Plain clothes/undercover Gardai

thelad95

Is it just me or do these always stick out like a sore thumb? I think they always try to hard to look inconspicuous. Stripy polo shirt, dunnes jeans, brown leather shoes and sunglasses like who are you trying to fool?

Was at Oxygen a few years ago and I saw a guy who I definitely thought was one. Fitted the description above, stood on his own for ages with no friends holding a pint that he didn't drink from once in the fifteen minutes we were looking at him. I've often seen a few hanging around the smoking areas in all the harcourt street nightclubs.

Winterlong

They are only the ones you notice OP.
What about the undercover cops that you dont notice.?

Gatling

So you went to a festival to stare at random strangers

messy tessy

thelad95 wrote: »

Was at Oxygen a few years ago and I saw a guy who I definitely thought was one. Fitted the description above, stood on his own for ages with no friends holding a pint that he didn't drink from once in the fifteen minutes we were looking at him.

Maybe the poor guy was too creeped out to enjoy his pint with these strangers staring at him for 15 minutes?!

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

I saw two on westmoreland street, only knew that they were undercover because they had blue gloves on searching two junkies. I wouldn't have guessed otherwise.

Duggy747

The ones who cut eye-holes into the newspaper they're reading are the ones to look out for.

biko

thelad95 wrote: »

Fitted the description above, stood on his own for ages with no friends holding a pint that he didn't drink from once in the fifteen minutes we were looking at him.

Hey, maybe I just didn't feel like drinking right then

PARlance

Gatling wrote: »

So you went to a festival to stare at random strangers

OP is quite clearly an undercover Guard, trying to throw us off his scent.

thelad95

thelad95 wrote: »

Is it just me or do these always stick out like a sore thumb? I think they always try to hard to look inconspicuous. Stripy polo shirt, dunnes jeans, brown leather shoes and sunglasses like who are you trying to fool?

Was at Oxygen a few years ago and I saw a guy who I definitely thought was one. Fitted the description above, stood on his own for ages with no friends holding a pint that he didn't drink from once in the fifteen minutes we were looking at him. I've often seen a few hanging around the smoking areas in all the harcourt street nightclubs.

Imagine being that poor fella, who was stood there waiting for his friends, and how self-conscious he must have felt having these strangers stare at you for 15 minutes straight.

njs030

Op has forgotten garda Ciaran in love/hate. His undercover junkie impression was really good....plus he was a guard pretending to be one. Amazing!!

MarkR

They stand out like a sore thumb.

http://images.halloweencostumes.com/products/9156/1-1/funny-nose-glasses.jpg

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

If you ask him "are you a guard?" then he has to tell you or else he can't arrest you for anything. Fact. It's in the constitution.

Stigura

Back when we were young (Yes; And dinosaurs roamed the earth :rolleyes:) the wife and I were hitching home one night. A young couple picked us up and they turned out to be really grand. We were all chatting away and getting on like a house on fire.

So much so that, after a bit, I conveyed to the wife that we might offer them a smoke. Wife indicated her agreement and, as she opened her mouth to speak to them, an unseen radio crackled to life, somewhere up front. " Charlie Two Delta ..... "

The guys whole persona changed. He was suddenly very focused and businesslike. The girl hurriedly apologised and said they'd have to drop us off here. The wife and I were Never so fcukin grateful to loose a lift! We threw ourselves out of that motor. And off it sped.

Don't ever kid yeselves that ye can spot True undercover operators.

Scary!

Alf Stewart.

I pulled a fit bird at Glastonbury, got her back to me tent, where we both got undressed and fooled around some.

She had it shaved down below.

Turns out she was an undercover WPC.


But I just called her cúntstubble for short.

Lyaiera

thelad95 wrote: »

Was at Oxygen a few years ago and I saw a guy who I definitely thought was one. Fitted the description above, stood on his own for ages with no friends holding a pint that he didn't drink from once in the fifteen minutes we were looking at him. I've often seen a few hanging around the smoking areas in all the harcourt street nightclubs.

While technically they are Gardai in plain clothes, they're not really undercover Garda in any real sense. They're regular guards with very little training in covert operations who are used in specific instances, generally major events with the prospect of a lot of public order offenses, and petty drug crime. Often used a disincentive, so people think there could be a plain clothes guard around the corner and so curb their activities.

They're also used in close protection of certain people. My father had a detective in plain clothes follow him around at an event because my father was responsible for collecting the events fees and profits which at the time were entirely cash, so he was carrying a buttload of money around him and there was a strong possibility he could be the target of a robbery.

