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The uselessness of the gardai

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  • 28-11-2020 8:12pm
    #1
    The_Brood
    Closed Accounts Posts: 838 ✭✭✭


    Can we resurrect this thread? Issue going on for decades and if anything getting worse and worse. There is virtually no police presence, dublin center for example is and ahs been an absolute cesspit for years, and gardai have next initiative to do anything about it.

    Absolutely shocking how this gets completely ignored by politicians.

    Mod - thread broken out from old thread


«13456

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    #2
    Purgative
    Registered Users Posts: 2,509 ✭✭✭Purgative


    The_Brood wrote: »
    Can we resurrect this thread? Issue going on for decades and if anything getting worse and worse. There is virtually no police presence, dublin center for example is and ahs been an absolute cesspit for years, and gardai have next initiative to do anything about it.

    Absolutely shocking how this gets completely ignored by politicians.


    Maybe, but why not just start a new thread. FFS its AH there isn't exactly a high bar.


    What use is a load of no names comments from 13 years ago?


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    #3
    The_Brood
    Closed Accounts Posts: 838 ✭✭✭The_Brood


    Purgative wrote: »
    Maybe, but why not just start a new thread. FFS its AH there isn't exactly a high bar.


    What use is a load of no names comments from 13 years ago?

    Think it adds perspective of just timeless this issue seems to be.


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    #4
    JustAThought
    Registered Users Posts: 5,323 ✭✭✭JustAThought


    Totally agree - the gaurds are totally impotent and disinterested - anything other than a murder (with body) or kinehans level crime ( pipe bombs/beheadings/drive by shootings) and they do not want to know. Its as though they have collectively sat down and decided that they are just not going to do the work & paperwork. An instution that passively refuses to do their job while waddling around in navy uniforms. What minister is looking after this now - its an ongoing shambles. If they are just going to play bodygaurd for crime gangs lets be done with it and charge the Kinehans for their private security firm - they’re certainly providing the rest of us no proper services. Shambles.


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    #5
    French Toast
    Registered Users Posts: 722 ✭✭✭French Toast


    A 13 year bump. That's gas.


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    #6
    JustAThought
    Registered Users Posts: 5,323 ✭✭✭JustAThought


    French Toast wrote: »
    A 13 year bump. That's gas.

    Nothings improved in 13 years. Maybe something needs changing. Like the whole system.


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    #7
    Purgative
    Registered Users Posts: 2,509 ✭✭✭Purgative


    The_Brood wrote: »
    Think it adds perspective of just timeless this issue seems to be.


    Ah shure. I spose you could even cite it as evidence.:rolleyes:


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    #8
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Is this a record for zombie threads?


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    #9
    French Toast
    Registered Users Posts: 722 ✭✭✭French Toast


    JustAThought wrote: »
    Nothings improved in 13 years. Maybe something needs changing. Like the whole system.

    Yeah I'd agree in fairness.

    Persistent, low-level scummy behaviour shouldn't go unpunished.


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    #10
    riclad
    Registered Users Posts: 8,184 ✭✭✭riclad


    Maybe judges are handing out suspended sentences because we have a small amount of prison cells , if you send someone to prison now
    you may be putting them at risk of getting covid 19 .prison sentences may be reserved for people who commit the most serious violent crimes .in the middle of a pandemic theres not much chance of the government
    borrowing more money to build a new prison .


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    #11
    Wesser
    Registered Users Posts: 1,813 ✭✭✭Wesser


    Fine by me if they get covid!


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    #12
    Cee-Jay-Cee
    Registered Users Posts: 12,235 ✭✭✭✭Cee-Jay-Cee


    JustAThought wrote: »
    Totally agree - the gaurds are totally impotent and disinterested - anything other than a murder (with body) or kinehans level crime ( pipe bombs/beheadings/drive by shootings) and they do not want to know. Its as though they have collectively sat down and decided that they are just not going to do the work & paperwork. An instution that passively refuses to do their job while waddling around in navy uniforms. What minister is looking after this now - its an ongoing shambles. If they are just going to play bodygaurd for crime gangs lets be done with it and charge the Kinehans for their private security firm - they’re certainly providing the rest of us no proper services. Shambles.

    I think part of the problem is the justice system. We have completely clueless judges who have zero grasp on reality and who soak up every sob story the equally inept solicitors and barristers spin them. I can totally understand how guards who worked hard to put their cases together only for a retarded judge to let the defendant off, get totally disillusioned and think what’s the point in doing anything. I think if we had a functioning justice system then the guards would start to care more again.


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    #13
    FGR
    Registered Users Posts: 2,448 ✭✭✭FGR


    Wesser wrote: »
    Fine by me if they get covid!

