Privately fund a garda station

mikemac1

Probably a stupid question but I'll ask anyway

Say I won the Euromillions, huzzah!

And I'll give a bit of money to the local GAA and the local national school and a few other things in the parish. We can all dream

There was a one man garda station but it's been closed a few years now since the local sergeant retired.
It's open just a few hours about 2-3 days a week and realy the gardaí from the town don't know the area and how could they? Full of back roads and townlands, it's very rural

Would it be possible for a rich person like JP McManus or a lotto winner or whoever to approach the super and say I'll fund this station and one mans salary for three years if you keep it open?

Or could such a thing never ever happen as that's private interests funding the gardaí?

I suppose what I'm asking is would gardaí management take funding if offered

racso1975

While i think their opinion should be taken on board i dont think it would be just a local or even garda decision. I am sure the government and minister would have to be involved.

If it were to happen i'd rather see funders paired up eg so i fund somebody else's station many counties away and they fund mine. Just removes the risk of favourtisim, accusations or worse threats from funders

mikemac1

That pairing system is a great idea

goldie fish

OCP.

mikemac1

What's this?


edit: Ah, a Robocop reference

FGR

OCP..or in the UK...G4S

Sunnyisland

There is still to much gombeen politics in this country for anyone to privately fund a garda station,I could well imagine it,and its not a good image.

mikemac1

The original idea had noble intentions

Rural area, hardly any garda cover and someone wants to put their hand in their pocket and have a garda with local knowledge in the area and not halfway across the county in the car
Like it used to be.....

Not a gombeen

FGR

I reckon it could be done but it would have to go through official Government channels.

Which is understandable. I'd say the Commissioner would be more than willing to consider the offer from a wealthy individual.

If I was a billionaire I'd more than likely insist that my investment would ensure a minimum number of Gardaí at any given time with x amount of patrol cars/vans/motorbikes available. And all would be working out of a highly equipped, properly resourced station.

Not too much to ask, is it?

flazio

While intentions may be honourable what happens if said donor takes a few pints, gets in their car and knocks down a pedestrian dead, or starts fiddling with their taxes, can the Gardaí stay impartial in a situation like this?

deRanged

what about on a smaller scale - like a pc?

A few years ago I gave the local Gardai some CCTV footage of some kit vanishing from a factory - the impression I got was that they might not have a pc on which to view it. At the same time I was dumping machines in work which would have done that job just fine. They wouldn't need to be on the network or anything. (leaving aside the IT side of this) would a small donation like that work do you think?

Bosh

Regardless of how noble it wouldn't happen. Any such monies would be diverted to central funds.

RSA offered a large sum two years ago to buy motorbikes for Traffic, (fully kitted) but much to the frustration of those involved it went nowhere as powers that be decreed as above.

Terrontress

flazio wrote: »

While intentions may be honourable what happens if said donor takes a few pints, gets in their car and knocks down a pedestrian dead, or starts fiddling with their taxes, can the Gardaí stay impartial in a situation like this?

Of course! There are plenty of people already close to Gardai that they have to remain impartial with. Family, friends, even those who may be breaking the law in protesting about something which a guard also feels the same.

This sort of funding would not suddenly create the concept of conflict of interest.

Terrontress

I think what would be best would be for Irish individuals of high net worth to pay their tax at the same rate as PAYE employees instead of squirelling it away through the Carribean, or wherever Magnier, Bono and O'Brien send it, and then use the increased tax take to fund decent public services.

TheNog

Great idea but I could not see it happening ever. Main problem would be any charitable donation would be seen in a bad light by management or media in that the organisation to be seen as unable to fund itself efficiently or effectively. Too much to stomach

Eru

deRanged wrote: »

what about on a smaller scale - like a pc?

A few years ago I gave the local Gardai some CCTV footage of some kit vanishing from a factory - the impression I got was that they might not have a pc on which to view it. At the same time I was dumping machines in work which would have done that job just fine. They wouldn't need to be on the network or anything. (leaving aside the IT side of this) would a small donation like that work do you think?

dont see any issue with that really and believe me a few extra PC's would not go amiss

Victor

deRanged wrote: »

what about on a smaller scale - like a pc?

A few years ago I gave the local Gardai some CCTV footage of some kit vanishing from a factory - the impression I got was that they might not have a pc on which to view it. At the same time I was dumping machines in work which would have done that job just fine. They wouldn't need to be on the network or anything. (leaving aside the IT side of this) would a small donation like that work do you think?

Aside from being seen as 'greasing' the Garda, it would also be a potential security risk to them.

Eru

hes more talking about bog standard machines for paperwork etc victor, believe it or not that's exactly where our word machines came from in the past.

Terrontress

I'd think that the cost of ensuring there is no spyware would be prohibitive.