Your experience with the Gardai

opfleet

For those of you who have dealt first hand with the Guards either as a suspect or a victim, how did you find them?

Omackeral

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5fts7bj-so

AllForIt

I've never dealt with the Guards - they dealt with me though.

pgj2015

i find them to be very fair, and easy to talk to.

me_irl

Grand, you?

Junkyard Tom

Not a bad bunch of lads in fairness, the front-line ones anyway.

January

Nothing but good experiences

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

Stern but fair.

Larbre34

Polite but not the brightest.

Snotty

Always good, if you are reasonable, they will respect you.
If you have a poor opinion of them, chances are you are a scumbag.

thesultan

I find that in general that they look for the easy touch ( speeding, drink drivers). They haven't caught a robber in my locality in years. The justice system is a joke but they aren't doing enough on drugs and robberries.

corner of hells

I occasionally deal with them now through work and find them grand.

I got a good few thumps and punches off them as a young lad and wholeheartedly deserved everyone of them.

soiseztomabel

They were fair with me everytime they raided my gaff when I was a tipper in my 20s

riemann

Few times I have, always positive. Quite apparent there are a few bag eggs in the bunch but I respect what they do, and am thankful.

Just a shame our Judges are so far removed from the mainstream that a few quid in the poor box will absolve one of what at one time was considered a serious crime, ie sexual assault.

wakka12

Pretty good , the only time Ive ever interacted with gardai has been asking for directions /info at big events with large crowds, and getting passports and legal documents.

But one time I was walking in town and a bin bag full of styrofoam pieces on the path had burst and was all over the path. I walked over it and it was rainy so it stuck to my shoes. A few seconds later a garda car drove beside and garda rolled down his window and barked 'oi you did you burst that bag of styrofoam', I said uh no why? and he said well whys it all over your feet then? I just said well it was nothing to do with me. And he said well if i check the CCTV from the shop out front are you still sticking with that story? and I said yes and he drove off.
Thought it was very ****ing rude, to be so aggressive without having any reason to be

Thats the only bad experience though. I was about 19 at the time.

Beechwoodspark

All good in fairness

Jen Pigs Fly

Work closely with them on a day to day basis.

Thankless job, they do great work and don't deserve the ****e aimed at them. Sure there are some bad eggs but all in all they're a good bunch of people who just want to make a difference and help people.

Lia_lia

I once had a Garda tell me I couldn’t use my birth cert as my proof of age (when applying for my Garda ID) as it didn’t have my date of birth on it. I’ll never forget the laugh my Mother and I got off it. Maybe she was confused because it was a UK birth cert. I dunno. Took her a while to realise it was definitely written on it.

jonon9

Never had a problem with them sure there's probably a few rotten eggs but overall good. The way I see it is if you act the prick you will be treated like a prick.

Snotty

Snotty wrote: »

Always good, if you are reasonable, they will respect you.
If you have a poor opinion of them, chances are you are a scumbag.

I have a semi poor opinion of the guards and not from them giving me hassle or anything. I just found that when I called them with a problem, like when someone was trying to break into my house....... They didn't show up for hours and sometimes they didn't even show up at all.

Gardai in general seem to be a quite under equipped and under funded police force, thereore they can't really do their job properly.

ROAAAR

Power corrupts

Noveight

I've had minimal enough dealing with them, a brief chat at a few checkpoints or when sorting out different documents for passport/driving license.

They've all been fairly sound, just decent folks like the rest of us who're making ends meet. At the end of the day they take off their uniform and go home to their families just like the rest of us.

donegaLroad

Deleted User wrote: »

I have a semi poor opinion of the guards and not from them giving me hassle or anything. I just found that when I called them with a problem, like when someone was trying to break into my house....... They didn't show up for hours and sometimes they didn't even show up at all.

Gardai in general seem to be a quite under equipped and under funded police force, thereore they can't really do their job properly.

I dont know if its different now, but up to a few years ago, the Gardai had to use their personal mobile phones at their own expense, when they weren't using the force's own walkie talkies (there must be a more modern term for these now?)

It seemed to me to be unfair, considering that the Esat masts / antenna were being installed in garda stations in the late 90's early 00's, so as to avoid paying yearly fees to private land owners, and also to deter public demonstrations at the erection of the masts.

Stonedpilot

Well keep your response to a polite but firm "No comment" and "Am I obliged to answer that question?". If they say yes "Can you explain under what law please?

Remember kids fish only get caught because they open their mouths!.

Only knew one personally who was mates with a old Housemate of mine. Mad whore with drink and drugs in him. Think Brendan Gleeson in the Guard type.

cycle4fun

Most are sound.

Noveight

Stonedpilot wrote: »

Well keep your response to a polite but firm "No comment" and "Am I obliged to answer that question?". If they say yes "Can you explain under what law please?

I can never understand why a person would waste their own time and that of the Gardaí with such nonsense.

Tom Mann Centuria

I've never had any issue with Gardai here, or the police in the UK. Always been treated fairly.