    I think it's a matter of time before a prisoner has a successful claim against the state for contracting covid. Heaven forbid their human rights are affected after they've assaulted/robbed or caused worse to someone else that put them in prison to begin with.
    Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »
    I think part of the problem is the justice system. We have completely clueless judges who have zero grasp on reality and who soak up every sob story the equally inept solicitors and barristers spin them. I can totally understand how guards who worked hard to put their cases together only for a retarded judge to let the defendant off, get totally disillusioned and think what’s the point in doing anything. I think if we had a functioning justice system then the guards would start to care more again.

    I wouldn't be surprised if the judiciary are given a friendly reminder every now again about the number of prison spaces available - this, combined with a lax precedent for incarceration, concurrent sentencing and recidivism leads me to believe that a very pro active government would be needed to repair the system. Probably rewrite the lawbook on many offences to eliminate that soft precedent.

    Also - it's seen time and time again that Justice rarely is of political importance; it only matters when it comes to accountability but not on the punishment of crimes - otherwise Thornton Hall would have been built long ago. Spike Island and the old Cork Prison would still be open.

    Look at how long it's taken for people to even discuss the process of appointing, investigating or complaining a member of the judiciary. A referendum to cut their pay? Crazy.

    Funny how it isn't needed when there's a pay rise.


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    #14
    JeffreyEpspeen
    Registered Users Posts: 555 ✭✭✭JeffreyEpspeen


    Wing mirror was kicked off car. I went into pub across the road to view their CCTV and went up the street to request CCTV from a Mace. Hard to get an ID on who did it because their faces were obscured. Went to guards to give a statement. Was basically fobbed off by a chubby short lad at the desk and told to come back at an allotted time to give my statement. Came back at allotted time and was told the gob****e who was supposed to take my statement was "down the town" (there was some event going on to add context). Was told he'd ring the number I had left with them. They never bothered their arses ringing. I gave up. I wouldn't mind but I basically did their jobs for them by viewing CCTV at one place, requesting it from another, and letting them know of at least one other place where the lads who did it might be caught on camera pre-obscuring themselves.

    Another good one is the time I was walking down the street minding my own business and a squad car slowly inched past holding up a huge line of traffic. I could tell the one driving was staring me out of it for some reason so I looked over and gestured to say "what are you looking at?" He motioned to pull his car over awkwardly on a one-way blocking the traffic behind him while I shrugged my shoulders and went about my way before I lost my temper and rose to the provocation. He didn't get out of the car and cross the road to talk to me, which would've taken about 15 seconds, so I presume he was acting the maggot - but acting the maggot isn't a quality that inspires confidence in people in a profession like that.

    Was also a passenger in a fatal head-on collision where the other car was at fault and voluntarily gave a statement to the guards who interrogated me like I was a seasoned criminal; doing the same with the (traumatised) person who was driving the car. Their interviewing skills apparently on par with their forensic collision investigation at the scene.

    Have also had off duty guards or guards in unmarked vehicles repeatedly pull out dangerously in front of me illegally and without indicating while driving past the guards barracks in town.

    And then there's the time an unmarked squad car tailgated me for a couple of miles without making any attempt to overtake on a straight stretch of road, while I was driving the speed limit, putting me on edge, before finally flashing and pulling me over - only to make a pathetic excuse about why he pulled me over before ****ing off for himself when he saw that I was insured, taxed, and wasn't in fact drink driving - obviously on one of their fishing expeditions...

    Am I sad about the news story relating to a guard who was shot to death with his own gun recently? Yes. Am I surprised? Going by the bolloxology I've had to deal with in virtually all my interactions with them, no.


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    #15
    coinop
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 315 ✭✭coinop


    Sadly all major cities have to deal with drug addicts and other undesirables. The problem is that while other cities hide these wasters away in the suburbs or a designated ghetto, Dublin locates its methadone clinics slap bang in the city center so all the junkies travel there (using their free travel pass of course) to get their fix and intimidate ordinary decent people. You won't find drug addicts harassing tourists and office workers around the Louvre in Paris or the Loop in Chicago. They are shunned away to the banlieues and the South Side ghettos respectively, where the Untermenschen can murder and rob each other to their hearts content. Proper order.


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    #16
    Pasteur.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 256 ✭✭Pasteur.


    coinop wrote: »
    Sadly all major cities have to deal with drug addicts and other undesirables. The problem is that while other cities hide these wasters away in the suburbs or a designated ghetto, Dublin locates its methadone clinics slap bang in the city center so all the junkies travel there (using their free travel pass of course) to get their fix and intimidate ordinary decent people. You won't find drug addicts harassing tourists and office workers around the Louvre in Paris or the Loop in Chicago. They are shunned away to the banlieues and the South Side ghettos respectively, where the Untermenschen can murder and rob each other to their hearts content. Proper order.

