As Garda, do you feel you're making a positive difference?

F_Raven

Hi there!

Genuine question, I'm at a point in my life where it's time to pick an area of work to invest into. I want to work in a career where I can make a genuinely positive impact for those who need it. I don't care about if the work is tough, or there's no recognition or if pay is better elsewhere, I just want to know I'm making a difference each day. Would any Gardai here say that you feel that the job does this, or do you feel like your hands are mostly tied all the time? If so, what career do you think would be a better way to help people in our community?

Many thanks for your time and any advice at all you can share.

irishrgr

Not a Garda, expat copper in the US…so, you have to define what making a difference is. If you think you'll be taking a bite out of crime and locking up hoodlums, you'll become frustrated. Especially given the DPP and court system and their quirks (to put it mildly).

Having said that, yes, you can derive huge satisfaction from what I call just helping people. We arrive on scene, provide assurance, listen to them gripe/whine/tell their story and so on. You'll get to lock up an assailant in a domestic or child abuse case, that's brilliant. I'm long past caring what the courts and prosecutors do, it's on them, not me. I did my part.

I have no idea how many people I've helped by giving them a lift home, getting someone into a shelter, slowing down a speeding driver with his children in the back and so on. I've taken drunk drivers off the street that night, maybe that prevented a tragedy, we'll never know.

It's very easy to be cynical in the police, everyone tells us what to do, how to do our jobs and dumps societies problems in out laps, be it the drunks, the homeless. We get hassled for doing too much policing or too little policing. You get the point. It's a great job, great teamwork and you do make a difference, just be realistic. Look at it through the lens of helping people as opposed to making a difference, it's a great job.

RiderOnTheStorm

Not a garda, but I was in Ambulance service for 7 years (after having to change career when company laid us all off after 25 years) before leaving country to be closer to family. If it wasnt for that, I would be there until I retire. It is a great job. Like any job, there are frustrations, admin, bureaucracy, fights with co-workers and days where you think the insane have taken over the asylum …… BUT ….. if you want to help people , and improve their lot, you couldnt pick a better job. You are dealing with people 1:1 from their doorway until they get a bed (trolly?) in a hospital. It could be 30 mins or 8 hours. And they are often having the worst day of their life and you are the calm one who advocates for them. Giving meds and interventions is a given, but I found that you are often the one who has speak for your patient when they cant. There is a huge satisfaction when handing over a Pt knowing that you have played a part in the chain to getting them some help. Even on bad days when someone dies despite your efforts , the family will be consoled (in time, maybe not that day) that they were not alone, and that someone fought for them.

….and then there's the day you help deliver a baby …… that is very special and stays with you for life :-)

RarePhilosophy

Not a Garda either, going to be a Garda trainee in September. My my own findings , you’ll not be able to stop all crime, due to courts , lack of prison space , resource challenges ect.

I think if you can go home at the end of a shift knowing you gave it 110% and helped even one person , even if it’s only something small like locking up an abusive husband for a night or comforting someone who suffered a tragedy, changing a tyre or checking in on an old woman who’s recently been burgled to make them feel a bit safer, stopping a drunk driver ect.

One of my favourite recruitment videos from the Met in London (not a millions miles from the guards) :

https://youtu.be/mO0FFoM2S8A?si=-kRZy2_H212Boasu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058357964/as-garda-do-you-feel-youre-making-a-positive-difference

The vast majority of Gardai are in it for themselves. I think you'll end up a bit disappointed if you join wanting to make a difference and observing the attitude of those around you.

This is an organization who went on one illegal strike, threatened another in the mid 10s and yet another last year. With their illegal threat to the security of the State last year, they bagged themselves a roster that suits themselves rather than the public. A roster that sees no road policing units on duty in the early hours of the morning. Their stunt in 2015/16 saw them come up with some mickey mouse 'parading' excuse. Funny how they managed from their formation in the 1920s to 2016 without needing a 'parade' allowance.

90%+ of them have lashed out at a Commissioner trying to improve standards and rooting out misconduct.

All this against a backdrop of being a supposedly disciplined organization and one whose members enjoy significantly above average earnings and pensions.