What's your opinion on undecover gardaÃ* at music festivals?

Snowstandards

I can understand that they are there for a reason, but I also feel that how they conduct themselves isn't very good. Garda get a lot of stick, sometimes they deserve, sometimes they don't. In relation to festivals, do you think its right for an undercover to act like they're out of their biscuit to fool the unsuspecting festival goer into talking about what drugs they have done or brought with them?

I think that if they really want to cut down on drug use, then tighter searches should be conducted when each patron enters the festival. I think its disgraceful that they are allowed to knock about like anyone else, give them a faux sense of security then write them up for whatever related of fence occurs.

If they literally confiscate the drugs and leave it at that, then I have no issues personally (unless this person is genuinely there to deal and is in possession of a large amount).

What's your opinion?

Edit: Just to clarify, it didn't happen to me but I've seen it happens around me.

Mr.Crinklewood

Surely that's entrapment?

The Backwards Man

How much they get on you?

seamus

Mr.Crinklewood wrote: »

Surely that's entrapment?

Entrapment is when you encourage someone to commit a crime that they weren't going to commit and then arrest them for it.

The Gardai at these things have no interest in speaking to someone out of their heads. They're looking for distributors.

They go around looking like junkies, wait for someone to offer to sell them pills and then arrest them. No entrapment there.

bodice ripper

Watched an undercover step around a group of 40 something nordies doing coke to bust a teenager with a tic tac sized piece of hash. Scum.

The gards shouldnt be available for private hire.

strelok

seamus wrote: »

They go around looking like junkies, wait for someone to offer to sell them pills and then arrest them. No entrapment there.

ah here, they keep a sharp eye out for lads and lasses rolling spliffs for themselves and their friends too. junkie patrol they are certainly not.

Kimbot

Yup its fair game what they are doing and it should be happening alot more.

As for suggestions of better checks going into festivals, do you know any security man/woman that would be willing to stick their fingers in someones ass to look for drugs?

Cee-Jay-Cee

OP they couldn't care less what you or other stoners have taken, they want to know where you got it from! It's not entrapment, it's enforcing the law.

enricoh

Shooting fish in a barrell, just like speed vans in a 50kph zone. But hey they can say busts are up 5% or whatever - n that's all that matters

SEPT 23 1989

Fake ID paranoid stoners easy pickings

biko

I suppose this is related to something someone read in the paper?

Tbh, I'd prefer a bit more lax search at the entrance with regards to drugs.
That way you're not pissing off the many visitors that don't have drugs and want to get inside fast.
Dope fiends usually make themselves known inside and can be picked up by gardai there.

King George VI

Snowstandards wrote: »

I think its disgraceful that they are allowed to knock about like anyone else, give them a faux sense of security then write them up for whatever related of fence occurs.

You're right. How dare the Gardai let people think they can break the law on their own by pretending they aren't Gardai. They didn't even goad them into it or entrap them whatsoever.

Scumbag Gardai huh :rolleyes:

Arsemageddon

Most people I know who got caught at a festival were being so blatantly obvious that were asking to be caught. A wee bit of cop on goes a long way.

biko

Apparently the undercover garda are looking out for your welfare

A senior source told the Herald last night that teams of undercover gardai will be active at the festival and a "zero tolerance" approach will be taken to drug use.
They issued a warning about a powder which has caused a number of festival goers to be hospitalised in the UK.
"While there is particular concern about this powder, there are also dodgy pills out there," they said.

"Local gardai are being helped out by the specialist units who will be working undercover to carry out test purchases in relation to drugs transactions.

http://www.herald.ie/news/undercover-gardai-to-patrol-electric-picnic-amid-fears-over-deadly-drugs-powder-31500805.html

Snowstandards

Johnny Carson wrote:

You're right. How dare the Gardai let people think they can break the law on their own by pretending they aren't Gardai. They didn't even goad them into it or entrap them whatsoever.

You're missing the point. I'm talking about when Gardaí pretend to be a festival goer, then ask someone if they have anything, then sting them regardless. If someone offers to sell, then that's their own stupidity.

El Weirdo

"... there are also dodgy pills out there," they said.

Funny how they never mention the whopper bangers that are also going round.

SEPT 23 1989

El Weirdo wrote: »

Funny how they never mention the whopper bangers that are also going round.

that's the kind of news report you want to hear

6541

Just back from Electric Picnic, I will never go again, overpriced sh1t. Watched cops going around busting young lads for joints.

connundrum

I was so surprised to be asked a bunch of times if I was selling pills at EP. Pills?! I don't know why, but I thought pills were gone out of popular demand?

Within the same 2-3 hour period I was asked by 4 or 5 lads if I was actually an undercover po-po. Time to throw the Wranglers out

El Weirdo

6541 wrote: »

Just back from Electric Picnic, I will never go again, overpriced sh1t. Watched cops going around busting young lads for joints.