Snotty

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I have a semi poor opinion of the guards and not from them giving me hassle or anything. I just found that when I called them with a problem, like when someone was trying to break into my house....... They didn't show up for hours and sometimes they didn't even show up at all.

Gardai in general seem to be a quite under equipped and under funded police force, thereore they can't really do their job properly.

So you have a semi poor opinion on the guards because, and you confirm it yourself, they are under resourced and not able to deal with all incidents immediately??

wakka12

Snotty wrote: »

So you have a semi poor opinion on the guards because, and you confirm it yourself, they are under resourced and not able to deal with all incidents immediately??

Whatever about the reasons for it but of course those issues will impact how we view gardai on a personal individual levels if those issues result in gardai not responding to our requests or taking very long times to process them

You wouldn't have a good opinion of your child's teacher if they never paid any attention to your child because the class had too many kids would you?

namloc1980

One poor interaction. There was a little scut shooting off an airsoft rifle in our estate last summer. During the day with small kids around. They're illegal to carry and use in public places. Rang local Garda station but the Garda who answered couldn't have cared less.

pgj2015

namloc1980 wrote: »

One poor interaction. There was a little scut shooting off an airsoft rifle in our estate last summer. During the day with small kids around. They're illegal to carry and use in public places. Rang local Garda station but the Garda who answered couldn't have cared less.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnD_51Vvi1I

the_syco

In the Gardai station; grand.
Gardai on the street; grand.
Random checkpoint; grand.
Random checkpoint on an L license, no-one else in the car, whilst driving a bright red Honda Civic; grand.
Pulled over by an unmarked police car, with eyes that you could see that they were ready to beat the crap out of someone; a bit hyped up, but grand.

Respect the man, and the man respects you. Most people who I heard got a hard time with the Gardai did something stupid that triggered the reaction.

But you also get the odd ***hole cop that wants to f**k up your day. Heck, I got some random Garda asking why I was wearing a three hole balaclava once; it was fecking -2 degrees out!

wakka12

the_syco wrote: »

In the Gardai station; grand.
Gardai on the street; grand.
Random checkpoint; grand.
Random checkpoint on an L license, no-one else in the car, whilst driving a bright red Honda Civic; grand.
Pulled over by an unmarked police car, with eyes that you could see that they were ready to beat the crap out of someone; a bit hyped up, but grand.

Respect the man, and the man respects you. Most people who I heard got a hard time with the Gardai did something stupid that triggered the reaction.

But you also get the odd ***hole cop that wants to f**k up your day. Heck, I got some random Garda asking why I was wearing a three hole balaclava once; it was fecking -2 degrees out!

Fair question :pac:
Ive never seen somebody wearing balaclava that went above the bottom of the nose :P

maccored

ive always found them to be grand

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Positive in all interactions

Herb Powell

Mostly grand. Was searched and questioned on one occasion alright, and they were thick about it, but I kept my cool and let them at it. It was just a case of wrong place, wrong time, they were looking for someone else. Could have gone either way though, I felt.

StolenKrone

First class. Its only gougers that have a problem with them.

Jayesdiem

thesultan wrote: »

I find that in general that they look for the easy touch ( speeding, drink drivers). They haven't caught a robber in my locality in years. The justice system is a joke but they aren't doing enough on drugs and robberries.

Maybe that's because a robber will time his run methodically to minimise the chances of being caught. Speeding drivers are way more common and way less evasive. It's a bit like saying the rat trap you set out the back garden has only caught rats thus far and as yet has not caught a single horse.

Dr Brown

Very unprofessional...

Badly Drunk Boy

My only negative experience was about 20 years ago. I had been at a nightclub on a Saturday on the Curragh, and forgot or couldn't find my coat. The nest afternoon, I decided to cycle out the the nightclub, hoping there would be somebody on the premises. Cycling across The Curragh, a Garda car passed me and I thought nothing of it.

After a few minutes there was a fork in the road, and the Garda car was parked in the fork that isn't used as much as the other. I continued on the main route and a few minutes later, the car overtook me and indicated for me to stop. There were two Gardaí, an experienced one and a young lad. The older Garda did all the talking:

Garda: I know you don't I? You've been down in the station a few times.
Me: I was only ever there once, for my passport application.
Garda: No, I definitely know you. We had you in for drugs.
Me: Definitely not.

It went on like that for a bit. It was probably yer man showing the young lad "This is what we can do". Completely unnecessary on a lovely, sunny Sunday afternoon, in the middle of nowhere, with no witnesses except a few sheep. It definitely wasn't a case of mistaken identity, as I'm a one of a kind.

BillyBobBS

Two very negative experiences with them dealing with absolute scumbag front line Gardai with one of those resulting in a grovelling apology from said Garda and one very good experience.

BillyBobBS

StolenKrone wrote: »

First class. Its only gougers that have a problem with them.

Absolute horse sh it.

Iseedeadpixels

Pretty much all good bar when I made a complaint as a teenager, last time I went in for a form to get my log book the Guard had a chat with me about the car and the new models they now use.

