An Garda Siochana - Do you respect them?

steddyeddy

when people say people who are in trouble with the gaurds are the ones that break the law but theres the issue of the laws they choose to enforce.

As regards people who are never in trouble never running foul of the gaurds tell that to the people from that family in donegal. I have respect for the gaurds who uphold the law under dangerous conditions but what exactly was done about the gaurds who were involved in the donegal case?

hsanz114clayton

ajdb wrote: »

generally speaking the Garda are ok.... obviously things like the 'blue flu' and the reaction of some officers to student protests are a disgrace.

In protests it is unfortunate that innocent peacefull demonstrators get caught up in the Gardai's necessary force.However this is always a adequate, even and justified response to the violence first inflicted by the groups of anarchists who infiltrate the peacefull marches with the only intention on disturbing the peace and creating general mayhem.

steddyeddy

hsanz114clayton wrote: »

In protests it is unfortunate that innocent peacefull demonstrators get caught up in the Gardai's necessary force.However this is always a adequate, even and justified response to the violence first inflicted by the groups of anarchists who infiltrate the peacefull marches with the only intention on disturbing the peace and creating general mayhem.

innocent protesters getting injured is a valid response to aggressive protesters actions??

JG009

Tiz rare you get a sound one. Majority of them are ignorant thicks.

K-9

steddyeddy wrote: »

innocent protesters getting injured is a valid response to aggressive protesters actions??

Innocent being the word.

There was a siege situation at the Department of Finance offices, the priority was removing the protesters and the siege and avoiding a tense stand off lasting hours or even days. Whether you are an innocent bystander or not, your responsibility is to get out of that situation, ASAP.

Some people don't understand that and don't want to see that. Once people seen the riot squad arriving they should have had the cop on to get the hell out of there.

There was a naivety shown by the innocent student protesters there. Nothing wrong with that, indeed it is commendable. The Guards motive was different and therein lies the conflict.

hsanz114clayton

K-9 wrote: »

Innocent being the word.

There was a siege situation at the Department of Finance offices, the priority was removing the protesters and the siege and avoiding a tense stand off lasting hours or even days. Whether you are an innocent bystander or not, your responsibility is to get out of that situation, ASAP.

Some people don't understand that and don't want to see that. Once people seen the riot squad arriving they should have had the cop on to get the hell out of there.

There was a naivety shown by the innocent student protesters there. Nothing wrong with that, indeed it is commendable. The Guards motive was different and therein lies the conflict.

Well said.You've hit the nail on the head.From what I know the riot squads will be out numerous time especially when the budget is announced.

Nemanja91

I understand they have to do a job but a lot of the guards in Ireland are on powertrips.

Caliden

Not going to bother cast a vote as it depends on the Garda every time.
Some are on powertrips and others are genuinely nice nad just trying to do their job.

steddyeddy

K-9 wrote: »

Innocent being the word.

There was a siege situation at the Department of Finance offices, the priority was removing the protesters and the siege and avoiding a tense stand off lasting hours or even days. Whether you are an innocent bystander or not, your responsibility is to get out of that situation, ASAP.

Some people don't understand that and don't want to see that. Once people seen the riot squad arriving they should have had the cop on to get the hell out of there.

There was a naivety shown by the innocent student protesters there. Nothing wrong with that, indeed it is commendable. The Guards motive was different and therein lies the conflict.

The students who got injured were injured by their naivety? So the gaurds are not to blame for injuries because once any sort of trouble breaks out they attack indiscriminitly and the students should have known that. In fairness not every student was Irish a friend of mine from luxemberg for example who was at the rally was one of the few who didnt see the gaurds behaviour as professional or the norm.

The gaurds are supposed to be acting in the interest of public safety they were out to attack I could put anyone in unifrom and expect the same result, they were not acting on elaborate training.

K-9

steddyeddy wrote: »

The students who got injured were injured by their naivety? So the gaurds are not to blame for injuries because once any sort of trouble breaks out they attack indiscriminitly and the students should have known that. In fairness not every student was Irish a friend of mine from luxemberg for example who was at the rally was one of the few who didnt see the gaurds behaviour as professional or the norm.