You should have gone into the tents or stood in front of that big stage thing. I hear they had bands and entertainment on.

Fukuyama

Guards are damned if they do, damned if the don't.

Remember Sweedish House Mafia? Guards got criticized for being to lax and allowing too much drug use, which ultimately led to deaths.

It's not uncommon for gardaí to roam around Abbey Street looking like pure ****. After a while someone offers them drugs. Bingo. Arrest made and no need for any prep work, surveillance etc... Let the dealers come to you. Sounds like a good strategy.

I say this as someone who would support legalizing virtually all drugs, but I despise drug dealers. Most don't give a crap what they're selling. New forms of MDMA sound nasty.

Boring username

What's your opinion on undecover gardaÃ* at music festivals?

I loved their old stuff, but that last album was a bit too hipster for my liking.

Sky King

too much drug use, which ultimately led to deaths.

I hate it when I take drugs and a knife magically appears in my hand as a result of the drugs. it's really annoying.

In those situations I figure 'what the hell' then and just go around stabbing people. For the craic like.

Turtyturd

Can they truly be undercover?

Herb Powell

Fukuyama wrote: »

Guards are damned if they do, damned if the don't.

Remember Sweedish House Mafia? Guards got criticized for being to lax and allowing too much drug use, which ultimately led to deaths.

I think that was the stabbing, rather than the drugs, which caused problems.

suicide_circus

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

OP they couldn't care less what you or other stoners have taken, they want to know where you got it from! It's not entrapment, it's enforcing the law.

+1
The OP has the laid back attitude of a "stone man"

Dr Turk Turkelton

Turtyturd wrote: »

Can they truly be undercover?

A good test if a randomer asks you if your selling drugs is to ask them to pronounce vehicle. There is no guard in this country who is so deep undercover they could pull this off without saying veh-hick-elll.

nxbyveromdwjpg

seamus wrote: »

The Gardai at these things have no interest in speaking to someone out of their heads. They're looking for distributors.

While probably right on the average day, that's definitely not how it is with these undercovers at festivals.

enricoh wrote: »

Shooting fish in a barrell, just like speed vans in a 50kph zone. But hey they can say busts are up 5% or whatever - n that's all that matters

Exactly.

They know well there is a huge amount of people, probably the majority, will have consumed something illegal over the weekend and they can go around picking and choosing who to stop and search. Fish in a barrel is right.
They don't get any dealers of any note this way but it's a handy revenue generator in fines for the court and good news numbers game for the lads.
No real benefit to society.

Fukuyama wrote: »

Remember Sweedish House Mafia? Guards got criticized for being to lax and allowing too much drug use, which ultimately led to deaths.

That was knife!! :rolleyes:

Hans Bricks

I usually can't stand anti garda victim complexes, but ive witnessed them at festivals before pathetically veering their heads in and out of tents and camp groups waiting to nab stonerss. It seems more like a log book and revenue exercise than protecting society. It's a bohemian atmosphere at the likes of EP. Heard portlaoise court had around 300 drug charges after EP last year. How many were actually dealing ? Not many I'd say.

5W30

They're useful. Scrotes who think they can do anything while there's no Gardai get shown a lesson.

nxbyveromdwjpg

5W30 wrote: »

They're useful. Scrotes who think they can do anything while there's no Gardai get shown a lesson.

If that was the point, it would be much better served by uniform garda instead.

Sofa King Great

Herb Powell wrote: »

I think that was the stabbing, rather than the drugs, which caused problems.

Two people died from overdoses I believe

RobertKK

If you are doing nothing illegal, you won't care.

rubadub

Hans Bricks wrote: »

It's a bohemian atmosphere at the likes of EP.

How many were actually dealing ? Not many I'd say.

It's a fucking disgraceful waste of resources.

How many could they have done for being drunk in public? in far worse states than many having a simple smoke. Is it really a health issue? if so start nabbing drunks in public, easy money -but ironically the people using the legal drugs are usually by far the most dangerous ones, so get left alone.

RobertKK wrote: »

If you are doing nothing illegal, you won't care.

Amazing as it might seem to you, people do give a fuck about others rights, even if it does not effect them, and people do care about the waste of resources etc.

Iwasfrozen

rubadub wrote: »

It's a fucking disgraceful waste of resources.

How many could they have done for being drunk in public? in far worse states than many having a simple smoke. Is it really a health issue? if so start nabbing drunks in public, easy money -but ironically the people using the legal drugs are usually by far the most dangerous ones, so get left alone.


Amazing as it might seem to you, people do give a fuck about others rights, even if it does not effect them, and people do care about the waste of resources etc.

