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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?

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weldoninhio

Tinley Nervous Vibraphone wrote: »

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.

Would have been inadmissable if they'd found it raiding the wrong apartment. Prob didn't want to do the paperwork. Would have been thrown out of court.

gmisk

I would say hugely variable.

My undoubted worst experience was with one gardai insisting I hadn't been the victim of a homophobic attack after being mugged and sitting in the hospital....despite being called a "F#ggot" by the attackers (and then being slashed in the face with a stanley knife...) that was hugely upsetting at the time and still is, I really regret not raising some kind of complaint.

On other occasions when it came to giving a statement (card skimmed) and getting passport photo verified very straightforward and polite.

(Apologies I didnt realised I wasnt allowed to type that word so edited it)

big syke

As with any group of people in life. Some amazing, some awful and most somewhere in the middle depending on the day/mood.

Libadour

Growing up I definitely would have had a negative experience with Garda in our area. Constantly being stopped and interrogated. We hung around in large enough groups but you would have thought they would have got to know us after years of taking our names.

We always saw it as a cop out (excuse the pun) on their part. Stopping kids in our area would have been deemed a lot easier than 10 minutes up the road where they definitely would have had some work to do. We weren't bad kids either. Once I turned 18 it was a complete change and now I'm actually treated like a person. It's a thankless job in fairness.

eviltwin

Not great. I've been a victim twice, was mugged in town by two junkies one of whom held a blood filled syringe up to my neck while the other went through my bag. The guards didn't even log it in the system.

The second was the same station. We were held up by a guy with a knife at work, a member of the public alerted the guards and they came over and got him. An hour later he back - no knife this time. The attitude of the guards was he's harmless, we know him, just ignore him.

My local station is much better. I found a guy injured last year, gardai were great even phoning me the next day to see if I was okay.

Overall I think they are great and doing a difficult job on very little resources but some could do with better people skills.

Ralf and Florian

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.

This is my major issue with them. On the few occasions I've rung them about anti social behaviour etc either they either don't answer the phone or if they do they say they'll send someone around and never do.

weldoninhio

Generally poor. They seem workshy and will try anything in the book to try to get out of doing actual work.

I was assaulted many years back in a local nightclub. Got a headbutt, broken teeth, 2 black eyes, busted nose. The bouncers were sound enough, cleaned me up, made sure I was ok and let me know that there was a squad car outside if i wanted to report it straight away while i had all the details fresh in my mind, and in case the Gardai wanted to speak with any of the bouncers that witnessed the assault. Walked over to the car, opened with "sorry to bother you but......" got as far as that before I was to to "fcuk off away from the car". I tried to explain that I was assaulted and he told me that there was nothing he could do. I asked why he could not do anything and was told "we have to stay here in case theres any trouble in the nightclub", I countered with "there was trouble in the nightclub, my nose is the result of it, and the guy that did it is there" and pointed him out.

Was then told "If you don't get away from the car now, I'll arrest you for drunk and disorderly (I wasn't) and when you bleed all over the back of the car on the way to the station i'll add destruction of police property to the charge". He then told me again to pi55 off and to call an ambulance if I wanted a record of the injury and contact my local station the next day about it.

Rang my local station the next day, was told that because it happened the next town over that I'd have to contact them. Contacted them, gave them the guys name, address, bouncers who witnessed its names and phone numbers and the phone number of the manager who said that he was going to burn a copy of the CCTV to DVD for the Gardai to collect. Went from victim to suspect in about 2 seconds. Why did he assault you? (It was completely unprovoked) I don't believe it was unprovoked. What did you do to make him retaliate like that? and on and on and on. Finally I told the Garda to look at the CCTV, speak to the bouncers and witnesses and they'd corroborate everything. Was told "Grand, we'll look into it and get back to you".