Another time I went in because I had another logbook issue the Guard couldnt have been more helpful.

Had some funny moments too when out in town, was messing with a Guard saying hes only moving us on because we're from Tallaght, got a ah here I'm from Old Bawn! turns out we had a few friends in common as well.

It really does boil down to treat them how you want to be treated.

s3rtvdbwfj81ch

Good and bad, same as with any profession really.

I tend not to let bad experiences cloud my judgement of the whole force though, that's mental behaviour.

The best experience was when a load of armed detectives descended on my apartment one midweek evening, few lads around watching football. Handed my friend a warrant that said they were looking for Cocaine - the did a thorough search and found nothing (later found out they'd gotten the wrong apartment). What they did do, though, and fair play to them for this, was ignored a substantial enough bag of weed that was in a drawer in one of the bedrooms. Given how they'd searched the place there's no way they didn't see this, but fair play to them they left and never said anything about it.

I've been done for speeding a couple of times too, 140 on the 120 stretch of the motorway close to Cork, and 80 on a 60 - both times I knew I was bang to rights so I was polite and caused no hassle, Gards on both occasions were grand, still got the points though.

You get the odd ignorant cúnt at a football match or whatever, but fúck them, move on and forget it.

malinheader

All depends who you are and what connections you have. Some people seem to get away with a lot more than others where the guards are concerned.

razorblunt

Never gave them any reason to give me a tough time.
I've only really "dealt" with them a couple of times:

1. 4 car crash, rear ended and was pushed into 2 other cars, thankfully everyone was alright, Traffic Corps arrived on the scene unscheduled about 2 minutes later, took the time to ensure everyone was alright, the poor girl who rear ended me was a bit shook so he took our details, quick statements from us and sent us on the our way while calming her down and arranging a pick up for her

2. Checkpoint while I was 18 and driving on a provisional, I'd dropped some friends home after hanging in my gaff on a Friday evening. I forgot that once I'd dropped them all off there'd be no qualified driver with me. I owned up saying I was doubling back to an ATM rather than going home. He let me off with a warning. I was driving a Dad mobile so he had me well sussed.

3. Another checkpoint. This guys had a bit of an attitude. Kept insinuating I had drink on me, telling me "this is the last chance now to tell me, the breathalyser won't lie". Hadn't had a drop for weeks, brought my gf (now wife) home after a cinema data. The only thing I could think of was that it was just when I started wearing contacts so maybe my eyes were red. He looked fierce disappointed all the same when I blew a 0.00 or whatever the lowest reading is.

4. Almost got ran off the road by a truck, followed the guy to get him to pull over as there was damage to the car. He pulled every trick in the book, indicate left to go right, eventually got away when he tore through a roundabout. Went to the nearest station to report this, the Garda behind the desk saw how shook the driver was and handled it brilliantly. Made it her point to chase down the driver and company. We had a phone call and multiple calls following it from the company owner within an hour. She tore stripes off them for us.

FTA69

Institutionally corrupt and in need of root and branch reform, probably better off disbanding them and starting again to be honest. Obviously as a large group of individuals there is a wide variance of personalities and attitudes but they operate in a very flawed system. Likewise I think their training and culture inculcates a sense of 'them and us' that isn't very healthy.

A lot of their behaviour in working class urban areas leaves a lot to be desired, many times some of them view everyone from a given area as an enemy and act accordingly - in my view this is because most of them are rural. There are serious questions about their conduct and they also have a charming habit of beating the f*ck out of people and then covering for each other regardless.

The cops have serious issues, and this notion that anyone critical of them or who has bad experiences of them is automatically a scumbag is assumptive nonsense.

Snotty

wakka12 wrote: »

You wouldn't have a good opinion of your child's teacher if they never paid any attention to your child because the class had too many kids would you?

In that case I would have a poor opinion of the school and probably the department of education. The teacher doesn't dictate how many kids will be in the class.
Directing anger at the teacher who is also being negatively affected, just like the child, is completely unreasonable.

sbsquarepants

Had to deal with them maybe 10 times in total, largely negative experiences I have to say. Only remember 1 who I thought was sound 3 or 4 who were complete cúnts and the others just not particularly nice, but not particularly assholes either.
Had a stand up row with one in Tallaght police station - I only went in to get a form signed - he had a major attitude problem.
My own and my girlfriends passport were lost / stolen and I was looking for forms to be stamped to replace them.
You keep them together - well now that's clever isn't it?
Come back to me when you've actually filled the form out, you haven't even signed here, you can write your name can't you? (it said sign in the presence of a garda!)
So on and so forth, he was just a total prick. I ended calling him a wanker and walking out!

andekwarhola

To be fair, no overly bad dealings with them, despite growing up in a very working class area.

In fact, they dealt with me very fairly on one occasion (when I was growing up), where I could have ended up in a lot worse trouble.

Chancer3001

Normal people - guards are great

Scumbags - guards are awful. Thick. Useless.