Gardai Inefficiencies

Gofetch

Just curious, are the Gardai so bad in Ireland because of the diabolically inefficient systems they use?

Examples:

I went to station to get garda to witness passport app form for son. He spent 20 minutes transcribing details from the form I had into a paper ledger! Yes, paper, not computer. There was no computer to be seen at the front desk.

It seems there are only 100 police cars in the whole country with reg plate recognition for real-time alert of insurance/tax/license issues. In Australia every highway patrol and many other police cars have this system.

Article in the news the other day saying 1000 gardai could be released from desk duty to work the streets. Why are they even at desks? Probably doing data entry that should be automated anyway.

Individual cops are great but their hands are tied by their senior managers that decide processes and it’s them that need to be expelled.

markpb

It can be simultaneously true that they shouldn’t be witnessing passport forms and that they’re doing it in an inefficient way. If they have a role, they should have the tools to fulfil that role in a timely manner.

Strumms

Only 13,390 Gardai, according to their own website.

For a country of its size and with a population of what about 5.3 million people as of CSO figures for 2023.

Jokeshop stuff…

It’s difficult to be efficient and effective when you’re trying to plug a 7 foot hole in a dam with your finger.

Probably why the Garda in the city didn’t want to take a complaint about my nicked phone… because realistically it was so down the list of priorities….that they knew there was SFA they could do and once logged as a crime it goes against their stats.

Organisations become inefficient when they don’t have the tools to do their jobs, and or the quality of leadership.

purifol0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151760#Comment_122151760

Gonna disagree with you there, lock up recidivist criminals and suddenly there'd almost be too many Gards!

Think I'm bring hyperbolic?

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/serial-thief-stole-vodka-and-chocolate-by-guzzling-them-in-shop/31119607.html

200th Conviction nearly ten years ago. I wonder how many now.

mikethecop

ha ha you ve only noticed this now ?

i ll list a few of the issues ,

AGS do jobs that they shouldn't, passports are the tip , about a third of the time is dealing with mental health issues , county council jobs like blocked roads running dogs , immigration most countries have a separate organization for that, courts collection agents, not to mention refereeing every pissy civil issue , the default setting in Ireland has always been sure call the gardai they well sort it out

incessant recording and re recording of information, pulse ims pems rsa tusla hse dpp gsoc etc etc etc

rampant political interference in policing local and nationally , do you really think helen has a clue what she is doing or is she just parroting what she is told be first leo then simon

an open naked hatred from drew harris of front line gardai and visa versa . moral is is the sh1tter and has been for about 5 or 6 years , access to easier and better jobs with more money and less stress . i ve been introduced to drew twice neither time he so much as offered an hand shake or acknowledgment of any kind , he has the manners of a dog but many many upper level managers do also

awful equipment and cars (electric patrol cars ffs) oppressive strangling choking oversight (now to include strapping a cctv camara onto everyone) zealous persecution by ambitious grubbers who want to be seen to step on a few heads on the way up.

poor numbers has the front line operating at the bare min all the time and holes covered over buy over time further exhausting those same people. 100 plus hours over time per month would not be unusual but i ve heard of people at 180 plus. and looking into a summer of violence and vitriol at protest's and public unrest with compulsory over time like next week for the football. no access to leave or time off unless out sick

sorry your pass post took so long, that is because the pass port office contact garda stations multiple times 10 to 15 a day to check the records kept there , if the numbers or names dont match t gets pulled and sent back

purifol0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151979#Comment_122151979

Well well what a load of lies! easier to access better paying jobs eh - well since the average gard is on 1500 a week, what better paying jobs do the Gardai have to go to? More GRA lies methinks.

As for Drews hatred of the front line staff - are these the same gardai that fought against the drug tests they carry out on the rest of us?

Here's a thought, if gardai werent paid the most out of the entire public sector, maybe more money could be spent on equipment instead!

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152007#Comment_122152007

1500 hundred a week ? 6 grand a month ha haha 😂🤣🤣 good lad,

top of the wage scale after 20 years puts ya just over 700 a week .

Insurance companies , state bodies ,corporate private security not to mention nsw and westren oz . fire and prison service .

no one fought against random drug testing ya plonker ,it supported by gra and most honest gardai and still hasn't started

you havent a clue and just sprout bile and hatred coz its all some people can do , i forgot to ad having to deal with your sort of childish and uninformed crap

Geuze

1500 per week is correct for Gardai average.

It is of course skewed upwards by senior staff, the same applies to the other categories also.

joeymcg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152007#Comment_122152007

You are clearly clueless. If guards were being paid 1500 a week why would the resignation be at the highest the organisation has seen its 101? year history? Who would resign from a job/vocation on that remuneration?

mikethecop

https://www.garda.ie/en/careers/career-opportunities-for-an-garda-siochana/garda-pay-scales-october-2023.pdf

as a example

even inspectors who often do the of barristers presenting cases in the district court, attend local political meetings JPC business case meetings with share holders as well as managing district numbers and resources reading vetting and directing on criminal files major event planning dont make what you claim , and they are not the average garda

you clearly haven't got a clue what you on about , properly one of those fools who thing gardai get dree health car and mortgages 😂😂

purifol0

You haven't mentioned overtime and additional payments, the figures of 1500 euro a week are both official and accurate.