If you're talking about actual trained detectives used in clandestine policing operations infiltrating criminal and terrorist organisations they're pretty good at what they do.

One example is the UK police in such operations who got caught having seduced, began and continued romantic relationships with women in eco organisations. They were found out recently, and the police force were sued for condoning rape of these women. It got so serious in some cases that these "couples" (i.e. the woman and the undercover guard) were attending couples counselling over the man's refusal to have a child with the woman. Refusing to have a child because he was using her to get access to ecoterrorist organisations and had his own real wife and children elsewhere.

Badly Drunk Boy

thelad95 wrote: »

Is it just me or do these always stick out like a sore thumb? I think they always try to hard to look inconspicuous. Stripy polo shirt, dunnes jeans, brown leather shoes and sunglasses like who are you trying to fool?

Was at Oxygen a few years ago and I saw a guy who I definitely thought was one. Fitted the description above, stood on his own for ages with no friends holding a pint that he didn't drink from once in the fifteen minutes we were looking at him. I've often seen a few hanging around the smoking areas in all the harcourt street nightclubs.

People like you wreck my head! For a few decades, I've had people accuse me of being an undercover Garda at so many festivals and gigs that I really should have started confiscating drugs.

I've been to every Electric Picnic and I think last year was the first time that nobody insinuated or accused me of being undercover. Strangely enough, it was also the first year that I wasn't drinking alcohol.

Sometimes I don't mind, like a couple who were rolling some sort of cigarette at their tent door and as I passed, one of them said in a very false, stilted way "Oh, quick! Put that illegal cigarette away!". I thought it was funny anyway...

Then you have other type. "You're a cop! Ha ha. I spotted that you're an undercover cop!". Sometimes, I wouldn't acknowledge them, but if I did and denied it, I'd hear "Ha! It's obvious that you're undercover. Just admit it!" This has happened a lot.


I would just like to use this occasion to confirm that I have never been a member of the Garda Síochána, and I have never been a security guard. (I get that the odd time).

K.Flyer

Anyone who reckons that they "can always tell" is very naive and possibly in for a shock some day.
One occasion springs to mind.
A car pulled up alongside me in traffic (I'm in a van looking down on them), two young lads, little bit skanger looking, unshaven, munching their way through a burger king take way. Passenger had the elbow out the window looking like all was good in life.
No roof stubs, nothing on the dash.
Just two lads in a dirty oul car.
Suddenly passenger opens the glove box and is on a w/t, with that there are sirens, and the fe@kin thing lights up like a christmas tree, they hop onto the opposite side of the road and are gone.

Arsemageddon

A friend of mine who loves going to festivals has the misfortune to look and dress exactly like what festival-goers think a plain clothes cop should look like.

The flying mouse

Sure don't all the special branch men hang around trees....










I'm going iam going

Lyaiera

Arsemageddon wrote: »

A friend of mine who loves going to festivals has the misfortune to look and dress exactly like what festival-goers think a plain clothes cop should look like.

That's exactly why police forces use what are "obvious" plain clothes cops. They know they look kinda stiff and formal compared to everyone else. And they know there are a lot of people who look that way naturally, and not because they're in anyway a plain clothes cop. Then of course the random punter is convinced that there's plain clothes cops everywhere and that goes to discourage people from their "illegal" behaviour.

Lyaiera

Lyaiera wrote: »

They were found out recently, and the police force were sued for condoning rape of these women.

False.
Those women were not raped, get it right!!

OP, there's a difference between plain clothes and undercover.
Plain clothes are just that, plain clothes, they are not hiding or trying to blend in.

You won't see undercover guards.

Boater123

Many many moons ago, I worked in a petrol station on the Naas road. An old dented filthy piece of crap Hiace pulled up and driver got out and started to fill, passenger got out and came in to the store.

Both in their 40's, dressed like farmers, one with flat cap, old sports coat. The other dirty jeans, baseball cap and an old geansaí. Both in old wellies.

Passenger comes up to the counter and asks for the Garda book (Guards have an account). I had to ask him for id because to me he just could never have been a Guard. He laughed and showed me his Garda Identification.

You never know.

Fr_Dougal

Was at the EP a few years ago, fairly merry. We were looking for some pills but couldn't find any. Eventually we just said we were guards to people that were obviously on something, and asked them to hand over a couple of pills and we'd be on our way.

Some come down the next day.