    Hasn't that approach been shown not to work

    Creating ghettoes


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    #17
    Eduard Khil
    Registered Users Posts: 796 ✭✭✭Eduard Khil


    It's a civil matter is the 100% response to any enquiries for help from them in my experience


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    #18
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,381 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Some lads broke in and robbed us at knife point around 3am or so. One housemate managed to call the guards when they came in. Guards arrived like 45 minutes later and then didn't believe us because we had been on a night out. Who the hell prank calls guards into their own homes.


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    #19
    Darc19
    Registered Users Posts: 3,817 ✭✭✭Darc19


    Like most civil service departments you will have a large number of lazy wasters who see it as a cushy job for life with great holidays (illness days) and a nice pension.

    Then you have the Gung ho types who are just weeks out of templemore and think they have to act like they are on csi.

    Then you have the rotten apples who are corrupt in how they deal with things and make up their mind on issues.


    My own estimation is that the above groups make up about 20% of the force.


    But the worst part is the Blue Glue when they stick to each other even when they know it's wrong - and that permeates around all stations


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    #20
    suicide_circus
    Registered Users Posts: 19,802 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    Any of my interactions with them can be summed up with two word: unhelpful & disinterested.


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    #21
    DrSerious3
    Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭DrSerious3


    JeffreyEpspeen wrote: »
    Wing mirror was kicked off car. I went into pub across the road to view their CCTV and went up the street to request CCTV from a Mace. Hard to get an ID on who did it because their faces were obscured. Went to guards to give a statement. Was basically fobbed off by a chubby short lad at the desk and told to come back at an allotted time to give my statement. Came back at allotted time and was told the gob****e who was supposed to take my statement was "down the town" (there was some event going on to add context). Was told he'd ring the number I had left with them. They never bothered their arses ringing. I gave up. I wouldn't mind but I basically did their jobs for them by viewing CCTV at one place, requesting it from another, and letting them know of at least one other place where the lads who did it might be caught on camera pre-obscuring themselves.

    Another good one is the time I was walking down the street minding my own business and a squad car slowly inched past holding up a huge line of traffic. I could tell the one driving was staring me out of it for some reason so I looked over and gestured to say "what are you looking at?" He motioned to pull his car over awkwardly on a one-way blocking the traffic behind him while I shrugged my shoulders and went about my way before I lost my temper and rose to the provocation. He didn't get out of the car and cross the road to talk to me, which would've taken about 15 seconds, so I presume he was acting the maggot - but acting the maggot isn't a quality that inspires confidence in people in a profession like that.

    Was also a passenger in a fatal head-on collision where the other car was at fault and voluntarily gave a statement to the guards who interrogated me like I was a seasoned criminal; doing the same with the (traumatised) person who was driving the car. Their interviewing skills apparently on par with their forensic collision investigation at the scene.

    Have also had off duty guards or guards in unmarked vehicles repeatedly pull out dangerously in front of me illegally and without indicating while driving past the guards barracks in town.

    And then there's the time an unmarked squad car tailgated me for a couple of miles without making any attempt to overtake on a straight stretch of road, while I was driving the speed limit, putting me on edge, before finally flashing and pulling me over - only to make a pathetic excuse about why he pulled me over before ****ing off for himself when he saw that I was insured, taxed, and wasn't in fact drink driving - obviously on one of their fishing expeditions...

    Am I sad about the news story relating to a guard who was shot to death with his own gun recently? Yes. Am I surprised? Going by the bolloxology I've had to deal with in virtually all my interactions with them, no.

    Near where I live, two expensive boat engines was stolen not so long ago. Like the poster above, CCTV of a white van in the rural area at both the times in question (about 3am) was discovered and was handed into Gardai. After one month and no response, victim requested tape back from Gardai as he had a friend who could blow up video and ascertain number plate. Gardai refused to hand back tape, saying that they were the investigators and would get round to it. Two years later, he has never been contacted since.


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    #22
    crustyjuggler
    Registered Users Posts: 534 ✭✭✭crustyjuggler


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    Some lads broke in and robbed us at knife point around 3am or so. One housemate managed to call the guards when they came in. Guards arrived like 45 minutes later and then didn't believe us because we had been on a night out. Who the hell prank calls guards into their own homes.

    Ah come on now


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    #23
    Muppet Man
    Registered Users Posts: 1,650 ✭✭✭Muppet Man


    Probably an unpopular opinion in this thread, but I've had nothing but positive experiences when dealing with Gardai... I've been broken in to twice and they were extremely helpful on both occasions.

    They are hugely under resourced in terms of equipment, IT and headcount, so it does make their job a lot harder.