Now unless they've taken it EXTREMELY seriously, and are working deep cover to see if they can get a confession by wearing a wire, I don't think they'll be getting back to me. It was over 15 years ago. Saw him a few weeks later and sorted it myself.

sbsquarepants

eviltwin wrote: »

My local station is much better. I found a guy injured last year, gardai were great even phoning me the next day to see if I was okay.

.

About 10 years ago or so, my father found a dead body in a field near the house while out walking his dog early one morning. He rang the police, who turned up fairly quickly(ish) (about 15 minutes, tallaght station is about a kilometre away)- but they never even asked him his name, what he'd seen, nothing at all!

Muppet Man

Very positive dealings with them after being burgled (very quick to respond) and stopped for speeding twice by unmarked cars - I was verbally cautioned by both guards, when I really really deserved points. Being polite might actually have saved me. Also, I do need to slow the f*%k down.

Billy86

I had to get Garda clearance for Canada a few years ago and thought it summed up the problem the Gardai have with public perception quite well. Basically Canada required it under my passport name (Billy) while the Gardai only send under the birth cert name (William). Canada rejected the original, then an 'AKA William', then about 4-5 other iterations until finally they accepted one. Every time I dealt with the same woman in Tallaght, Stephanie her name may have been, and she was great. Very easy to deal with, very competent, and overall just helped to make a pretty stressful situation a lot easier on me. At the time I was working in admin/account opening for PTSB so was familiar with some of the issues she may have been having getting it issued exactly as needed, all was grand. I also spoke with one or two of her colleagues when she was not in, and all was grand... it was quite similar to calling your bank about something to do with your account, a fairly pleasant experience on the whole all things considered.

Apart from when I went to get the final/correct clearance.

I gave her a quick call that morning to ask if I could go to pick it up physically as I was itching to get this over and done with ASAP. Not a bother she said, just ask for her or she'd leave it in an envelope on her desk in case she was not available. Over I went, popped in, waited in the queue and got to the front desk where this sullen face a*sehole was standing. "Hi, I'm just looking to speak with Stephanie for a second" I said, which was met with an incredibly aggressive "Why? You're to talk to me, I'm the one here!". I thought that a little weird but sure no point starting any trouble, so I let him know I needed to pick something up off her. Next thing he's literally grilling me about how I have to tell him what it's about in an even more aggressive manner, even though he had never previously asked. I let him know it was for the clearance for immigration... "she'll send it in the mail" he says, so I let him know I've arranged to pick it up and she told me to ask for her. The guy point blank refused to so much as call her extension and began raising his voice.

Still keeping my cool, I explained to him that it had been sent out 4-5 times due to the issue with Canada and he takes an accusatory tone about how me not needing 5 of them, and questioning me further on why I thought I was entitled to so many of them. I was pretty incredulous at this point, and was trying to explain to him that I have a different name on my birth cert as opposed to my passport hence the confusion on what it specifically needed to state... he was having none of it and demanded I present my passport. At this point I've been at the counter 4-5 minutes, when it would literally have taken him 10 seconds to open the door behind him and say "Stephanie, there's someone here about clearance you were doing?"

So I show him my passport and he's all of a sudden aggressively telling my that my passport name is "William" because of a tiny line on the (paper) page directly above the plastic ID page with the name/DOB/passport number/etc at the bottom etc and that they will not issue under anything else (despite the plastic page very clearly stating "Billy"). I tell him that a) that does not matter as my Canadian application is under 'Billy' and b) the fact th--- too late, he's interrupted me to rant again, at this point not far off shouting at me. Again, I was working in PTSB and this guy's tone was in line with the most frustrated, irate customer you would come across in the week.

