessin. He usually has a thermas on his belt, with the 'statoil' mug, what a hero.