The gaurds are supposed to be acting in the interest of public safety they were out to attack I could put anyone in unifrom and expect the same result, they were not acting on elaborate training.

You are in a siege situation.

A few good thousand where outside the Dept. of Finance offices. You were not aware of it, but you can be sure the Gardai were aware of the threat to the State involved.

I did not say the Guards aren't to blame for some injuries. Kindly quote me where I did?

Gardai have to deal with a certain element that would have no problem in undermining the very rights and law and order you seek protection under.

I've declared my interest earlier in this thread and I am well aware of a certain element that the Guards had to deal with that day. Nowhere have I said the Guards acted perfectly. There is No idyllic solution in cases like this.

If you have a problem with the riot squad, they have clearly identifiable numbers on their helmets, captured on many a You Tube video. Report away, as is your right.

flas

respect the job they do and the higher up like detective and eru and stuff go through a serious amount of sh*t day in and day out and the eru especially,their training is nuts, i know someone who is one now and he could be called out to any sort of fu*cked up dangerous situation at any time of any day so yeah, big respect to them and their line of work.

but did any of you ever go on a night out with a group of guards? tells you a whole other diifferent story. lad i lived with in forst year in college is a guard now,know him years and would be a very good friend since i was only 12 or 13. the change in him when he is out with his guard buddies is nuts, they act the maggot big time, louder than everyone else in anywhere they go and if any thing is ever said to them they just flash the badge and thats it where as the same behaviour from regular folk would warrant a good slap! just have this mentality where nothing will happen to them and they are right! still though, handy if there is a que at a nightclub or pub, straight to the top and in the door!

darced

This post has been deleted.

itsallgood

Dangerousdave, fitting name for someone who hates the gardai.
I wonder why you call yourself that?

This is not about any poster in particular but those you see on the streets robbing, harassing and shooting up.

You get realise that in life those who have a problem with authority figures are those that get caught in the wrong (always innocent bye-standers)
I fully understand that a lot of gardai do power trip but those people that go around calling them scumbags cause they wont let you do drugs and harass people on the streets are the real scumbags.
You only have to have walk through any major city or town in Ireland to see the junkies and thieves all abusing the Gardai and calling them all sorts. They are here to try keep our streets and homes safe from the likes of these people, just cause they stop you breaking the law and causing harm to others is no reason to dis-respect them.
All the bitching thats been done, could any of you walk onto a murder scene the likes of those in Limerick or Cork and do your job.
Cop on (pardon the pun).
RESPECT!

curlzy

I have alot of respect for Gardaí, when I was robbed at knife point by a junkie they were wonderful, drove me to and from the gardai station, gave me the number for victim support and gave me updates of how the case was proceeding and they also caught the scumbag the next day and returned my (empty) handbag to me.

Some friends of friends were recently caught growing weed plants and even they said they were treated excellently from their arrest to their release, no complaints apart from the length of time they were held.

I believe with Gardai if you threat them with respect they'll do the same but if you treat they badly they'll stop being quite so nice.

But at the end of the day they're human, some are assholes, some are sound, but in their professional capacity I think the vast majority are very respectable.

AudreyHepburn

I have always respected the Gardai because, although some-people either can't or won't see it, they do a very tough job and deal with the worst dregs of society all the time.

The way I see it is if some-one feels that every Garda they've ever deal with has been less than polite, respectful and helpful then perhaps the problem lies with them and not the Gardai.

I find it hard to believe that EVERY Gardai a person's dealt with is been a twat. Particularly the person is on the wrong side of the law.

I'm sure there are some rotten apples but you can't tar them all with one brush.

Respect them and they'll respect you. Be polite and co-operative and you will be treated in kind.

It's as simple as that.

angelfire9

I don't think anyone in An Garda Siochana would condone what happened in Donegal it was a disgrace and has tarnished the whole force as a result

I do understand that there are people on AH who have had problematic dealings with the force but I would remind them that there are 14,000 Gardai in Ireland and the few who are muppets dishonour the majority who are not!