Also they get extremely early retirement and a massive lump sum.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058349852/gardai-inefficiencies

It always comes down to the same thing - money. Ireland is one of the low spenders when it comes to expenditure on public order and safety, you want a better service then spending needs to increase, so taxes need to go up….

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152672#Comment_122152672

you understand that overtime and shift allowances are not a concept unique to AGS neither do they bring anyone's weekly wage to 1500 , and that as i already pointed out shortages are filled by the same people working extra hours, some times in crazy numbers. they should do this for free ?

30 years min now 35 years leaving some working front line roles 24 hour service until 60 plus.

your information re pensions and gratuity is about 10 years out of date . new entrants get some where between 7 and 9 grand a year after 30 years of state service. in and increasingly difficult and dangerous job with a near 100 percent change of getting assault and strong likely hood of getting hurt

how much do you think its worth given that the state invest less than one percent of gdp in keeping its people safe

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152672#Comment_122152672

1500 euro a week? Are you actually feeling ok? Sure noone would ever leave if they got paid that. Ridiculous

The Garda commissioner gets paid 295,618.00 euro a year. 2 Deputy commissioners get 190,021.00 euro a year

8 Assistant commissioners get 167,745.00 euro a year.

47 Chief superintendents get 127,260.00

I won't go any further...but you might see how an average figure could be skewed.

delboythedub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058349852/gardai-inefficiencies

Gardai who are Nearly approaching retirement age should be the Garda behind the desk. Then you get to keep the very Experienced Garda where he is needed and then you would have the younger guys out on the beat . This might do away with the "we have'nt got the manpower syndrome". End

purifol0

Lol. I've asked for proof of all these gardai leaving and...nothing.

Also you are exceptionally bad and both math and propaganda. Gardai often double and sometimes triple their base pay via overtime. Which was actually the main reason Drew Harris was hired, to bring down the gardai pay bill.

And as there are no staff, senior or otherwise on standard salaries of millions, that means the average pay is relevant. Plus all those senior staff - they are also gardai are they not? With the exception of Drew all of them rose through the ranks.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153624#Comment_122153624

The Garda Commissioner, the one deputy commissioner and a number of assistant Commissioners did not rise through the ranks, as none were gardai before their current position. Also, a number of chief superintendents were not gardai either.

here is just a few press articles about the retention crisis. Can't believe you haven't heard all about it.........

https://www.pressreader.com/ireland/irish-daily-mail/20221021/281595244454560

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/over-500-members-left-an-garda-siochana-last-year-highest-number-in-five-years/a541006947.html

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/1022/1412228-gra-garda-resignations/

https://www.thejournal.ie/garda-recruitment-problems-resignations-trainees-5921165-Nov2022/

purifol0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153933#Comment_122153933

Ah yes th rentention crisis - Gardai resigning in record numbers as soon as they got a commissioner that prosecutes the corrupt ones.

Not only that, but I'd loooove a gender breakdown of these resignees. After all Harris and McEntee have made a big deal of discriminating against men in garda hiring, meaning the traditonal >90% male AGS is now down to 60% is just a few years. Remarkable what a bit of "positive" discrimination can do eh.

Lastly there is about 5000 applicants for every garda position. If some of the current lot cant handle it, plenty more will.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122153956#Comment_122153956

Nnothing to do with a 'commissioner who prosecutes the corrupt ones ' gardai have always been prosecuted. Drews 'new unit ' has only one case before the courts, but plenty of gardai are still prosecuted by other garda units.

What does a gender breakdown have to do with anything?

csirl

Is AGS carrying poor performers? A small number can make the job very difficult for everyone else?

I get the impression that the poor performers are carried rather than performance managed or exited.

purifol0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154016#Comment_122154016

Because the retention crisis happened after they began discriminating against hiring men

purifol0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154342#Comment_122154342

Fantastic rebuttal.

While I have you, would you like to comdemn McEntee and Harris for discrimination based on gender in hiring?

"I want to particularly encourage women to consider a career with the Gardai. Significant efforts have been made to increase the proportion of women in the service" - Helen McEntee 10 Feb 2022

2 years later:

"It is particularly positive that the number of women applying to join An Garda Síochána remains high and the total percentage of female Gardaí stands at over 28%, which I am advised is above the European average. Work is ongoing to encourage and support a range of diversity across the whole Garda workforce."

Helen McEntee - 22 February 2024

Meritocracy is long gone in the public sector. Illegal discrimination is now well under way

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154167#Comment_122154167

Or perhaps the retention crisis happened after they changed the terms and conditions for new recruits, and the pension benefits.........nothing to do with gender

suvigirl

A actively encouraging is not discrimination🙄

purifol0

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154447#Comment_122154447

The terms and conditions for new recruits….they increased their pay. And also the gardai had several pay rises outside of their contract (yet more public sector pay deals), thus increasing their overall pay and increasing their future pension amounts too.

