TheNog wrote: » possibly through this thread?? I think those against the gardai getting a free cup of coffee are clinging onto a barest of threads with this argument. What does a cup of coffee do you? It helps you stay alert or as an energy booster. That would help any garda who dragged him/herself out of bed at 5am to be in for 6am. Or for those that finished at 6am and are back in work at 2pm or indeed those who are working from 10pm to 6am. I know one garda who finishes a night shift at 6am travels an hour home, gets his kids ready for school,brings them to school, gets to bed at nearly 10am and is back up at 12pm to get ready for work at 2pm. He needs a cup of coffee!!!!!!!
Xavi6 wrote: » Well where do you draw the line?
ojewriej wrote: » I don't see anything wrong with that, as long as you know where to draw the line. And all you need to know where the line is is a little bit of cop on.
MrJoeSoap wrote: » Exactly, so by giving the Gardai free coffee the shop is receiving extra protection... You proved the point you were trying to argue against there. The Gardai have more to do than hang around shops where they get free coffee. No criminal is ever going to say "Lets not rob shop X because the Gardai get free coffee there so are more likely to be there".
GreeBo wrote: » Hmmm I wonder what the niteclubs, etc want from the Gards that they are not already getting?
foinse wrote: » What the shop is getting in return for the free coffee is Gardai going into the shop in uniform to get food on their meal break, it means they have a high presence of police in the shop and that makes them less likely to be robbed, as it would become quite well known as a spot the gardai frequent regularly.
foinse wrote: » Oh and going off some of your arguments........lets have a little scenario.........lets say I am a garda.......lets say it's my birthday and a distant relation gives me a present.......do i now owe him/her if i catch them doing something illegal, or if they are the victims of a crime? NO! just the same way as I don't owe the shop anything for the coffee as all they expect is for you to return to their shop in future.
GreeBo wrote: » What, you dont think being you being a Garda Reserve comes into this conversation at all? Hows that for a nice demonstration of your impartiality reasoning. :cool: Hmm again with the classic Garda PC response. Goodday to you.
GreeBo wrote: I was nearly laughing (from all the witty replies you understand) too much to reply. Nearly. All your arguments for this practice can be countered with one simple word. "Why?" Why do they Garda get this special treatment? Giving discounts to paying consumers is all well and good but freebies to a specific group of public employees and expecting something in return to my mind is clearly wrong. If you accept free coffee because of what your powers are then what else do you accept, where do you draw the line? Coffee for Garda A is ok but brown envelopes to planners are not ok? Can you people not see that its an all or nothing scenario? They are either clean or they are dirty. Its not "only" a cup of coffee.
colliegG wrote: » My job has nothing to do with this thread. I'm not a Garda but I fit all of your conditions pretty closely.
collieG wrote: Any abnormal looking midgets should have to stay indoors because they're creepy to look at while the ones who look normal but just shrunken should be displayed on street corners for the public amusement.
colliegG wrote: » Oh don't encourage him Citeog
Rob_l wrote: » garda ombudsman has been forwarded a link to this thread FTW
An Citeog wrote: » I see what you're saying but I completely disagree. You're questioning the integrity and impartiality of quite a number of Gardaí based on any discounts they may receive. Quite a statement to make without any proof whatsoever to back it up. Can you refer to any previous cases or even any stories you may have heard about such incidents occurring? Btw, referring to free coffee with purchases or discounted meals in restaurants/take-aways close to the station as backhanders is laughable. Obviously I can't tell you definitively because it's a purely hypothetical situation. I don't see how you can make a definitive statement on the matter either. If you don't like the current situation though, here's where to go: http://www.gardaombudsman.ie/.
An Citeog wrote: » If you don't like the current situation though, here's where to go: http://www.gardaombudsman.ie/.
GreeBo wrote: » erm yes, I am tarring all the Gards who take backhanders with the same brush, not ALL gards though. Spot the Difference?
GreeBo wrote: So you are honestly telling me that if the Spar and the Centra on Westmoreland St are being attacked and there is only 1 unit available they wont go to the one that doles out the freebies first?
GreeBo wrote: » And as part of your job are you supposed to be providing an unbiased, state controlled service to the public? Are you in a position of power over >95% of the public? The reason your argument is pointless is that you are saying it doesnt matter that our cops take back handers because other cops are worse. Im pointing out the small mindedness of that argument as following that logic only the "worst" cops should be dealt with.
GreeBo wrote: » well it is actually, so which am I wrong on? Yes I understand how marketing works thanks. There are far more IT people that Gards, why dont these shops give discounts to IT professionals? But you are still missing the point. In your instance the shop is getting custom from you, if a Gard is let into a nite club for free what is the club getting that they are not getting from me? Why can I not go in for free? I will be buying drinks whereas the guard (as mentioned several times earlier, will not as they are bound to step in during any trouble) You have facts to back this up? Personally I would say they reason they go back is the fact that they keep getting stuff for free... How impartial do you reckon the Gards are towards these "Perk Shops"? If there is in incident between shop A and person B and the Gards are called do you not think there is a slight chance that the guards will be influenced by the fact that shop A gives them their coffee for free everyday? Cant you see how this is wrong? If I was arrested after an incident like above and found out that the cops had a "relationship" with the shop Id use it to get any case thrown out of court, same as if the Judge was best mates with the shop keeper.
An Citeog wrote: » Em, pot kettle black etc! So it's ok for you and other posters to tar over 10,000 people with the same brush based on anecdotal evidence then?
An Citeog wrote: » As regards prioritising calls, it depends on the seriousness of the incident and the amount of Gardaí available to respond. If it's a simple choice of one over the other, Gardaí will respond to the one that's closest.
GreeBo wrote: » Good luck getting all that tar of your brush.
GreeBo wrote: » Actually it would probably put more companies out of business as fewer people would actually be paying customers.
Sonnenblumen wrote: » What's the big deal about gardai getting little perks, I mean its not uncommon for lots of others, as another poster pointed out. Anyways I'm sure it's an effective way of building closer links, which might be beneficial if assistance was required.
Sonnenblumen wrote: » The whingers will disagree but they're probably most likely peripheral and therefore not relevant.
Sonnenblumen wrote: » More Garda and fewer whingers would make this place a better place.
Lola123 wrote: » No, I fail to see how my argument was pointless. I was pointing out that there is a difference between corrupt cops (such as in Russia and Nigeria....thanks for the other example!) and the gardai getting a free sandwich. Have you even gotten anything for free or discounted because of your job? I know I most certainly have.
GreeBo wrote: » I dunno what these Russians are complaining about, in Nigeria the cops cut your arms off. See how pointless that argument is?:rolleyes:
