Gardaí to call to every home

Slicemeister

Hopefully it'll be a positive step.

Would have been better off doing it discreetly without any tally hos in the press. Just gets people's back up.

KahBoom

Seems like a good idea, especially if they are through a community regularly - Gardai get to know their local community, which is an important way for developing contacts and gaining information about what is going on in the area, and allows them to spot potential trouble/troublemakers before they become a problem, and can work with social workers etc. and get them involved if need be, potentially nipping in the bud the possibility of some becoming a career criminal (e.g. for people who may just be maladjusted, and need help).

That's the way it should be done really.

KahBoom

Also, it's an especially good thing that the Gardai would be in contact with the public, because that presumably makes them more empathetic with the public - you don't want an insular police force, because then it's at risk of being (deliberately) manipulated into developing a kind of 'elitist' mindset, that can be used for making it work against the public instead of for.

The more disconnected the police force is from the public, the more its hierarchy and mindset can be manipulated for political reasons.

OldGoat

Makers perfect sense to me. I'd rather see them in the neighbourhood going door to door than sitting in the station filling out paperwork. I want my local garda to know my name and to pass the time of day with my as we pass on the road. I like the idea of the garda chatting with me and my neighbours over the garden fence. I want to be able to go to the local station and ask for a garda by first name when I need something from them.
I'll be asking them in for a cuppa too.

aujopimur

A load of bollocks.

Potential-Monke

carzony wrote: »

Bad idea, Gardai getting to know local scumbags on friendly terms...

Gardaí already know the scumbags on friendly terms. That's why most Gardaí don't socialise in their area. Can you imagine dealing with scum day in, day out and going for a pint, only to have same scummers sit next to you and goad you in an attempt to get a rise out of you?

I can see why this is being brought in, but realistically it's not going to work. There aren't enough Gardaí to do the job as it is, and now they're taking more time out of their day to visit for a chat, time which could be better utilised. This would work if the force wasn't so short on numbers, all it will lead to is less time for the Gardaí to investigate or follow up.

Xios

Locals getting to the gardai that patrol their area, and the gardai getting a more direct view of the demographics of the area.

Developing close ties with the community is likely to encourage more people to report incidents to the Gardaí which plays a huge part in crime fighting. I'd say a large majority of crimes are unreported to the Gardai, and unless the Gardai are there to witness it, nothing will be done.

In a sense, people who are on familiar terms with the gardai will know more about the role of the gards is in society and most people are willing to help if they know how.

dudara

In general, I think it's a good idea. I grew up in a rural community where the local Gardaí knew everyone. That hasn't been my experience at all while living in Cork city and Dublin.

By getting out to the general community, the Gardaí might actually hear what's concerning people. I live in a fairly leafy area of Dublin, so no major criminal concerns, except for the amount of bike theft that happens.

mdolly123

Hard to get them interested in calling when I've been burgled (4 times) be grateful for a visit

mikemac1

All this existed 10 years ago before parishes lost their gardai to retirements with no replacements and now the stations are going too.

It used to be the Garda lived in the area and sometimes they were given the house beside the staion too

Now your Garda is halfway across the county and how are they going to find you when you are right after the church, past the townland by the reservoir. The Garda who lived in the area knew all this and the local thieves but they retired 10 years ago

Titzon Toast

Lol. Wait till they get the bang of weed from lots of the houses they call to.
I smell it everyday in every area I work in.

beggars_bush

A lot to be said for it.
Get to know people and they'll treat the force better.

Gardai on bicycles should also be a priority.
Young wasters and thugs should know that they could run into a Garda anywhere.

Shady Tady

Cienciano wrote: »

I lived in a town with a population of 10,000, had a 24 hour garda station which was the main one for a massive area. Never once in 30 years I lived there have I saw a gardai walking through the town. Even if it's across the road to the bank, it's in a car.

You could be in a specsavers ad

Carawaystick

Wonder how the cops in Balbriggan will get on, considering the few grand that was stolen from the cop shop there, by a cop....

Shady Tady

Carawaystick wrote: »

Wonder how the cops in Balbriggan will get on, considering the few grand that was stolen from the cop shop there, by a cop....

They are recruited from the general public so unfortunately the odd scumbag makes it through, I'm sure they have a few nice gardai in ballbriggsn to call to people all the same!!!

Soft Falling Rain

Don't see the problem either other than with logistics. It's good that residents can get to know their local gardai, and hopefully for the gardai too. If by making the effort they get people onside and thus, are less afraid to report a crime or criminal activity in their area, then it can only be a good thing.

Only problem is that like politicians going door to door, I can see shams taking full advantage of this by abusing them.