" the changes I made last year […] boosting the training allowance by 66% to €305 per week. " - H McEntee

So are you are lying or ignorant, because they're now on more not less.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154516#Comment_122154516

😂😂 more than what?

The terms and conditions are not nearly as favourable as they were 15 years ago, not to mention their pensions are terrible.

Why would they be leaving in their droves every year if it was better! 😂😂

mikethecop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154380#Comment_122154380

once again , if you know so little why keep typing after being proved wrong again and again via links first hand experiences and common sense . drew doesn't prosecute any one he isn't even part of the many many over sight organizations, and his record for prosecuting gardai is poor at best . and quoting helen who has shown herself to be totally unsuitable and incapable of doing the job time after time is sort of worthless too

Terrontress

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152788#Comment_122152788

This graph, as a % of GDP, might have as much to do with GDP as it has to do with spending. Bulgaria spends the most as a % of GDP but, according to wikipedia, Ireland has a GDP of $133k per capita compared to Bulgaria with $33k.

Population sizes aren't dissimilar, if Ireland and Bulgaria spend the same $/€ amount on public order and safety, I would expect the chart to look like that, i.e. Bulgaria spends 4 times Ireland as % of GDP, and has a GDP of 25% of Ireland.

These the same Garda who negotiated themselves a nice 12 hour shift roster, meaning more money in unsocial hours and more days off. A few years after getting pay rises for "parading" and an allowance for being on annual leave all outside of general pay agreements.

Also leaving a Roads Policing without cover from 2am to 7am, one of the most dangerous times on the road.

A farce of an organization where orders come from the bottom up rather than top down, discipline and the Oath mean nothing to the ranks.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122199568#Comment_122199568

Nope. 12 hour shifts were forced into Gardai as a result of Covid. There was No one looking for them. There was No choice.

Now, those shifts are staying, it results in less annual leave for those members on 12 hour shifts. Which is only frontline policing members, not all Gardai.

The 15 minute parading time, means that members have to start work 15 mins before their official shift start time. This is not an option. Which means that frontline policing units actually work for 12 hours 15 mins. Do you think they shouldn't get paid for their work?

Garda members have no say over the rosters of road policing units, which you don't have right btw, there isn't a break between 2am and 7am.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122199702#Comment_122199702

You're having a laugh. You actually think Gardai are working those extra 15 minutes? Garda shifts start and finish at the top of the hour like they always done. If the parading was extra, shift times would be starting at quarter to the hour.

Like all unions, they never miss an opportunity to line their own pockets and once Covid roster came in to reduce the number of movements, they saw the extra money and the gibbs-me-that all kicked off.

During pay hikes, it's all about how highly trained and motivated they are to serve the public.

When the sht hits dealing with the far-right, suddenly they aren't so highly trained.

A farce.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122203654#Comment_122203654

Where exactly do you get your information?

They work the 15 mins, that is why they get overtime for 15 mins over a 12 hour shift.

You clearly haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122203663#Comment_122203663

No, they don't.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058349852/gardai-inefficiencies

Gardai have some great technology. Over 12,000 'mobility devices' have been provided to front line Gardai, Samsung phones running specialised apps that allow them to check vehicle status and issue fines on the spot, along with other Garda functions.

They do have some diabolically inefficient systems. The old 'handwritten' statement form is a bit of a joke in this day and age, as is the inability submit video evidence online.

suvigirl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122203666#Comment_122203666

Yes. They do. You haven't a clue what you're talking about.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122205622#Comment_122205622

Yes, I appreciate that the solution to a lot of these issues are not in the Garda's own hands.

The handwritten statement is a joke. I have Gardai handwrite out a statement that I emailed to them and then I have to sign it. When I was less prepared in the old days, it usually ended up being the Garda's words, describing my situation, that went into the handwritten statement, rather than my actual words, so the handwritten thing isn't really fit for purpose either.

I've had wide variations in requirements about video evidence from different Gardai, sometimes different Gardai in the same station. Some wanted 'end to end journey footage', some wanted the original drive or SD card, some are happy with USB or emailed footage. They've said that they'll move to an online portal next year, without any change in legislation, so all this stuff about needing the SD card is just nonsense.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122205735#Comment_122205735

They've said that we'll have the portal next year. While timing might be an issue, they've no difficulty with the principle of this, after it being examined by some kind of working group.

Part of the problem is that I've really no idea no idea how many are prosecuted, because most Gardai don't let me know what happened. Some Gardai have confirmed that FCPNs were issued and paid. I've never had to go to Court, because I don't bother reporting to Gardai unless I have fairly clear obvious evidence, so most drivers do the smart thing and pay the fine and take the two points, rather than risking ending up with four points.

Iguarantee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152054#Comment_122152054

**** it, I was earning €700/wk NET only 5 years out of college. Twenty years on the job to earn that kind of money; that is a joke!

Fair play to Gardai, they provide an essential and valuable service and are neither rightly compensated nor rightly recognised for it.

Shield

OP has been answered and thread has run its course.

Discussion closed.

-Shield