The lack of physical fitness in the Garda

mufcboy1999

Genuinely concerned about the lack of fitness in the garda, the recruitment process appears to be an absolute joke too, how can overweight applicants be let in to begin with. The large majority of garda in my own city are all worryingly over weight, i've seen some obese garda nevermind overweight, its a sight to be seen.

Surely this is being addressed? honestly from the outside looking in, the vast majority of them lack the obvious effort to maintain or even want to be physically fit, its laughable. Also a lot to me also seem like grown children with badges, wrapped in cotton wool straight from mammys house to the big bad world.

really though, does anyone really feel intimidated or safe by the presence garda offer? i think their relationship with the public is terrible, there laughed at but surely there has to be measures of monthly or even annual fitness testing where a certain level has to be at least maintained....

bodice ripper

I'd be more interested in the educational standard myself

ColeTrain

Imagine what they'd be like if Dunkin Donuts had a presence in Ireland?

Kristopherus

They're like your lot. Not the finished article yet!!!!! Hopefully the Gardai will have solved their issue(if there actually is one) long before you lot does:D

Sir Osis of Liver.

Karl Stein

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQM-OTVUMHs

Beaner1

They're definitely way fitter than the average populace. Place is full of high level runners, rowers, field sports players.

sjb25

mufcboy1999 wrote: »

Genuinely concerned about the lack of fitness in the garda, the recruitment process appears to be an absolute joke too, how can overweight applicants be let in to begin with. The large majority of garda in my own city are all worryingly over weight, i've seen some obese garda nevermind overweight, its a sight to be seen.

Surely this is being addressed? honestly from the outside looking in, the vast majority of them lack the obvious effort to maintain or even want to be physically fit, its laughable. Also a lot to me also seem like grown children with badges, wrapped in cotton wool straight from mammys house to the big bad world.

really though, does anyone really feel intimidated or safe by the presence garda offer? i think their relationship with the public is terrible, there laughed at but surely there has to be measures of monthly or even annual fitness testing where a certain level has to be at least maintained....

There is a physical as part of recruitment
http://www.garda.ie/FAQ/Default.aspx?FAQCategory=13#FAQ12378 so as long as they can pass that it does not matter what weight they are

sjb25

And here's a video http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7yQEJaJYf8A

Turtyturd

You should google the story of the young boy who fell down the well and not one member of the police force was slender enough to fit down and rescue him. Bunch of marshmallows.

I think his name was Timmy O'Toole.

Turtwig

Being overweight =/= unfit.

Sir Osis of Liver.

sjb25 wrote: »

And here's a video http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7yQEJaJYf8A

Wasn't it very good of Stephen Hawking to assist the Gardaí with the making of the video.

sjb25

Turtyturd wrote: »

You should google the story of the young boy who fell down the well and not one member of the police force was slender enough to fit down and rescue him. Bunch of marshmallows.

I think his name was Timmy O'Toole.

Gardai don't normally rescue that would be fire and RESCUEs job but il take your point in someways but gardai don't have to be able to rescue people down a well

sjb25

Sir Osis of Liver. wrote: »

Wasn't it very good of Stephen Hawking to assist the Gardaí with the making of the video.

LETHAL LADY

Sure I may as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2TXJkb-5wc

My name is URL

sjb25 wrote: »

And here's a video http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7yQEJaJYf8A

If I had a euro for every pixel in that video I'd have 2 euro

sjb25

My name is URL wrote: »

If I had a euro for every pixel in that video I'd have 2 euro

I had no hand act nor part in the video google machines best.....

Frosty McSnowballs

sjb25 wrote: »

Gardai don't normally rescue that would be fire and RESCUEs job but il take your point in someways but gardai don't have to be able to rescue people down a well

Somebody show this guy an episode of The Simpsons please!

OP...Iv seen fat Gardai, iv seen tall Gardai, iv seen small Gardai, iv seen thin Gardai, iv seen red haired Gardai.....iv even seen a couple of gorgeous Ban Gardai!

Like most people on shift work or unsociable hours, training can take a back seat over other daily priorities.

As far as iv seen, the regular AGS member is fit for purpose. As Turtwig earlier mention, being overweight doesn't indicate you are not fit.

They do have an entry fitness test. I'm not sure about a yearly one. I do believe that anyone with a front line policing job should be required to pass an annual fitness test.

sjb25

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

Somebody show this guy an episode of The Simpsons please!

OP...Iv seen fat Gardai, iv seen tall Gardai, iv seen small Gardai, iv seen thin Gardai, iv seen red haired Gardai.....iv even seen a couple of gorgeous Ban Gardai!

Like most people on shift work or unsociable hours, training can take a back seat over other daily priorities.

As far as iv seen, the regular AGS member is fit for purpose. As Turtwig earlier mention, being overweight doesn't indicate you are not fit.