Samaris

There's the obvious undercover cops to attract the attention. Then, when people are all smug that they spotted them and relax their vigilance, the under-undercover cops pounce!

BBDBB

Reminded me that I was "accused" of being an undercover cop on two separate occasions

I was wearing a suit on both occasions and was in a less than attractive part of town


Like any self respecting fake rozzer I told em to feck off or I'd arrest em


Ps I've never been in the police........of course that's exactly what an undercover policeman would say

Barry Badrinath

I was minding my own business one day, putting a few letters into the local post box.

I heard a bit of a shuffle and I looked down.

There were a set of googley eyes peeping out of the letter slot!

Ehrmaigawd

It was an undercover Guard, inside the post box, dressed as an envelope.

Be careful out der hunzo's xxx

Riesen_Meal

My friend is one of the one's you just wouldn't recognise, he wouldn't look out of place in a line up of joyriders and he is fairly tiny in stature....

He pulled me one day in town with the sirens in an unmarked yoke and put the shîts up me...

jimmy blevins

NARC!

jimbis

We always bring Walkie talkies (proper Motorola ones) to gigs and festivals so Going to Slane one year we were sitting in the grass having a few cans before we went in. Some lads were rolling joints beside us, then spotted us with the walkies and almost died. We quickly let them no we weren't gards.

They then asked us to set up there mate who was a couple of feet away selling some exctasy. We went up and caught the lad mid deal and 'placed him under arrest'. He had a bag of at least 50 and start crying when we told him how long he could go down for with that amount.... During this time everyone in the area was dumping all sorts of drugs out of there pockets. We kept it going for a while while we waited for 'a car'.
Then asking what date his birthday was (he gave whatever date) and we said no mate, today is your birthday because we're not gards and this is just a wind up. Que all his mates burst out laughing. It took a while for him to believe us.

We ended up staying with a lads and had a great oul laugh.

pragmatic1

jimbis wrote: »

We always bring Walkie talkies (proper Motorola ones) to gigs and festivals so Going to Slane one year we were sitting in the grass having a few cans before we went in. Some lads were rolling joints beside us, then spotted us with the walkies and almost died. We quickly let them no we weren't gards.

They then asked us to set up there mate who was a couple of feet away selling some exctasy. We went up and caught the lad mid deal and 'placed him under arrest'. He had a bag of at least 50 and start crying when we told him how long he could go down for with that amount.... During this time everyone in the area was dumping all sorts of drugs out of there pockets. We kept it going for a while while we waited for 'a car'.
Then asking what date his birthday was (he gave whatever date) and we said no mate, today is your birthday because we're not gards and this is just a wind up. Que all his mates burst out laughing. It took a while for him to believe us.

We ended up staying with a lads and had a great oul laugh.

That is evil.

pragmatic1

I wouldn't be the most observant person but the once or twice that I id see undercover gardai, I'd have never guessed.

mynamejeff

the difference between plain clothes and undercover seems to be lost on most people.


Plain clothes arent trying to hide or blend in , they tend to be in investigative roles and therefor need to identify themselves at the outset of any interaction

Undercover or surveillance are not the same thing. they really arent going to come up and talk to you, you wont see them notice unless they want you to

riclad

Gardai tend to have short hair and to be tall .
so they stand out from the crowd .
detectives or special branch members drive around in unmarked cars i think they wear
suits or ordinary clothes .

Arsemageddon

riclad wrote: »

Gardai tend to have short hair and to be tall .
so they stand out from the crowd .
detectives or special branch members drive around in unmarked cars i think they wear
suits or ordinary clothes .

Wow, your level of insider knowledge is amazing!!!

Kirby

LexieOnRale wrote: »

I saw two on westmoreland street, only knew that they were undercover because they had blue gloves on searching two junkies. I wouldn't have guessed otherwise.

Two by two, hands of blue.

STB.

Two observations.

thelad95 wrote: »

Is it just me or do these always stick out like a sore thumb? I think they always try to hard to look inconspicuous. Stripy polo shirt, dunnes jeans, brown leather shoes and sunglasses like who are you trying to fool?

Was at Oxygen a few years ago and I saw a guy who I definitely thought was one. Fitted the description above, stood on his own for ages with no friends holding a pint that he didn't drink from once in the fifteen minutes we were looking at him. I've often seen a few hanging around the smoking areas in all the harcourt street nightclubs.

