Garda uniform

suicide_circus · 31-10-2017 12:08pm

corner of hells wrote: »

Are Gardai supposed to be intimidating?

A little bit yes

corner of hells · 31-10-2017 12:20pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

corner of hells wrote: »

Are Gardai supposed to be intimidating?

A little bit yes

Like the Spanish police who kicked the bollix out the protesters in Barcelona ?

erica74 · 31-10-2017 12:28pm

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

“One size fits no one” is how they manage to have every garda looking like they slept for a week in their uniform.

It really is the worst ill fitting uniform I have ever seen. Police in other countries look much more professional in proper fitting decent uniform.

Are the police in other countries required to maintain the fitness level they achieve in order to join the force? That probably contributes to them looking well in their uniforms.
The majority of the gardai I have seen are overweight and unfit.

suicide_circus · 31-10-2017 12:30pm

corner of hells wrote: »

Like the Spanish police who kicked the bollix out the protesters in Barcelona ?

Yes. Not saying they should beat people but they should look intimidating

ohnonotgmail · 31-10-2017 12:33pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

Yes. Not saying they should beat people but they should look intimidating

No point looking intimidating if you are not prepared to act in that manner. Unfortunately the spanish police have no problem in that regard.

jackhammer · 31-10-2017 12:48pm

corner of hells wrote: »

Sounds like it was a riveting conversation.

I'll tell him so, next time I see him. He'll be so pleased that you, in particular, found it so interesting.

r93kaey5p2izun · 31-10-2017 12:58pm

It's an ugly uniform. Ill-fitting for the majority and looks very uncomfortable for being active. I agree the trousers look like cheapo overalls.

I can't say I've seen an ordinary Garda, except the armed response unit, in the past year though, except in the media. The ERU uniform isn't as bad.

McCrack · 31-10-2017 3:02pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

Yes. Not saying they should beat people but they should look intimidating

Thats not our policing model and nor should it be.

suicide_circus · 31-10-2017 6:30pm

McCrack wrote: »

Thats not our policing model and nor should it be.

Fine but is it really necessary for them to look so slovenly?

corner of hells · 31-10-2017 6:39pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

McCrack wrote: »

Thats not our policing model and nor should it be.

Fine but is it really necessary for them to look so slovenly?

Do they look slovenly ? I'd have contact with Gardai a couple of times a week , both uniformed and plainclothes, vast majority present well and professional in approach.
Gentle and discrete for some situations and forceful and direct as need be in other situations.

31-10-2017 6:43pm

McCrack wrote: »

Thats not our policing model and nor should it be.

It absolutely should be our policing model. The current model of 'ah sure isn't that the way it goes' isn't doing anyone any favours, except the criminals.

We need a police force not a police service.

Even An Post have a better uniform than the Gardai, for police work.

Police officer is expected to chase criminals, jump over fences at speed, climb walls, slide over car bonnets ( :P ), tackle thieves and look intimidating to groups of scummers, yet is wearing a shirt and tie and a pair of slacks and shoes.

Post man has to cycle around casually and walk to your letter box, perhaps kicking the odd dog along the way, and is equipped with cargo pants, sleeveless fleeces, beanie hats, caps and boots.

corner of hells · 31-10-2017 6:46pm

Deleted User wrote: »

McCrack wrote: »

Thats not our policing model and nor should it be.

It absolutely should be our policing model. The current model of 'ah sure isn't that the way it goes' isn't doing anyone any favours, except the criminals.

We need a police force not a police service.

Even An Post have a better uniform than the Gardai, for police work.

Police officer is expected to chase criminals, jump over fences at speed, climb walls, slide over car bonnets ( :P ), tackle thieves and look intimidating to groups of scummers, yet is wearing a shirt and tie and a pair of slacks and shoes.

Post man has to cycle around casually and walk to your letter box, perhaps kicking the odd dog along the way, and is equipped with cargo pants, sleeveless fleeces, beanie hats, caps and boots.

You do realise they do a little more than all action scenarios you've given an account of.

mattser · 31-10-2017 6:54pm

corner of hells wrote: »

Do they look slovenly ? I'd have contact with Gardai a couple of times a week , both uniformed and plainclothes, vast majority present well and professional in approach.
Gentle and discrete for some situations and forceful and direct as need be in other situations.

Same as that. Not possible to constantly attend to their attire while doing duty in a job that demands getting roughed up on a regular basis.
Snowflakes will be Snowflakes.

31-10-2017 7:16pm

corner of hells wrote: »

You do realise they do a little more than all action scenarios you've given an account of.

Which is grand. Current uniform is fine if you're stamping forms in the station all day behind the counter. Other than that, not very practical.

James Bond Junior · 31-10-2017 7:21pm

The ladies get the same trousers as the men hence why they look like they have arse the sizes of oil tankers. If they were given proper ladies trousers to fit their shape it would help.

Aineoil · 31-10-2017 7:24pm

Have ye all seen the Italian police uniform? A photo came of the Italian uniform came up on my facebook page. I'm still on the smelling salts.

I have no idea if it's functional or practical but it's damn sexy.

suicide_circus · 31-10-2017 8:29pm

corner of hells wrote: »

Do they look slovenly ? I'd have contact with Gardai a couple of times a week , both uniformed and plainclothes, vast majority present well and professional in approach.
Gentle and discrete for some situations and forceful and direct as need be in other situations.

I'm not questioning their work ethic, I just think the fitting hi-vis jackets detract from their air of professionalism and authority.

jojofizzio · 31-10-2017 8:59pm

suicide_circus wrote: »

The Carabinieri looking sharp in the jack boots and capes

So...instead of heading to Topaz for their break,these guys engage in a spot of bullfighting when things are slow???:)

Kermit.de.frog · 31-10-2017 9:26pm

Could be worse. Police in Florence, Italy have to wear hard hats.

John_Rambo · 31-10-2017 9:49pm

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

We could ask the guys at Hugo Boss to come up with some new designs

Well, you're not far off Sept 23...

The regular uniform is dreadful. It doesn't say "respect me, I'm the law". It's shapeless and doesn't exude power and confidence and realistically, should be designed by an experienced fashion designer. Armani and Valentino designed uniforms for the Italian police.

Similar vein, whoever was in charge of the reflective decals on the armed support cars should be shot too. They don't follow the lines of the cars, they're just slapped on, at odds with the cars shape and flow thus changing pretty aggressive, stylish looking vehicles in to builders vans with hi-vis jackets. They should have engaged a graphic designer.

Knex* · 31-10-2017 9:54pm

Reminded me of this gem

https://imgur.com/gallery/jwPppQ4

Kermit.de.frog · 31-10-2017 10:16pm

jojofizzio · 31-10-2017 10:50pm

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

:D:D:D

Potential-Monke · 31-10-2017 10:58pm

From an ex-Garda's perspective:

The uniform is grand for court and office duties. For operational purposes, it's scandalous. As someone said above, wearing proper trousers with ill-fitting shirts and a tie (albeit a clip-on) is crazy for operational duties. We (and by we, I mean the Gardai when I was serving) have been trying to get a different uniform for years. They eventually brought one in, for Community Policing. That is the uniform every operational member should be wearing. I believe it's due to happen soon (in Garda time, soon means within the next 20 years).

And to answer an earlier question about wages, detective wages are slightly higher.

John_Rambo · 31-10-2017 11:02pm

I ran about 1k with a Garda, he was in full uniform and in bits after it, sweating and out of breath. Turns out he was a fit guy, GAA player. He blamed the uniform and I agreed with him. Heavy, baggy pants, heavy ankleless shoes, a oversized shirt (come on?), tie, ill fitting coat.

There are materials widely available, designed for sports that are light, fit well and are able do deal with Irish weather.

We (well he...) caught the baddies.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 01-11-2017 12:27am

erica74 wrote: »

Are the police in other countries required to maintain the fitness level they achieve in order to join the force? That probably contributes to them looking well in their uniforms.
The majority of the gardai I have seen are overweight and unfit.

Yeah that is also probably part of the problem However I know plenty of younger slim guards whose uniform looks like it was for someone 3 sizes bigger. It’s simply a cheap poor quality sloppy uniform.

One thing that should he remembered is that a company is contracted to produce the uniform, so I can’t understagd why they don’t go back to them and tell them to sort the problem of piss poor fitting uniforms and don’t accept anything less than perfect but I guess like everything else the company is probably owned by someone with political connections.

fryup · 01-11-2017 10:19am

the Ban Garda uniform always look a size too big on them...makes them look gawdy

Potential-Monke · 01-11-2017 4:46pm

You can get 4 shirts with the same order, and they could all be different sizes, even though they say they're the same size. Plus the newer shirts don't have space on the collar for the tie to fit, so the corners stick up... Cheapest wins in AGS again!

tayto lover · 01-11-2017 4:47pm

Potential-Monke wrote: »

You can get 4 shirts with the same order, and they could all be different sizes, even though they say they're the same size. Plus the newer shirts don't have space on the collar for the tie to fit, so the corners stick up... Cheapest wins in AGS again!

Christ how hard can it be to get 4 shirts the same size? Why don't they cancel the contract or is someone's buddy getting a good deal?

seamus · 01-11-2017 6:01pm

The uniform doesn't need to be flattering or attractive, just functional.

Certainly the trousers look like insanely heavy canvas things. Like combats but without the pockets.

I guess it's about getting the balance right for the majority of stuff a Garda does on a daily basis. Like, a good pair of runners would do the job for sprinting down the street, but aren't as good as a quality pair of hiking boots for walking long distances, walking through mud and guck and climbing over walls and stuff.

So if they spend 7.5 hours of the day walking around and might give some lads a chase once or twice a week, then a pair of good walking shoes and warm comfortable trousers, is the right choice.

mattser · 01-11-2017 7:38pm

seamus wrote: »

The uniform doesn't need to be flattering or attractive, just functional.

Certainly the trousers look like insanely heavy canvas things. Like combats but without the pockets.

I guess it's about getting the balance right for the majority of stuff a Garda does on a daily basis. Like, a good pair of runners would do the job for sprinting down the street, but aren't as good as a quality pair of hiking boots for walking long distances, walking through mud and guck and climbing over walls and stuff.

So if they spend 7.5 hours of the day walking around and might give some lads a chase once or twice a week, then a pair of good walking shoes and warm comfortable trousers, is the right choice.

Exactly, but common sense is not very common around these parts.

Potential-Monke · 01-11-2017 7:43pm

seamus wrote: »

So if they spend 7.5 hours of the day walking around and might give some lads a chase once or twice a week, then a pair of good walking shoes and warm comfortable trousers, is the right choice.

Closer to 9+ hours if you're on the beat. And trust me, the boots they gave are also bad. I read in the leaflet that came with them that you should avoid wearing them for more than 8 hours a day if possible.

Lots of Gardai bought their own boots. Can't remember the brand, but they're top notch. Cost over E250, out of their own pockets. I wasn't one of them.

The problem is planning, most Gardai have no idea what they'll be doing the following day, so can't dress accordingly. Court? Beat? Observer? Driver? Post? Office Duties? One does not know (mostly) until they're doing it.

Garda uniform

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