You don't have a right to do drugs, give it up.
As for the gards all's fair in love or war. They shouldn't have been doing drugs in the first.

rubadub

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

You don't have a right to do drugs, give it up.

Many think they do, check out any of the threads talking of banning smoking or alcohol, many think it's their right.

Give up the fucking hypocrisy, it's pathetically two faced.

They shouldn't have been doing drugs in the first.

This includes doing legal drugs to the point of illegality, i.e. drunk in a public place.

Potential-Monke

rubadub wrote: »

Many think they do, check out any of the threads talking of banning smoking or alcohol, many think its their right.

Give up the fucking hypocrisy, it's pathetically two faced.

This includes doing legal drugs to the point of illegality, i.e. drunk in a public place.

Why can't people just understand that illegal drugs are illegal, no matter how many times you say they're harmless. You call it easy pickings, the law calls it the law. Yes, probably the entirety of EP could have been arrested for intoxication in a public place, but lets be realistic, there are not enough Gardai to even contemplate that. However, there are specialist units who deal with specific areas (ie: Drugs Unit). It's not a waste of resources sending them undercover to festivals, because that lad "just smoking a joint" could also be selling dodgy pills, coke cut with god knows what, or that dodgy powder (chances are slim, but there's always one).

It's simple, if you want to do something that's illegal, you have to be smart about it. Everyone and their mothers should know that festivals will have undercover Gardai, and doing illegal drugs in public is an invitation for a stop and search. Yes, they're a lot more relaxed on alcohol, and unless someone is so drunk that they're a danger to themselves or others, they won't be arrested (some in that state also are not arrested). Whereas drugs are illegal, full stop.

Keep in mind i'm pro-legalisation of certain drugs, specifically cannabis and ecstacy. So i'm no up tight anti-drug crusader, and i agree that the money saved and made from the legalisation of those drugs, plus the amount of time and effort saved on behalf of the "war against drugs" would be extremely beneficial to society as a whole (Colorado has to go to public vote due to the amount of revenue they're getting from cannabis sales, as they're making too much and are hitting the cap on how much they can earn in revenue from any one industry).

ArtSmart

What's my opinion on undercover garda at music festivals?

They charge too much.

rubadub

Potential-Monke wrote: »

no matter how many times you say they're harmless.

I said they're harmless? people in this thread said they're harmless? I must have missed that one... FFS... same old fucking pathetic shite...

Far from harmless.

ArtSmart

Hans Bricks wrote: »

I usually can't stand anti garda victim complexes, but ive witnessed them at festivals before pathetically veering their heads in and out of tents and camp groups waiting to nab stonerss. It seems more like a log book and revenue exercise than protecting society. It's a bohemian atmosphere at the likes of EP. Heard portlaoise court had around 300 drug charges after EP last year. How many were actually dealing ? Not many I'd say.

The thing is, they (the Guards) have to do what they're told by the brass.

And ultimately their bosses are politicians.

And, ultimately, we're the boss of politicians.

So...

Potential-Monke

rubadub wrote: »

I said they're harmless? people in this thread said they're harmless? I must have missed that one... FFS... same old fucking pathetic shite...

Far from harmless.

Mypologies, but that is a common statement made.

Trabejo

I tend to try to avoid them when I am at festivals doing drugs. They tend to spoil the party and should appreciate getting paid to see some pretty cool musical acts without feeling the need to bust anyone.

This isn't Narcos and Pablo Escobar, our typical 'undercover narc' will probably be home for supper with his mommy telling her all about his big pot bust at the Electronic Pickle festival

J Mysterio

Who let all the dryballs in

Massimo Cassagrande

Lol. "Dodgy pills". As opposed to what? Ones with kite-marks? The phrase "willful waste of time" springs to mind. "You're nicked sonny..." Great success. Crime 0. Gardai 1.

wakka12

Are we going to try and paint drug dealers as victims in this now

daRobot

Chasing drug users and small time dealers is just a total waste of resources, and they're just after headline figures for arrests made.

A bit of hash and a few yokes off the street. Bravo Gardai, the world is a safer place.

Cienciano

daRobot wrote: »

Chasing drug users and small time dealers is just a total waste of resources, and they're just after headline figures for arrests made.

A bit of hash and a few yokes off the street. Bravo Gardai, the world is a safer place.

Not only that, but it makes a load of kids think at an early age that the Gardai are a shower of wánkers.

Fred Swanson

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Trabejo

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Yeah, district court cases being struck out, riveting stuff. Portloaise is clearly where it's at this week.

Fred Swanson

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Trabejo

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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Yeah this week should be the beginning of a massive movement against drugs. Keep your eyes on Portloaise this week folks and remember Fred Swanson identified this historic moment first.