They do have an entry fitness test. I'm not sure about a yearly one. I do believe that anyone with a front line policing job should be required to pass an annual fitness test.

????? I'm defending the Garda ??? I no loads aswell

Frosty McSnowballs

sjb25 wrote: »

????? I'm defending the Garda ??? I no loads aswell

Post was directed at the OP dude

Guy:Incognito

Just give them guns. All bullets are fit enough to catch criminals.

sjb25

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

Post was directed at the OP dude

I realised after I posted

mfergus

mufcboy1999 wrote: »

Genuinely concerned about the lack of fitness in the garda, the recruitment process appears to be an absolute joke too, how can overweight applicants be let in to begin with. The large majority of garda in my own city are all worryingly over weight, i've seen some obese garda nevermind overweight, its a sight to be seen.

Surely this is being addressed? honestly from the outside looking in, the vast majority of them lack the obvious effort to maintain or even want to be physically fit, its laughable. Also a lot to me also seem like grown children with badges, wrapped in cotton wool straight from mammys house to the big bad world.

really though, does anyone really feel intimidated or safe by the presence garda offer? i think their relationship with the public is terrible, there laughed at but surely there has to be measures of monthly or even annual fitness testing where a certain level has to be at least maintained....

Yawn.

kerry4sam

mufcboy1999 wrote: »

Genuinely concerned about the lack of fitness in the garda, the recruitment process appears to be an absolute joke too, how can overweight applicants be let in to begin with. The large majority of garda in my own city are all worryingly over weight, i've seen some obese garda nevermind overweight, its a sight to be seen.

Surely this is being addressed? honestly from the outside looking in, the vast majority of them lack the obvious effort to maintain or even want to be physically fit, its laughable. Also a lot to me also seem like grown children with badges, wrapped in cotton wool straight from mammys house to the big bad world.

really though, does anyone really feel intimidated or safe by the presence garda offer? i think their relationship with the public is terrible, there laughed at but surely there has to be measures of monthly or even annual fitness testing where a certain level has to be at least maintained....

Under-estimate the fitness of members of our Irish Police Force at your peril. Those guys & gals are whipped into shape in no time in Templemore I can assure you.
I know numerous members who cycle; swim; run marathons; do triathlons; even know two members who have completed more than a few iron-man comps.

I worked with one member, that for his height he would be classified as overweight, but if he set his sights on you, he would have you chased & pinned down faster than you can 'run'!

Their are some serious issues present in the force, not one person can say otherwise to that, but some take serious pride in their fitness and maintaining decent levels comparable to their time in Templemore.

Be cautious I am saying 'Some' and not the majority. I wouldn't mind seeing them being sent up for regular fitness tests if I'm honest but the monies just ain't there.

Chance your arm against one & see how you compare fitness-wise if you like,
kerry4sam

sjb25

kerry4sam wrote: »

Under-estimate the fitness of members of our Irish Police Force at your peril. Those guys & gals are whipped into shape in no time in Templemore I can assure you.
I know numerous members who cycle; swim; run marathons; do triathlons; even know two members who have completed more than a few iron-man comps.

I worked with one member, that for his height he would be classified as overweight, but if he set his sights on you, he would have you chased & pinned down faster than you can 'run'!

Their are some serious issues present in the force, not one person can say otherwise to that, but some take serious pride in their fitness and maintaining decent levels comparable to their time in Templemore.

Be cautious I am saying 'Some' and not the majority. I wouldn't mind seeing them being sent up for regular fitness tests if I'm honest but the monies just ain't there.

Chance your arm against one & see how you compare fitness-wise if you like,
kerry4sam

Says it all.....

Frosty McSnowballs

kerry4sam wrote: »

I wouldn't mind seeing them being sent up for regular fitness tests if I'm honest but the monies just ain't there.

I agree with everything you posted, bar this. It wouldn't cost much to train up AGS members to be PT's. I'm sure some are already qualified but did it of their own accord outside in their own time.

There is also the possibility to use Defence Forces PT's for testing. So, if an annual fitness test was to be introduced, it's possible to do it on the cheap.

Not ideal but possible.

Graces7

Slightly off topic but I have been waiting for any chance to post this somewhere.. I was waiting, on a double yellow line, for a place to open and keeping a weather eye on the comings and goings of Gardai in cars and a van to and from a nearby hotel where there was to be a very large wedding do...

Realised that GARDA seen backwards in your mirror is A DRAG.....

Saw a huge Garda in LIDL last week,, skinhead too.. imagine being sat on by that. OUCH

mufcboy1999

kerry4sam wrote: »

Under-estimate the fitness of members of our Irish Police Force at your peril. Those guys & gals are whipped into shape in no time in Templemore I can assure you.
I know numerous members who cycle; swim; run marathons; do triathlons; even know two members who have completed more than a few iron-man comps.