    Muppet man


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    #24
    Graces7
    Registered Users Posts: 32,634 ✭✭✭✭Graces7


    Muppet Man wrote: »
    Probably an unpopular opinion in this thread, but I've had nothing but positive experiences when dealing with Gardai... I've been broken in to twice and they were extremely helpful on both occasions.

    They are hugely under resourced in terms of equipment, IT and headcount, so it does make their job a lot harder.

    Muppet man

    Thank you, and I came on to say the same. Not break ins but equally serious situations.
    It may be largely the rural/urban divide?


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    #25
    Pkiernan
    Registered Users Posts: 4,315 ✭✭✭Pkiernan


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    Some lads broke in and robbed us at knife point around 3am or so. One housemate managed to call the guards when they came in. Guards arrived like 45 minutes later and then didn't believe us because we had been on a night out. Who the hell prank calls guards into their own homes.

    Drug debt?


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    #26
    ElJeffe
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 725 ✭✭✭ElJeffe


    coinop wrote: »
    Sadly all major cities have to deal with drug addicts and other undesirables. The problem is that while other cities hide these wasters away in the suburbs or a designated ghetto, Dublin locates its methadone clinics slap bang in the city center so all the junkies travel there (using their free travel pass of course) to get their fix and intimidate ordinary decent people. You won't find drug addicts harassing tourists and office workers around the Louvre in Paris or the Loop in Chicago. They are shunned away to the banlieues and the South Side ghettos respectively, where the Untermenschen can murder and rob each other to their hearts content. Proper order.

    Ordinary decent people live in the suburbs and "ghetto's" also. Why should they have to deal with the issue?

    On the subject of the Gardai i actually parked my car in the car park beside Dundrum Garda station last year and went into a local for a meal with my family. When we came out someone had crashed into the front of my car. It's a paid pub car park so i was thinking possible drunk driver etc...Anywho went into the Gardai station and they went out of their way to not help me out. One Garda actually said to me "if i was sure the damage didn't exist before i parked" Pointed the CCTV in the car park out to them and they said they'd check it out and get back to me.

    So started a back and forth with them on the phone and me dropping into them twice over the next month to try and get some answers to no avail. They made me feel like i was wasting their time even though i pointed out i was the victim of criminal damage. Absolute waaters down there anyway and i hope it's not a window into the goings on of the whole force.


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    #27
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,381 ✭ [Deleted User]


    crustyjuggler wrote: »
    Ah come on now

    I first told this story in 2011.
    Pkiernan wrote: »
    Drug debt?

    Yeah, from the people who lived there before us.


    Most of my interactions with the guards have been good, though. Especially compared to Vietnamese police.


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    #28
    Wanderer2010
    Registered Users Posts: 6,669 ✭✭✭Wanderer2010


    Im wary of anyone who wants to be a Guard. In the same way as someone who wants to look after elderly nursing home residents, care homes, mental hospital patients or home help. Why would you choose to have power over a vulnerable person? The naive part of you might praise their sense of community spirit but another part knows they just want the chance to beat up and abuse someone they know wont fight back because that appeals to their personality. Its certainly not the money or the glamour that would tempt you.
    There was a documentary on rte about prison guards few years back and although the guys were careful to present an image of strict but fair when dealing with prisoners you could see it was a thin veneer and they were itching for a chance to be violent towards anyone who stepped out of line. Something in them wanted to inflict pain. My immediate instinct is not to trust the majority of Guards.


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    #29
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,381 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Wanderer2010 wrote: »
    Im wary of anyone who wants to be a Guard. In the same way as someone who wants to look after elderly nursing home residents, care homes, mental hospital patients or home help. Why would you choose to have power over a vulnerable person? The naive part of you might praise their sense of community spirit but another part knows they just want the chance to beat up and abuse someone they know wont fight back because that appeals to their personality. Its certainly not the money or the glamour that would tempt you.
    There was a documentary on rte about prison guards few years back and although the guys were careful to present an image of strict but fair when dealing with prisoners you could see it was a thin veneer and they were itching for a chance to be violent towards anyone who stepped out of line. Something in them wanted to inflict pain. My immediate instinct is not to trust the majority of Guards.

    Do you actually believe the majority of people working in care of others do it so they can be abusive? You just don't hear about the vast majority of normal people doing these jobs.


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    #30
    Kraftwerk
    Closed Accounts Posts: 472 ✭✭Kraftwerk


    I don't know what training Gards get but it's nowhere near enough. Most that I've encountered have given the impression that they don't really know what they're doin and would rather just get away from the situation rather than resolve it.


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    #31
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 7,712 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    We have a staunch loyalist running the show now. It’s an inside job to take down the country.


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