In any discussion about the Gardai there are always people who say that Gardai are overpaid and power hungry but those that are quick to judge and to criticise should ask themselves if they would do the job better themselves or if they would do the job at all?

Rostered to work any shift from midnight to midnight any day of the year including Christmas day and New Year's eve

Out on the roads at all hours of the day and night in pouring rain or freezing cold dealing with the aftermath of another fatal RTA

Knocking on someone's door at 4am to tell them their son/daughter/husband/wife/father/mother won't be home ever again because they have been killed in an accident or incident


Accompanying the family of a hit & run victim to the morgue to identify the corpse by way of its clothing because the body is not fit to view and is now headless

Dealing with victims of crime and having to take statements from a 12 year old who was raped by her father/brother/uncle/cousin/friend

Calling to a house to investigate a missing person and finding the body hanging from the rafters of the shed outside

Chasing a violent criminal half way round the countryside and getting shot at while trying to arrest him

Being the first on scene at a murder and finding blood and mayhem

All of the above situations are ones which either my father or my husband have had to deal with during their respective careers

Anyone can say that Gardai chose to do their job and they are well paid for this kind of stuff but Gardai are human and dealing with this kind of stuff does take its toll, my husband had nightmares for weeks after 2 of these cases, no matter how well you train for a job and no matter how much you get paid for it there will always be situations that hit home more than others

Yes the Gardai chose their profession but that's not really relevant considering it is a job that someone has to do

It would be nice if people could remember this the next time they meet a cop who is just not in good form, you never know what a shift at work can bring to a cop and you never know when dealing with one what they have had to deal with already in their day

Pittybitty

I do respect the guards but one incident myself and my OH had made me laugh and lose a little bit of respect for them...

We were pulling into the gate way of our house one night and the garda helicopter had been flying around all night. 2 guards stopped us and asked us "Did they find a dead body?" I was like, WTF Lads, you're the guards not us!

But i do respect the guards if they're taller and older than me and not on a power trip otherwise no.

Balbriggan mechanic

Graffiti spotted on a wall in the north inner city reads, Help your local Gardai.....beat yourself up! Says it all.....

dangerousdavem

angelfire9 wrote: »

I don't think anyone in An Garda Siochana would condone what happened in Donegal it was a disgrace and has tarnished the whole force as a result

I do understand that there are people on AH who have had problematic dealings with the force but I would remind them that there are 14,000 Gardai in Ireland and the few who are muppets dishonour the majority who are not!

In any discussion about the Gardai there are always people who say that Gardai are overpaid and power hungry but those that are quick to judge and to criticise should ask themselves if they would do the job better themselves or if they would do the job at all?



All of the above situations are ones which either my father or my husband have had to deal with during their respective careers

Anyone can say that Gardai chose to do their job and they are well paid for this kind of stuff but Gardai are human and dealing with this kind of stuff does take its toll, my husband had nightmares for weeks after 2 of these cases, no matter how well you train for a job and no matter how much you get paid for it there will always be situations that hit home more than others

Yes the Gardai chose their profession but that's not really relevant considering it is a job that someone has to do

It would be nice if people could remember this the next time they meet a cop who is just not in good form, you never know what a shift at work can bring to a cop and you never know when dealing with one what they have had to deal with already in their day

All the situations you described above can be described to similar situations a doctor would encounter. The difference is if a doctor has had a bad day and lost a patient on the operating table, you can be sure he isn't going to take it out on the public. A guard on the other hand would.....

niallam

I've never had any real reason not to respect them.
In my 20's i drove modified cars, yes i was a boy racer, and they were always driven the same way as i drive any car or van i have and i never once got any hassle from the garda. If i was ever stopped at a checkpoint it was no hassle ever, treated me like any other driver.
I was never a believer of the boy racer theory of "they pulled me over and i wasnt doing a thing"... You obviously were

Other than that i think they have a hard job to do and i do agree that sometimes they might be on a power trip or have small man syndrome but thankfully my dealings with them have always been by the book and friendly

angelfire9

dangerousdavem wrote: »

All the situations you described above can be described to similar situations a doctor would encounter. The difference is if a doctor has had a bad day and lost a patient on the operating table, you can be sure he isn't going to take it out on the public. A guard on the other hand would.....