I worked with one member, that for his height he would be classified as overweight, but if he set his sights on you, he would have you chased & pinned down faster than you can 'run'!

Their are some serious issues present in the force, not one person can say otherwise to that, but some take serious pride in their fitness and maintaining decent levels comparable to their time in Templemore.

Be cautious I am saying 'Some' and not the majority. I wouldn't mind seeing them being sent up for regular fitness tests if I'm honest but the monies just ain't there.

Chance your arm against one & see how you compare fitness-wise if you like,
kerry4sam

I dont mean to categorize the garda at all, theres always exceptions, but as you said "some and not the majority", thats not good enough. Lack of money shouldn't be an issue, theres nothing stopping them using their own incentive to train, join a gym etc to either stay or get in shape, they shouldnt need to be spoon fed.

in all, theres no excuse for any garda to be unfit, its extremely lazy and in truth they shouldnt be in a job like this at all.

petronius

I recall a late night some round in the mid-rift gardai trundling after some youths who were causing mischief outside supermacs

WoollyRedHat

We should have a ninja police force, nobody's going to **** with them. Especially when you've got a death star flying at you.

keith16

mufcboy1999 wrote: »

really though, does anyone really feel intimidated or safe by the presence garda offer?

What a load of absolute poisonous crap you have posted here. Does anyone feel intimidated by their presence? Get a fucking grip.

Chrissybhoy

Always thought this from growing up to now most of the Gardai are not fit and overweight. Maybe 2 out of 10 are fit. Should there be regular fitness tests to keep Gardai on their toes?

keith16

Chrissybhoy wrote: »

Always thought this from growing up to now most of the Gardai are not fit and overweight. Maybe 2 out of 10 are fit. Should there be regular fitness tests to keep Gardai on their toes?

Should there be a test for keeping brain dead morons from posting on the internet?

hidinginthebush

On topic, do you remember a few weeks ago there was a tiger kidnapping in malahide, and the ert were disparched. They chased, but didn't catch two of the kidnappers, who were described in the news as being in their forties and overweight.

So the best of the best couldn't catch two fat forty year olds. I'm sure the lads hid in the woods or something, but I got a chuckle out of it.

Edited for fairnesss: a friend of mine is a garda and is an absolute beast. Seriously, pure muscle, an absolute monster of a man, wouldn't even think of doing anything even remotely illegal if it meant I had the likes of him chasing me down.

I think there should be a dedicated strength and fitness programme that all Garai have to follow and adhere to. Think about when you go to somewhere like Holland and the police are all huge, it makes you think twice before acting the maggot.

Chrissybhoy

keith16 wrote: »

Should there be a test for keeping brain dead morons from posting on the internet?

True. Not the topic tho you should start a thread

Gummy Panda

You can't judge the entire force based on the unfit ones left patrolling the GPO. There was a very small rotund one female Garda that use to patrol henry St/GPO. Im surprised she passed physical as she was obese.

Most Garda I meet are in good shape

Owen_S

The below video is from the Garda Press Office. As you can see, any able-bodied person could complete the test with ease. It is also interesting to see that there are different strength and endurance standards depending on gender - which makes no sense as you would face the same tests in the real world regardless of which kind of genitalia you possess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JcyFOFs5QU

Hold the Cheez Whiz

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

I do believe that anyone with a front line policing job should be required to pass an annual fitness test.

This.

The last time I visited my family in the US, I could not believe how sloppy so many of the police officers were. Like, could not bend over and tie their shoes fat. There should absolutely be an annual fitness test (sprint and distance running, push-ups, climbing/obstacles, etc). Hell, the existing standards aren't even that high (something like a 9-minute mile pace for 1.5 miles in Chicago).

nc19

Beaner1 wrote: »

They're definitely way fitter than the average populace. Place is full of high level runners, rowers, field sports players.

Maybe a portion of the male guards are but 95%of the female guards ive dealt with have arses the kardashians would be proud of

Hold the Cheez Whiz

Owen_S wrote: »

The below video is from the Garda Press Office. As you can see, any able-bodied person could complete the test with ease. It is also interesting to see that there are different strength and endurance standards depending on gender - which makes no sense as you would face the same tests in the real world regardless of which kind of genitalia you possess.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JcyFOFs5QU

I agree that when it comes to frontline public safety work, there should be some common strength benchmarks for men and women. That said, women are never going to have the upper body strength of men. But sometimes skills can be complementary - in the US, for example, where there is a greater emphasis on community-level policing in inner-cities, female police officers are seen as better able to diffuse conflict, in part because it takes the male posturing aspect out of street confrontations.

Mongfinder General

nc19 wrote: »

Maybe a portion of the male guards are but 95%of the female guards ive dealt with have arses the kardashians would be proud of

Are you on drugs?

genericguy

keith16 wrote: »

What a load of absolute poisonous crap you have posted here. Does anyone feel intimidated by their presence? Get a fucking grip.

To be fair, that was badly worded but his point stands - personally I can't help but snigger at half the gimps that patrol the area of town I work in, they wouldn't have a hope in hell of catching me running, and I'd be stunned if they were able to handle any physical altercation whatsoever. I'd be inclined to say that anyone causing a public disturbance would be more inclined to stfu on orders of the luas security than the gardai.

Chrissybhoy

If a rock gets put through your window by a kid you would like the Gardai to come back with the culprit not stop and go back to the patrol after the kid makes a 5 second dash. I've seen it .

Ray Palmer

keith16 wrote: »

What a load of absolute poisonous crap you have posted here. Does anyone feel intimidated by their presence? Get a fucking grip.

Yes people do. If you had ever dealt with abusive guarda you would feel intimidated by them. Even the "good" ones won't defend you but side with their colleagues.

I get human nature and why it happens but it doesn't make it right or acceptable. Don't ever forget the carry on at the May Day march. People trained to identify people were unable to ID the people they work with. All of them should be ashamed over it along with all involved never getting a promotion

chrissb8

The gardai. Fat and incompetent slobs on the street. Harsh. Who cares. They're what should be protecting us. They should get an absolute bollocking for being so largely overweight waddling around bursting out of their vests. Most of them I see on the street doing a patrol wouldn't catch a skinny scumbag making a dash. A vigorous fitness test should be the norm, every 2 months. It would be regular enough for them to stay conscious of their weight, fitness and set a reasonably high standard. Like any profession there is a degree of training. There's is being able to catch offenders and for them that means having to be able to stand a good chance of doing that.

My Dad who is 60 would outrun half these ejjits. I don't mean to fat bash because honestly be the way you want I do think being largely overweight is stupid and really inexcusable in the long run (everyone slips up or has bad breaks) but obviously I'm not going to judge someone on that. When it comes to someone putting their good faith into you to see that justice is done when you've been wronged you can bet I will get critical of the rotund, no self control police in Ireland

Liamario

Physical fitness, mental fitness, intellectual fitness and just fitness of all kinds seems to be lacking.

Son Of A Vidic

mufcboy1999 wrote: »

lack of physical fitness in the Garda..

I wouldn't know, never been chased by one.

phelixoflaherty

How can ya run in steel toe capped boots?

Sam Kade

mufcboy1999 wrote: »

Genuinely concerned about the lack of fitness in the garda, the recruitment process appears to be an absolute joke too, how can overweight applicants be let in to begin with. The large majority of garda in my own city are all worryingly over weight, i've seen some obese garda nevermind overweight, its a sight to be seen.

Surely this is being addressed? honestly from the outside looking in, the vast majority of them lack the obvious effort to maintain or even want to be physically fit, its laughable. Also a lot to me also seem like grown children with badges, wrapped in cotton wool straight from mammys house to the big bad world.

really though, does anyone really feel intimidated or safe by the presence garda offer? i think their relationship with the public is terrible, there laughed at but surely there has to be measures of monthly or even annual fitness testing where a certain level has to be at least maintained....

What city might that be?

An Ri rua

Turtyturd wrote: »

You should google the story of the young boy who fell down the well and not one member of the police force was slender enough to fit down and rescue him. Bunch of marshmallows.

I think his name was Timmy O'Toole.

For every anecdote like that, there's a hero Guard, I don't think its ever helpful bashing someone for not doing something we wouldn't either.
Here's a hero commended in a local paper http://www.offalyindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2014/11/15/4033885-offaly-gardas-heroic-water-rescue/

"Garda Peter Daly(29), who hails from just outside Tullamore, risked his own life by swimming out to sea to save a man who had gotten into difficulty off the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin on June 29, 2012"

Fair is fair now. There's tons of great guards.

Hold the Cheez Whiz

Originally Posted by Turtyturd
You should google the story of the young boy who fell down the well and not one member of the police force was slender enough to fit down and rescue him. Bunch of marshmallows.

I think his name was Timmy O'Toole.

An Ri rua wrote: »

For every anecdote like that, there's a hero Guard, I don't think its ever helpful bashing someone for not doing something we wouldn't either.
Here's a hero commended in a local paper http://www.offalyindependent.ie/news/roundup/articles/2014/11/15/4033885-offaly-gardas-heroic-water-rescue/

"Garda Peter Daly(29), who hails from just outside Tullamore, risked his own life by swimming out to sea to save a man who had gotten into difficulty off the East Pier in Dun Laoghaire, Dublin on June 29, 2012"

Fair is fair now. There's tons of great guards.

http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Timmy_O'Toole