Garda Veehickills

Hagar

The Gendarmerie here use estate cars and Kangoo type vans all the time as opposed to using saloon cars like the Gardaí as well as the bigger mini-bus type vans. I was passing a parked one yesterday and the back of it was like an Aladdin's cave. There were cones, breakdown signs, high viz, all-weather gear, flares, first-aid kits, torches, helmets, tape, pop-up warning triangles and reflective signs etc etc. Basically each car was fully equipped to deal well with an accident situation all on its own. It made me wonder how well equipped each Garda car is and would the Gardaí be better served with similar vehicles? Are the current vehicles up to the job? Especially given that the manpower levels are relatively low and an individual car may have to cope with an incident for some time before other units arrive.

Hagar

Thay used to be, they are no longer part of the Military. They became a civilian controlled force more than a year ago. I take your point though.

The local Municipals are equipped at a much lower level but they are only glorified parking wardens or traffic cops, no offence if your reading this in Harcourt St.

The Gendarmerie are a nationwide forces and deal with all the more serious policing so really they and the Gardaí would be equivalent. I'm just interested as to views on what the Gardaí should be driving and what extra equipment do they need, budget permitting.

/edit/ Reply to disappeared post...

metman

Sorry mate, I deleted the post to rewrite it and got side-tracked.

As regards the Police Municipale being glorified parking attendants I'd disagree with you there. Any dealings I or any family (who live in Paris) have had with the police, have been with the police, not gendarmes. Police municipale perform the general policing role for the most part, and yes the gendarmerie was brought under the control of the ministry of the interior, post 9/11 I think it was, but it still retains its military role and specialist policing role, therefore it is not akin to AGS, in my opinion.

Hagar

I didn't mean to be so dismissive of the local lads. I live in a small town in a fairly rural area so the locals may not be up to Paris standards. That said the are very nice guys. They even knocked me up one morning at 6:30am when I was parked in a place reserved on Market Day, no ticket, just get up and move your car. Great community police work. I'm on friendly terms with the local Captain, tbh it still freaks me a bit when he kisses me on both cheeks when we meet.

I have had to deal with break-ins at clients properties and without exception the Municipales directed me to the the Gendarmerie. The Municipales where I live don't even do speed traps. They do a great job of traffic control, particularly at the local schools.

metman

Hagar wrote: »

I'm on friendly terms with the local Captain, tbh it still freaks me a bit when he kisses me on both cheeks when we meet.

I can see the lads at Store Street adopting this practice......:D

deadwood

Hagar wrote: »

I'm on friendly terms with the local Captain, tbh it still freaks me a bit when he kisses me on both cheeks when we meet.

Monsieur L'Hagar?
Ah 'ave a leetle sumsing from your friends in ze Place d'Arcourt in Doooblan, non?


And le cap-i-tan, he says you slipped ze tongue!

And keep your Arish nose out of le voiture!

Eru

The Municipal police in France, similar to Policia Local in Spain and Municipal police in Italy are employed by the local council or whatever local government exists. As a result they are concerned only with local issues.

Gendarmes like Guardia Civil in Spain and Caribiniari in Italy are a national force employed by central government and retain much of their military past. Therefore they are primarily responsible for items of national security (but also traffic which I find strange).

All three nations also have National police which are employed and trained as civilian forces. It is these organisations that are charged with preventing, detecting and investigating crimes of a national interest ie serious crime.

Theres really no way to compare Irish and UK policing with them as we perform the functions of all three rolled into one. For example my in laws cant understand that I may have to arrest a murderer or a terrorist but also enforce traffic law all without a firearm. Its simple alien to them.

So to answer your question Hagar, to compare the Gendarmes to the Gardai look to our traffic corp not the local patrol cars as they carry similar items to the same level for dealing with major traffic scenarios.

A local patrol car 'should' not be dealing with a serious traffic incident on its lonesome (ie not supposed to but you know how it is, those traffic lads are busy an all) and as a result have less equipment. They should however have the basics such as a traffic cone, etc and fire extuingisher.

Edit to ask, was it just me or are the French coppers generally ignorant and rude? Mate of mine is French and he told me they are rude to everyone.

metman

Eru wrote: »

Edit to ask, was it just me or are the French coppers generally ignorant and rude? Mate of mine is French and he told me they are rude to everyone.

The French as a rule, from the time I have spent there and the locals I know, are much more anti-authority than the Irish or English....hence why you see people openly smoking on the RER and Metro platforms, which if the same happens on the Tube people start tutting and inevitably someone will complain, or staff will intervene. Equally they have a lower expectation from the Police and I think this is reflected in the French Police's attitude....I don't think they spend too much money on community policing initiatives safe to say though I'm open to correction.

When I was over there in December I clocked an unmarked car about to put in a vehicle stop on Avenue de l'Opera....stop went in and was identical in method to how we did em on Task Force....except they were all carrying sidearms on their belts. Don't know if they were locals or Gendarmes, but looked the part, no messing around.

pa990

Hagar wrote: »

... very nice guys. They even knocked me up one morning at 6:30am

Hagar wrote: »

tbh it still freaks me a bit when he kisses me on both cheeks when we meet.

OOookkkkaaayy

metman

As an aside I see Donal McIntyre's 'World's toughest towns' is about Paris tonight. Bravo@2200.

Hagar

So this what they mean when they say "Everthing you say may be written down and may be given in evidence against you"...

I only wanted to know about estate cars and it's all gone sadly wrong...

Victor

Have a look at this http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055471626

deadwood

Hagar wrote: »

So this what they mean when they say "Everthing you say may be written down and may be given in evidence against you"...

I only wanted to know about estate cars and it's all gone sadly wrong...

Cliques Sans Frontiers!