The awkward part was when I literally had to explain to him that my passport name was not William, but Billy, as it clearly stated, and that William was not my passport name as it was--- interrupted again. On and on this went with me at the counter for well over 10 minutes in total, and it eventually just hit a point where I literally had to raise my voice over his every time he tried to interrupt me and very bluntly tell him I check multiple passports every day, the passport name is the one on the plastic page and corresponds with the MRZ code below. I asked for his badge number and asked if he would like me to go into work on the other side of the city on my day off, log in, perform an MRZ check on myself, print it off, get it verified and bring it back since that is literally what I was doing for a living... but that I would be taking it over his head and making an official complaint if that is what it came to. And at this point he, having been basically shouting at me, talking over me, and interrupting me from the offset, has the gall to tell me to watch my tone or I might not have a clean record by the time I leave the station.

At this point I stopped engaging with him, took my phone out of my pocket, and rang Stephanie's direct line... he didn't know who I was calling but the pure rage in his face as I took out the phone to call someone was startling, he nearly turned the colour of a beetroot and demanded to know what I was doing. "Calling Stephanie" was my blunt response, at which point he demanded I put the phone down as I have no right to call her direct line. I just said "she gave it to me" - I was done engaging in more than blunt, brief answers with this clown.

Strangely, as if by magic, he quickly hurried into the back room for about 2-3 minutes, came back, and basically flung it under the glass at me before point blank saying "now go away"... I may have never seen a more sullen face in my life :pac: . I opened it and read it aloud at the desk before doing so, and am frankly surprised he didn't try to caution me there and then for that.

Everyone else that I dealt with both in Tallaght and my local station was friendly (or at the very least polite), very helpful, and gave an excellent account of themselves over lengthy a period of time. This one power tripping fool taking his bad day out on the general public managed to undo all of that and then some. My biggest regret in the incident is not explicitly telling him that he is the exact reason why so many people have issues with the Gardai, was frankly nothing short of a disgrace, and would be sacked from an entry level customer service job within a week carrying on like that.

TLDR - in my experience the Gardai are generally a good bunch in terms of how they deal with the public and do their best to try and help others out, but the few bad eggs completely spoil that in an instant. It's probably the same in most police forces around the world, seems the type of job that attracts a lot of very good people but also more than it's fair share of scumbags interested in little else but a power trip.

[Deleted User]

weldoninhio wrote: »

Generally poor. They seem workshy and will try anything in the book to try to get out of doing actual work.

I was assaulted many years back in a local nightclub. Got a headbutt, broken teeth, 2 black eyes, busted nose. The bouncers were sound enough, cleaned me up, made sure I was ok and let me know that there was a squad car outside if i wanted to report it straight away while i had all the details fresh in my mind, and in case the Gardai wanted to speak with any of the bouncers that witnessed the assault. Walked over to the car, opened with "sorry to bother you but......" got as far as that before I was to to "fcuk off away from the car". I tried to explain that I was assaulted and he told me that there was nothing he could do. I asked why he could not do anything and was told "we have to stay here in case theres any trouble in the nightclub", I countered with "there was trouble in the nightclub, my nose is the result of it, and the guy that did it is there" and pointed him out.

Was then told "If you don't get away from the car now, I'll arrest you for drunk and disorderly (I wasn't) and when you bleed all over the back of the car on the way to the station i'll add destruction of police property to the charge". He then told me again to pi55 off and to call an ambulance if I wanted a record of the injury and contact my local station the next day about it.

Rang my local station the next day, was told that because it happened the next town over that I'd have to contact them. Contacted them, gave them the guys name, address, bouncers who witnessed its names and phone numbers and the phone number of the manager who said that he was going to burn a copy of the CCTV to DVD for the Gardai to collect. Went from victim to suspect in about 2 seconds. Why did he assault you? (It was completely unprovoked) I don't believe it was unprovoked. What did you do to make him retaliate like that? and on and on and on. Finally I told the Garda to look at the CCTV, speak to the bouncers and witnesses and they'd corroborate everything. Was told "Grand, we'll look into it and get back to you".

Now unless they've taken it EXTREMELY seriously, and are working deep cover to see if they can get a confession by wearing a wire, I don't think they'll be getting back to me. It was over 15 years ago. Saw him a few weeks later and sorted it myself.

Similar happened with a mate on the street. Could have pointed to at least 3 different CCTV cameras (that we knew about) but the Gardai insisted there was none (without checking). No harm came really, apart from the same gang killing someone a couple of weeks later in similar circumstances. Ho hum.

erica74

I have dealt with them twice as the injured party in 2 separate road traffic collisions and found them in the first instance to be completely incompetent and in the second instance completely corrupt.
Prior to my dealings with them, I would never have had an opinion on them one way or the other. However, due to my own personal real life experiences with them, I am very cynical about them and don't trust them (particularly after the second experience with them).
Now, I'm sure they're not "all the same" but those 2 experiences happened 3 years apart so, from my point of view, the same incompetence that affected my first interaction with them hadn't been resolved in the space of 3 years and had actually worsened.

Oh, also wanted to add, have found them absolutely and utterly useless when dealing with problems with travellers. I own a farm and down through the years have had a variety of problems with travellers and the gardai literally do not care, they're either afraid of them or just can't be bothered getting involved in problems with them because they're such a bloody nuisance. However, that should not mean the general public just have to put up with the bollocking around that travellers do.

opinionated3

Don't have much respect for them tbh. Definitely workshy.... Couldn't imagine any of them doing a days work in a factory or building site. Always looking for the easy number and for some reason VERY sarcastic! Always visible in my area when it comes to checking for tax or insurance but you'll be waiting if you report something serious like a burglary....
Paid too much IMO for the reality of the job they actually do....

somesoldiers

Twice, years back

Once I was walking up to Fairview and some lad snatched my phone off me and legged it into the flats. I hailed a passing motor bike cop who told me it wasn't his job

Not long after walking home from Quinns in Drumcondra a lad on a bike snatched phone off me, I went in to a chipper as I saw a squad car outside, The guard left his chips, and span me around the streets in the passenger seat of his car to see if we could spot the culprits...we couldn't

had about 4 phones robbed of me that summer- all top of the range silver nokias (ah the good old days when I thought latest phone = cool guy)

sbsquarepants

Probably a safe bet Billy that your guy and mine are one and the same - a total and utter wanker!

Hector Bellend

riemann wrote: »

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.

In certain circumstances, Judges are confined by poor law. Other times they do make poor decisions. Sometimes it isnt easy to tell

suicide_circus

Some great people who are committed to helping people, some desperate incompetent workshy ones - like all people. The organisation itself however is corrupt and in need of serious reform.

Your Face

I aint saying nuthin see

bigar

I can only speak for the ones I had to deal with and my impression is that they are lazy, not very bright and unable to give any sympathy.

When my car was stolen I went to report it straight away. Still a bit shaken I was asked to provide the details of the car and was sent on my way. I had to ask what would happen now and they replied that it was placed in the system and that is all they can do. Not a single word or gesture to indicate any sympathy.

Pulled over on a check point and showed my EU driving licence. The guy said that as I was in the country for over a year, I had to exchange it for an Irish one. I said it is not true but he insisted and took my details saying I need to go and show my Irish driving licence one I have it to a Garda station. Never did and never heard anything since.

Was assaulted when someone tried to take my bag (I just walked out the shop with an iPad). He did not get the bag and jumped into a car and drove off. I had some bruises and a small cut on my face. A bystander took a picture of the car including number plate and gave it to me.
Went to report it to the Garda station straight away and first thing they asked if I was sure I wanted to report it as nothing will come from it. Could barely believe it and insisted on reporting it. The guard grudgingly took all the details accompanied by a lot of sighing and eye rolling. Again not a single sign of sympathy.

Dubh Geannain

Good and bad. Mostly good.

The them and us attitude does prevail but is not present in every one of them but I definitely find it more common in the younger cohort. Perhaps it is justified if you want robots with no empathy and that will treat everyone exactly the same with zero subjectivity.

Anyway some tales:

Pulled over once for going a bit fast through a town heading back to Dublin after football training one night around 10:30pm. The guard was sound and told me to be taking it handier. Might have been a GAA player himself :rolleyes:
Myself and some mates got caught sharing a joint once when we were teens. Again got off with a scolding.
Dozens of checkpoints. 90/10 split in terms of dealing with a good cop versus a jumped up one. I've had the pleasure of being breathalysed about 10 times in total but not once in about 5 years. Must have had that look about me back then.
Cleared from many's the lock-in. The local guards were always courteous. If they were from another district a little less so (understandably).
I do have another story that wouldn't paint a couple of guards in good light at all but this isn't the place to post.

I don't mind the work shy lazy ones, they're only human. It's the ones that are clever with a touch of deviousness that I'd be more worried about. There's always a few bad eggs in all walks of life.

It's a tough enough job that can be very rewarding but I feel for a lot of them that are bet down by some of the systems in place. The guards need to get out meeting people again with less time stuck behind their desks.

Captain Obvious

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Probably a safe bet Billy that your guy and mine are one and the same - a total and utter wanker!

Some people are just not capable of dealing with the public.

Billy86

Captain Obvious wrote: »

Some people are just not capable of dealing with the public.

Working in admin, you couldn't be any more right on this - it's absolutely stunning the tone some take with members of the public who just have a simple query, or are on their 15th+ call because other lazy admin staff just looked to fob them off on the first opportunity. I grew up in a shop and spent years working in sales/customer service so it's just a natural reaction to try and help people like that out (even at times for no other reason than to avoid it escalating), and I've even had colleagues try to go above my head and make a complaint because "that's not our job!"

Then the same people act all p*ssy when that same person very noticeably frustrated but keeping their cool and being polite on call 15 get bounced back around to them and are absolutely irate because they're now on call 30. Of course they are, anyone would be. :rolleyes:

Stonedpilot

The general consensus is to be a Guard you have to be as thick as a double ditch.

A few use to drink in a bar I use to frequent. This was confirmed to me. Also the group would take over the bar as such. Loud shouty rude GAA head types.

Stonedpilot

Noveight wrote: »

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

You're an idiot. Speak to any solicitor in the world and they tell you the same thing!.
A shut mouth catches no flies. This thread is full of stories of corruption.

You have a right to privacy and if you are foolish enough to tell Gardai nosing all your business work away sure.

Can never understand people who dont respect their own privacy.

markc1184

All good experiences bar one when a Garda spent 20mins on the side of the road at a checkpoint trying to tell me that the factory fitted privacy glass in the rear of my car, that she was adament was regular tint film, was illegal and spent time trying to peel it off to prove a point. She eventually gave up. Every other time ive found them professional and courteous.

branie2

Not as a victim or suspect, but I got on fine with them

weldoninhio

Stonedpilot wrote: »

You're an idiot. Speak to any solicitor in the world and they tell you the same thing!.
A shut mouth catches no flies. This thread is full of stories of corruption.

You have a right to privacy and if you are foolish enough to tell Gardai nosing all your business work away sure.

Can never understand people who dont respect their own privacy.

Agree 100%. Here is a law professors view.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mvkgnp/law-professor-police-interrogation-law-constitution-survival

Stonedpilot

weldoninhio wrote: »

Agree 100%. Here is a law professors view.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mvkgnp/law-professor-police-interrogation-law-constitution-survival

+1
Good article.
Web is full of barristers, law profesionals and solicitors advising people to keep their mouths shut with police.

Of course if people are stupid enough to tell them their business work away!.

pxdf9i5cmoavkz

They were grand and I especially liked the follow up calls from the detective.

Captain Obvious

weldoninhio wrote: »

Agree 100%. Here is a law professors view.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mvkgnp/law-professor-police-interrogation-law-constitution-survival

Great in theory but in real life if a Garda talks to you and you simply ignore him you'll probably end up having a bad time.