Gardai lose sensitive files on handgun owners

J.R.

just read this in the 'Sunday Business Post'.......not available on line but also mentioned here:

http://www.newstalk.ie/reader/47.301.341/4279/show_list/

Conmaicne Mara

It was mentioned on Marian Finucanes programme at the very end "weapons this" and "weapons that". I was going to email in but there were just minutes left in the programme so little point. Not awfully surprising to most who've gone through the application process and been met by blank looks, negative personal opinions, and "unexplained" delays.

tac foley

Oh dear. AGS will NOT be on many folk's Christmas card list this year, I bet.

Thankfully, over here in UK, the counties don't actually talk to each other about the numbers, types and locations of firearms held by shooters under their remit, and all attempts to construct a national data base have failed dismally.

Long may this confusion continue, I say. In the days when every packet of fags that you buy and every litre of fuel or every spud is logged on a computer to be examined and your life-style to be evaluated from your purchasing patterns the less people who know what guns are where, the better.

Sorry indeed for YOUR trouble though...

No doubt, in keeping with present AGS policy on cock-ups, foul-ups, screw-up and deliberate ommissions, those responsible will be promoted out of the way, if the PTB even care at all, that is.

tac

rowa

tac foley wrote: »

No doubt, in keeping with present AGS policy on cock-ups, foul-ups, screw-up and deliberate ommissions, those responsible will be promoted out of the way, if the PTB even care at all, that is.

tac

This is ireland tac , accountability is an unknown term.

Grizzly 45

Not surprising really,Firearms files seem to "get lost" in more Garda stations in Ireland than any other documents over the years...:rolleyes:

As well as according to the latest media reports[Sunday Indo today 23/12/12] ,lists of celeb DUI and drug cases,sexual assaults,and anything else of general naughtiness if you are "in the know".

Odd though that files or arrest warrents for things like old age pensioners not having a TV or dog liscense,or bald tyres or whatever NEVER go astray...

Amazing that if a private entity or body were too be so sloppy with personal and private information,thy would have the Data protection officers sitting on their necks while going thru their security procedures of data storage and access and tracing with a micro tooth fine comb!
Not to mind every politican and doo gooder group complaining about this outrageous negligence

Strange that a body registerd under the DPA act, the DPA never seem to investigate all these "lost" firearms applications and files....
Or that the Garda Ombudsman would care to investigate either..

But then the Garda Ombudsman has proven itself to be woefully incompetant in ANY firearms matter or case brought to its attention..I can count THREE of them with personal experiance.

But then again folks we are just " Irish gunowners"...People with the most wonderful sense of humour and patience on the planet to have to put up with what we have to.
Merry freakin Christmas!!:rolleyes:

Half-cocked

How do AGS manage to 'lose' so many files? Or should I say why? Because a lot of these 'lost' files suddenly get found. Just the other day a mate was complaining to me that his substitution application had been lost after him waiting 3 months. I suggested he say the 3 magic words - Data Protection Commisioner. Lo and behold, the application is found within an hour. They didn't even wait a day or 2 to make it look like they were having a good search for it.

sfakiaman

I would say that most of the 'losses' are through negligence or incompetence but am afraid that a significant number may be for more sinister reasons.

Sparks

http://www.radiokerry.ie/news/gardai-lose-files-on-firearm-licence-holder/

The Data Protection Commission has confirmed it received a number of complaints regarding the loss of the data at a number of Garda stations around the country.

tac foley

They are either lost under inexplicable circumstances, or even more worrying, found on buses, trains or building sites by members of the public......

tac

Half-cocked

There was another rumour a while back that they were claiming applications lost so that you would fill in another one a few months later and they could then compare them to try and catch you out if you were telling any porkies. Only a rumour of course, no evidence that this was actually happening....

Rangi

The Newstalk link above shows a picture of a handgun, the headline says "Gardai lose sensitive files on handgun owners" and the article says "According to the Sunday Business Post, the files include the names and addresses of people who possess shotguns and rifles". So what has actually been lost, files on handguns, rifles, shotguns, or all of the above?

tac foley

Rangi wrote: »

The Newstalk link above shows a picture of a handgun, the headline says "Gardai lose sensitive files on handgun owners" and the article says "According to the Sunday Business Post, the files include the names and addresses of people who possess shotguns and rifles". So what has actually been lost, files on handguns, rifles, shotguns, or all of the above?

You mean there's a difference?

tac

juice1304

To the ignorant public it would be a big difference shotguns are ok, " sure only farmers have shotguns but why would you want a handgun they're dangerous blaa blaa blaa" Most people don't even know you can own a pistol here.

rowa

Rangi wrote: »

The Newstalk link above shows a picture of a handgun, the headline says "Gardai lose sensitive files on handgun owners" and the article says "According to the Sunday Business Post, the files include the names and addresses of people who possess shotguns and rifles". So what has actually been lost, files on handguns, rifles, shotguns, or all of the above?

So what ? Its a shopping list for criminals no matter whats on the files. Also just because someone owns a shotgun or rifle doesn't mean they don't own a pistol , especially as a lot of court cases have been settled in the past few months and have has their pistols returned.

LB6

So how do we go about finding out what stations have lost our data?:mad:

Dalken

juice1304 wrote: »

To the ignorant public it would be a big difference shotguns are ok, " sure only farmers have shotguns but why would you want a handgun they're dangerous blaa blaa blaa" Most people don't even know you can own a pistol here.

Lucky they don't because most people would not want any handguns in the country in the hands of anyone other than the Gardai and the army.

Grizzly 45

LB6 wrote: »

So how do we go about finding out what stations have lost our data?:mad:

The logical thing to say would be lobby your TD and minister for justice that the FOIA is extended ASAP to AGS which it is supposed to be in the new year.However we always know that govt pirorities" will no doubt over ride this bit of important democracy and we'll have it put on the back burner.
OR AGS will insist that firearms applications become sort of "sensitive operations matter on a need to know basis to protect gunowners form being targets of criminals"....:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Cass

Without excusing any loss of protected information is this not an old story from some months or is this a new loss of information?

IIRC this occurred some months back, hence my reason for asking.

2011

Cass wrote: »

Without excusing any loss of protected information is this not an old story from some months or is this a new loss of information?

IIRC this occurred some months back, hence my reason for asking.

I think that this is a loss of new information as it was on the front page of the Business Post 2 days ago.

Rangi

rowa wrote: »

So what ? Its a shopping list for criminals no matter whats on the files. Also just because someone owns a shotgun or rifle doesn't mean they don't own a pistol , especially as a lot of court cases have been settled in the past few months and have has their pistols returned.

So what? So I'd like to at least know if I maybe one who's details are floating about somewhere, I don't own a handgun.

iverjohnston

Well my gun certs are due renewal on 30th January next. 2x Shotguns and 1 rifle. About a month ago I got a phone call from my local Sergant, asking if I had recieved my renewal forms yet. No I replied. Last week he rang again, again I told him I had not recieved any paperwork. He replied "frig, I dont want to have to fill them all out again" He then asked me to confirm that I had licences for 4 guns. I said, No, three. So I'm waiting to see what comes next! Has anyone else had renewal forms yet? Iver.

bazza888

they dont seem to know when you cancel a cert and trade in a firearm as the last time i got a rifle i was told id have 6 and thats to many,when in fact i only had 3guns at the time.

iverjohnston

well that is a possability, When I got the newest gun, I left the old Mossberg into the gun shop. If he could sell it he would, but it was destroyed in the end (he thinks). Anyhow , this was before the new style 3 year cert came in. iver