You need to stop smoking that stuff. There are people who shop in Dunnes, that dress like that. Not all of them are undercover coppers.

jimbis wrote: »

We always bring Walkie talkies (proper Motorola ones) to gigs and festivals

Why ?

Boater123

Arsemageddon wrote: »

Wow, your level of insider knowledge is amazing!!!

Ah go easy on Riclad, maybe he ws trying to be funny or something:rolleyes:

Speedsie

Kirby wrote: »

Two by two, hands of blue.

Always good to see a firefly reference in a thread about the Guards!

jimbis

STB. wrote: »

Why ?

Mobile fones tend to not work very well at festivals (reception wise) so good walkies are excellent for finding your friends etc.

Kop On

When I was a young fella, did my work experience in 4th year in a Garda station in town. One of the detectives brought me out with him to dust down for a break in just off Grafton St. On the way up the road he threw some loose change in to a homeless guys cup outside McDonald's.

Later on that week, the "homeless" guy was sitting just feet away from me back in the station reviewing CCTV footage with his colleague.

That was 18 years ago. The Gardai aren't as obvious as some might think.

Esel

"Bring back the mockies!"

"They haven't gone away, you know....."

endacl

riclad wrote: »

Gardai tend to have short hair and to be tall .
so they stand out from the crowd .
detectives or special branch members drive around in unmarked cars i think they wear
suits or ordinary clothes .

I have short hair. I'm 6'4". I drive a plain silver focus. My clothes would be pretty regular.

OK. You got me. I'm so undercover even I didn't know I was a guard. You're some kinda genius. Interpol, I'm guessing?

Capt'n Midnight

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

If you ask him "are you a guard?" then he has to tell you or else he can't arrest you for anything. Fact. It's in the constitution.

:rolleyes:

Sure everyone knows they can't arrest you unless they are wearing an official Garda hat. Just keep an eye out for the reversible ones.

Lyaiera

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

:rolleyes:

Sure everyone knows they can't arrest you unless they are wearing an official Garda hat. Just keep an eye out for the reversible ones.

Guards can't lie to you either. If they do they're the ones breaking the law and you'll be cleared of everything and they'll be convicted in the Special Criminal Court of Garda Lying.

FortySeven

I've been in the company of a few undercover drug squad over the years. You would never know.

Even after I was handcuffed I still thought they were joking.

mynamejeff

Lyaiera wrote: »

Guards can't lie to you either. If they do they're the ones breaking the law and you'll be cleared of everything and they'll be convicted in the Special Criminal Court of Garda Lying.

the sad thing is i cant tell if your being sarcastic or not SCC garda lying conviction :pac::pac:

2RockMountain

Kop On wrote: »

When I was a young fella, did my work experience in 4th year in a Garda station in town. One of the detectives brought me out with him to dust down for a break in just off Grafton St. On the way up the road he threw some loose change in to a homeless guys cup outside McDonald's.

Later on that week, the "homeless" guy was sitting just feet away from me back in the station reviewing CCTV footage with his colleague.

That was 18 years ago. The Gardai aren't as obvious as some might think.

Maybe he wasn't undercover at the time?

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/pay-reductions-see-some-garda%C3%AD-sleeping-in-their-cars-1.2191765

TheDoc

Agree with OP, always stick out like a sore thumb. The hoodies like, seriously....

harry Bailey esq

thelad95 wrote: »

Is it just me or do these always stick out like a sore thumb?.

Nope,its not just you.Used to have great craic winding them up at raves during the 90s.A pair of them for instance once tried to get in with us one night in the Olympic ballroom,a few of our crew were knocking out brown specks every weekend so we were well wide to the eejits. One mate with a serious penchant for divilment was giving them shoulder massages for the 'rushes' and the two of them were hamming it up pretending to be out of the head like the rest of us.Anyways yer man got an empty water bottle from the floor, disappeared for a minute, and came back with a full bottle of piss with the lid only slightly twisted on.He then proceeded to shake piss over both of their heads an the two gob****es were rubbing it all over their faces until the female of this dynamic duo realised what the score was.It was at this point we turned around and told them with much laughter to f*ck off and change their clothes, Kevin st station is right over there.Good times

Ted111

A little tip to help spot the elusive undercover is if you get shot in the face by them you can be pretty sure you're dealing with one.

mynamejeff

Ted111 wrote: »

A little tip to help spot the elusive undercover is if you get shot in the face by them you can be pretty sure you're dealing with one.

to be fair 99.9 percent of people shooting other people arent gardai and the ones shooting people in the face are doing it by accident apparently