Oops69

I better get some good looking ones calling over , and none of these new dwarf Gardai also thanks very much

c_man

But loads of people won't open their door (see any of the many boards threads on this).

If I saw Gardai at the door I'd be thinking that either there's been a terrible accident in the family, or the tv licence inspector has upped his game.

suicide_circus

Can I suggest that we all troll the gardai when this starts up? When an officer calls to the door, open it, assume an expression of anger and fright, slam the door and scream something like "fcuk lads, it's the pigs! Grab the stuff and leg it out the back!!". Then simply return to whatever you were doing.

The Hill Billy

Right now there are thousands of North Co Dubliners frantically trying to think of a hiding place for that 10-spot they've had lying around for the past 3 months. Just in case...

Soft Falling Rain

c_man wrote: »

But loads of people won't open their door (see any of the many boards threads on this).

If I saw Gardai at the door I'd be thinking that either there's been a terrible accident in the family, or the tv licence inspector has upped his game.

Why would someone not open their door if they thought there was an accident?

As for the tv licence, 9 times out of 10 you'll know if the gardai have a reason to be knocking on your door. Most people will have no reason to be paranoid in such a situation.

Oops69

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Right now there are thousands of North Co Dubliners frantically trying to think of a hiding place for that 10-spot they've had lying around for the past 3 months. Just in case...

Yeah ,suppose the South county DUbliners can just hide it in the stables .:D

ruthloss

Oh crap!! Is it still compulsory to have your dogs licensed?.

Teyla Emmagan

The guards in my local station already know the community. They have it divided up - one guy does the schools, one does the old people haunts etc. They are very good and very visible here anyway. One of them came into a youth group I am involved with recently and took off most of his uniform and passed it around so the kids could look at his vest and truncheon. It was like all my Full Monty fantasies at once, I nearly passed out with the excitement.

Anyway, this is nothing new. In some areas I am sure the guards find it more difficult to cover the ground so going out knocking on doors does make some sense.

ruthloss

The last time we had this malarkey (the Don Tidy thing) a neighbour of ours had to dismantle his Still!!:p

Kintarō Hattori

Shady Tady wrote: »

They are recruited from the general public so unfortunately the odd scumbag makes it through, I'm sure they have a few nice gardai in ballbriggsn to call to people all the same!!!

Nice maybe, effective.... not so far that I've seen. Got assaulted once by some knacker drinking feckers down at the beach when we first rented years ago and didn't know it was a no go area in the evening. Popped up to the station to report it..... the guard couldn't have been less interested.

Shortly after buying a house a few years back I was hit by a car near my home. The driver pulled off a side road onto the main road without noticing that I was coming. Thankfully it was low speed so I walked away with a sore back. I went the next day to report it in case I had any back issues. The Guard basically made a mockery of it- dismissing what happened and how I looked well for having collided with a car, wanted to take it down on a sheet of paper rather than in the official report book, laughed it off essentially.

Most recently there was some youngsters in the estate taking the pee at 1am at night, causing a hazzard to passing traffic. Called the station, reported they were a danger to themselves and traffic. 'We'll send a car along'. I was up for the next 90 minutes and no-one ever turned up. Said kids nearly got creamed a few times by taxis.

c_man

Soft Falling Rain wrote: »

Why would someone not open their door if they thought there was an accident?
.....

Sigh, as said look at the numerous threads where people state that they don't open the door if they're not expecting someone.

I never said people would ignore the Gardai, but bar having a camera on the door or a line of sight on the entrance (which I'd wager most boardies lack) then they wouldn't know it's them. So they'd apply the ignore option as above.

HurtLocker

Other than saluting the unmarked garda car every time I see it out trying to catch out a motorist I want nothing to do with them. Thank fully I never really have had to. The gards in my area live in their station 90% of the time, don't even open till after lunch. But my friends living in other areas of the county are harassed by them relative to me. Guaranteed once a week to be pulled over to check tax NCT and insurance and have a little chat. Got to the stage one lad called in and asked why he was being pulled over so frequently. Hasn't been pulled over since.

4 star deliver pizzas quicker to my estate from further away than the gardai arrived to respond to a break in a while back.

fr336

Shady Tady wrote: »

They are recruited from the general public so unfortunately the odd scumbag makes it through, I'm sure they have a few nice gardai in ballbriggsn to call to people all the same!!!

As opposed to the Martian bar down the road?

Adamantium

No too Orwellian for my liking, I can't believe people are actively welcoming the idea.

"Sure if you're doing nothing wrong, what's the problem with having us here?", this screams.

In the US, the police an military are becoming the same thing.
ANY State is not the solution to wild youths and crime, if anything it only exacebrates and creates the problem.