What? :eek:
When was the last time a doctor had to call to someone's door at 3am to do a death notification?

Accompany a relative to the morgue to identify remains?

Finding a victim of suicide while investigating a missing person?

Getting shot at?

Being the first to arrive to a chaotic murder scene?


What kind of doctors do you know???

Dan_Solo

bonerm wrote: »

Small price to pay for the job they do. I've always felt one great way of keeping scumbags out of trouble was employing them as Garda.

How does that keep them out of trouble? It just means the scumbags become Garda who cause trouble?

Dan_Solo

Not a shred of respect for 99% of them.
"To self-serve and self-protect" should be the Garda motto. It's true that most people seem to think they're OK... until they have some dealings with them. Then you'll find the real story.

dangerousdavem

angelfire9 wrote: »

What? :eek:
When was the last time a doctor had to call to someone's door at 3am to do a death notification?

Accompany a relative to the morgue to identify remains?

Finding a victim of suicide while investigating a missing person?

Getting shot at?

Being the first to arrive to a chaotic murder scene?


What kind of doctors do you know???

They deal with similar stressful and delicate situations such as

-Telling parents that their newborn baby is dead
-Telling a family that a family member died on the operating table
-Telling a patient they have cancer and that they have 3 months to live

These are just a few examples off the top of my head. The fact is Doctors are more respected than Guards and would have better people skills. The training in Templemore is shocking. Look at the state of the guards it churns out!

Wompa1

Are there an Garda on boards? Would be nice to hear their perspective

super_furry

When I see some of the people I knew growing up, and knew them to be either scangers or headcases, becoming Gardai, it does tend to colour my opinion.

Dan_Solo

dangerousdavem wrote: »

The training in Templemore is shocking. Look at the state of the guards it churns out!

I remember the entrance requirements used to be 5 passes in pass subjects. Later they switched it to an aptitude test as that was too hard for them. Then there was complaints that the aptitude test was too hard as "a lot of decent lads are having difficulty with it".
Now I guess they just ask the local parish priest or GAA coach for a reference and they're in.:D

Cheeky_gal

I've always found the guards to be mad sound !

I've been stopped about three times for speeding in recent months and each guard has turned around and said something like "you're blonde, go on!" etc.

I was also pulled into a garage at about 2am one night and an undercover car came upto me and they both shined their tourch in at me (I had pulled in to send a text) and they were like "what are you doing?" and I said "oh I just pulled in to send a text" and they just replied "ah sure you can do that driving! enjoy your night!".

However I've noticed they can be a lot different on the phone, for instance I phoned up a station there about a month ago in relation to a tax fine which was left on my car window. Lets just pretend the name left on the ticket was Emma Hog". Phone call went like this...

Me: Hi is Emma Hog there please?
Guard: No there's no one here that works under that name.
Me: Well she's after leaving a ticket on my car and the ticket clearly says Emma Hog
Guard: No Emma Hog, but there is an Emma Hogan
Me: Well that's obviously her then, can I speak with her?
Guard:Next time you phone up get the name right
Me: Excuse me???? How dare you. Ticket says Emma Hog now if you've got a problem with that then tell your colleague to spell her name correctly in future :mad:

Ush1

Cheeky_gal wrote: »

I've always found the guards to be mad sound !

I've been stopped about three times for speeding in recent months and each guard has turned around and said something like "you're blonde, go on!" etc.

Someone caught speeding and they say that? Fine Garda work there.:rolleyes:

HavingCrack

One thing people keep saying here is that it's just a minority of the guards who behave poorly or incompetently. If it's only a minority it's a very noticeable one let's put it that way. Maybe it's the nature of the job but I've come across far more stupid or bullying guards than I have other civil servants.